The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 49, No. 15, Ed. 1, Friday, February 9, 1962 Page: 2 of 8
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FEBRUARY 9 1962
PAGE 2
THE OPTIMIST
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EDITORIALS
New Columnists Give
Optimist More Scope
V
Although we've changed some it's still the Optimist you
are reading. Hoping that the innovations for this 'semester's
newspaper won't have too many persons comparing us to ever
changing elements e.g. the tide and the Saturday Evening
Post the Optimist has added several features which we feel
will increase your interest in the paper.
Realizing that there are two sides and usually more to
every issue we plan to have .features which will enable the
reader to broaden his scope and gain a better understanding
of different issues.
With this in mind we have added two political columnists
to the staff. In this issue Bob Coleman and Ronnie Roberts ex-
plain why they hold their liberal and conservative viewpoints
respectively. After the first issue the two will alternate with
their polumns from week to week. Coleman and Roberts are
both excellent students of government and politics and both
have had a great deal of experience in debate activities.
A new weekly feature will be ex-edltor James Batta'
column "Insight."
His subject matter will range from politics to women's
fashions. In this issue he begins a series on the controversial
John Birch Society. He will discuss not only campus subjects
but subjects which are national in scope.
Phil Elkins will continue his column "All the World"
which will discuss matters of religious significance. Sports
editor David Spradlin will begin a column called aptly enough
"Sports."
And if yout the readers don't agree with what Is said In
the columns or In the editorials the letters column Is always
open for your comment.
So these features along with the regular news coverage
is what you can expect in the Optimist this semester. The news-
paper dear reader is published for you and only with your
suggestions encouragement and criticism can we hope to
succeed. "
J. . -'.. I. -UJ....J .- . .
Wfdffg Rightists Bomb
Los Angeles Pastors?
Last week in Los Angeles two ministers who have been
criticizing rightwing extremism had their homes bombed
while they were appearing on a television panel show "The
Extreme Right Threat to Democracy?"
Both of these ministers one a Lutheran the other a Uni-
tarian also had received threats and anonymous telephone
calls. These and other actions by extreme rightwing groups
give credence to a questio'n: What is the difference between
the extreme rightwing groups and the Communists?
Ostensibly the rightists groups profess to be the enemies
of Communism but their actions tend to put them on the same
level with the Communists.
While the rightists decry the Communist tryanny they
cause a tyranny all their own condeming persons as traitors'
who do not hold the same view as the rightists. "Guilty by
association" is one of their favorite avenues of attack.
Now some rightists will say the Communists bombed the
houses to discredit the ultra conservative movement. Of course
this is possible t Just as possible that the rightists have
been doing bombing which has been charged against the Com-
munists to discredit the leftists movement.
Luckily no one was injured in the California bombing
but if this is just a sample of what we can expect from the
extreme rightists next time those who criticize them .might
not be so lucky.
One of the ministers said after the bombing that he is still
determined to battle the radical right wing. "I will not con-
promise my beliefs" he said. We do not ask the rightists to
compromise their beliefs that Communism is an evil; it is.
But we do ask them to realize that a person can be against
Communism and not use the same methods that the rightists
use.
I..i.
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African Students Happy in U.S.
(Editor's Notet This is the firit
In a series on the problems en-
countered by the African; student
in the United States. The Infor-
mation comes .from a report by
the Institute of International Ed-
Education.) The African student in Uie
United States in spite of economic
and emotional problems is happy
with his American education. In
a survey just completed of mora
than 1000 African students now
in ithis country 79 per cent re-
ported they were ''completely" or
"mostly" satisfied with their
training. Only 4 per cent register-
ed dissatisfaction.
Another significant finding is
that the majority of African stu-
dents feel they do not get along
well with American Negroes. Al-
most two-thirds Indicated fric-
tion between the two groups.
Their biggest problem is lack of
fundi; their general academic per-
formance is abore average.
These are some of the highlights
of the African Student Survey
sponsored by the Institute of In-
ternational Education with a
$20000 grant from the Johnson
Foundation. The research was
carried out by the University of
Michigan International Center.
Last March the University of
Michigan Center sent question-
naires to 1533 African students
on 366 American college and uni-
versity campuses. Two-thirds of
the students (1010) filled out tho
form. Later the researchers held
personal interviews with 208
Africans at 45 institutions.
Eight-hundred and one Africans
were enrolled in Northern insti-
tutions while 209 were studying
at colleges and universities in the
South. Despite the fact mat
almost half of them had arrived
within the year 19 per cent of
the African students had already
changed schools. Of (this group
one-third transferred because they
had completed their course 'while"
24 per cent said their subject or
field of study was not available.
The HE African study was de-
signed to uncover the difficulties
faced by African students in the
United States. In general the
problems encountered by Africans
were similar to those of all foreign
students.
In the first few -weeks under-
standing and using English was
the number one problem listed by
21 per cent of the Africans. Ad-
justing to American foods ranked
second (19 per cent) adapting to
American life was third (17 per
cent) and discrimination was re-
ported fourth (11 per cent).
As they stayed longer their
problems changed whereas only
4 per cent had serious money
Tl
PTIMIST
Publlihad watkly txctpt during vacation!
nd tamlnalioni by itudanti of Ablltna Chrlt.
tltn Colltgt. Subtcrlptlonii $1 pr ytar. Enter.
td itcond dm mattar June 29 1929 at
tht poit offlct of Ablltna Taai undtr tht
Act of Auguit 24 1912 Addrtu til communl.
catloni to tht Optlmltt Box 397 Station ACC
Ablltn Ton. Ttltphont OR 2-8441 Ext.
344.
Opinion! tprtutd In tht Ootlmlit
thoit of tht writtr tnd not ntcttitflly'Shi
trt
OS
ot tht idminiitrttlon.
EDITOR
Charllt Smith
BUSINESS MANAGER
Gltndt Ctntry
Sportt Editor Otvld Sprtdlln
Photographtr ......................... Jim Rldgtway
Circulation Managtr .............. Jantllt Campbtll
COPY EDITORS. Brooka Oarntr Marilyn
Ron Nancy Cann.
REPORTERSi Gltn Thornton Ntvt Morgan
Jamti Wood Marilyn Ron Call Staphtni
John Clark Jr. Judy Johnion Jtannttlt El-
mora C. 0. Forbtn Jantllt Campbtll Mary
Jackion Lynda Ball Jimmy Parioru.
COlUMfclSTSi Jamti Batti Bob Colaman
Ronnlt Robtrti Phil Elkins.
ADVISOR
Dr. Raglnald C Wtitmortland
Negroes Africans Don't Get
troubles immediately later 27 per
cent of the African students faced
financial pressures.. The difficul-
ties with English food and ad-
justment almost disappeared with
tlaie. 'Discrimination was still
listed as a major problem by 12
pel- cent bf .the Africans making
ltJthe second-most difficult area
as their stay Increased. However
once adjustment set In the num-
ber of students with no real prob-
lems Jumped from 4 per cent to
17 per cent
The most startling result of the
HE African survey was the evi-
dence of friction between .many
African students and American
Negroes. Contrary to popular be-
lief these two groups do not make
friends easily leaving the average
African with a sense of disap-
pointment These feelings were
also reported at Negro institu-
tions where possible friendship
for Africans would seem to be
greater.
Twenty per cent of the Africans
studying at schools In the South
reported they had no American
Negro friends. This is particularly
significant since1 all but one o
HaBHKBillBffl
For the past several months
the most controversial' organiza-
tion In the United States has
easily been the John Birch
Society. Rabid in their course of
unyielding outspoken anti-Communistic
action the Birchcrs
clalnwi steadily growing band of
adhcrente'and an equally signifi-
cant number of opponents.
The question of the Blrchers
has been brought closer to home
beginning late last winter when
some of (the local members began
to be heard in the ldttcrs-to-the-edltor
column of the Optimist. Al-
though they have written a great
deal and will sound off on their
peculiar philosophy to anyone
within hearing range the Birch-
ers are still Q relatively unknown
band.
The members draw their name
from John Birch one of the first
If not the first American citizens
killed by the Communists in the
Cold War. They claim as their
Groat White Father a retired
Massachusetts candy manufactur-
er named Robert Welch. Beyond
these basic facts very little is
known about the organization.
Various tags have been placed
on the movement including such
phrases as "Ultra-Conservative"
"The Dangerous Right" and "The
Fanatic Fringe" to name a few.
Possibly (the only thing that has
put the Blrchers ln the national
limelight more than anything else
is their branding of leading
Americans as Communists or at
least 'Consymps" a Welch term
which stands for Communist Sym-
pathizer. For this they have come under
seyere-dttack as well as for their
outspoken disaproval of a pro-
gressive Income tax condemna-
tion of the U.S. Supreme Court
condemnation of the United
Nations the U.S. . Soviet cultural
and economic exchange program
to name a few points. In fact the
one great charge brought against
the Blrchers along with the re-
curring one of "Character Assas-
sins" is that it is a negative or
.asflsBSW '
Along
these schools were Negro institu-
tions. In the North 45 per cent
of the Africans said Ithcy had no
Negro friends but the survey
data docs not reveal the number
of Negroes enrolled in these
northern colleges and universities.
Equally important are the rea-
sons given by Africans for not
malting Negro friends. Of the 63
per ceni who indicated feelings of
friction .between .Africans .and
Negroes 19 per cent said that
American Negroes were unfriend
ly and 13 per cent said Negroes
felt superior to them. Almost one-
quarter of the Africans felt they
got along well with American
Negroes while I per cent reported
too little contact to make a judg-
ment. In personal interviews an Afri-
can man ot a midwest school said
"Africans have been brought up
in one culture and American
Negroes are victims of circum-
stances in another culture and
don't know where they belong."
NEXT WEEK: The discrimina-
tion the African student faces In
the United Scales both in tho
North and South.
9E&&NBMKvlWKmB3wM
NConsymp' Charges
Birchers' Weapon
By JAMES BATTS
ganization that when the mem-
bers are asked what they stand
for one receives only a barrage
of things they arc opposed to.
Both amateurs and profession-
als have attempted to analyze the
nature of the Birch movement
and to analyze the Birchcr phll-
sophy and personality itself. A
popular idea is that the Birchcrs
are good American people who
have been caught up In a com-
plex twentieth century with
which they are not completely
able to reconcile themselves
politically socially or economic-
ally. And having been warned of
a Groat Communist Menace
which Is ruthlessly pushing the
United States to destruction they
have panicked in their fight
against it and are literally "run-
ning scared."
They are recognlsably on the
extreme Right in all Issues and
anyono who does not align him-
self with the Birch views is con-
sidered a Communist or at least
a Comsymp. This outlook has led
them to brand such Americans as
former President Eisenhower
Chlof Justice of ..the Supreme
Court Earl Warren NAACP
loaders President Kennedy and
all liberals as Communists or
Comsymps.
An organization following such
a course is naturally controver-
sial. In the main however little
beyond rhetorical arguments In-
volving the Blrchers Is possible
because of the virtual anonymity
of the movement. A secret organ-
ization until about two years ago
the John Birch Society hit the
nation's headlines spectacularly
and much premature material
was -written about It. And in spite
of all that has been written rfherc
Ms still verys little puMlc know-
ledge of the organization.
Bearing this muddled state of
affairs in mind this writer has
arranged km interview with a
local member of tho John Birch
Society to discuss these and pther
points. Insight will deal with
this interview next week.
rl
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The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 49, No. 15, Ed. 1, Friday, February 9, 1962, newspaper, February 9, 1962; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth99282/m1/2/: accessed May 2, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.