University of Virginia Library

Attack Urged On SSA Revision

I am the parent of a college freshman and I am
writing to a number of college newspapers in
reference to the revision of the Selective Service Act.

I am opposed to the provision just approved by
the House of Representatives, and now under
consideration by the Senate, which permits the
President to abolish student
deferments... retroactively to April 23, 1970. Those
students who are now college freshmen will be the
first students since World War II to have their
education interrupted. In the present situation this
seems unwarranted... for it comes at a time when the
draft is being phased out and the administration's
goal is zero draft by 1973. The terrible irony is that
the students who are now college
freshmen will be the only class to
be affected.

To abolish any student
deferments is punitive, but to
abolish them retroactively is
reprehensible. No other deferments
have ever been abolished
retroactively.

I urge you to publish this letter
in order to urge all students to
write immediately to their Senators
to protest this revision. Have their
parents write also. Bombard
President Nixon with letters and
telegrams. We must eliminate the
retroactive aspect of the new
Selective Service Act.

Act quickly. . .the Senate will be
voting on this same issue very
soon!!

Poor Taste

The article "Pope Paul Ba
Sex" which appeared in your April
first edition showed surprising lack
of quality for a newspaper which
usually exhibits good and often
outstanding journalism. I enjoy
good satire as much as the next
man, and as a Roman Catholic
physician-to-be, I am strongly in
favor of liberalization of the
Church's laws on contraception.
Portions of the article were in very
poor taste, and the tone of the
entire piece - satire though it might
be — showed little understanding
and did nothing to advance
understanding of this very serious
problem. I hope you will exhibit
better judgement in this area in the
future.

Don Lynch
Medicine 4

— Ed.

Misquote

In Jim Massey's account of the
discussion Bill Harbaugh and I led
about the Greening of America, I
am quoted as saying that "we are
on the brink of an authoritarian
police state."

Although I did convey serious
concern about repressive tendencies
or pressures for closure in our
society, I did not make the above
characterization of our present
condition. Rather, with Reich I am
hopeful that we may somehow
reverse those aspects of our society
which reinforce a repressive climate
and through the leavening of a new
humanistic consciousness go on to
make it a place truly "worthy of
the spirit of man to inhabit," (as
Jim does indeed accurately quote
me as saying).