Evening star., 1962-02-22
LETTERS TO THE STAR
Curbstone Views of White House Pickets

tinent, carried signs such as,
Ban the Beatniks," which
attempted to take advantage
of their opponents economic
clrcumstances-an issue to-
tally irrelevant to the merit,
or better yet, the lack of
merit of YAF's proposal. The
sign captioned, They're not
red, they're yellow" again re-
fleets a vulgar attempt at
character assassination by
which YAF, in typical style,
avoids the true issue.
Certainly, we recognize
that there are many we'll
meaning scientists and presi-
Dental advisers who for Sc
curity reasons advocate that
the United States resume at
mospheric nuclear testing.
They believe the unfortunate
consequences of such an act
to be offset by military ne
cessity. Indeed, nearly every
intelligent American realizes
the dangers inherent in the
Spiralling arms race. ConSe-
quently, we can understand
the resigned attitude of many
Americans who feel frustrat-
ed when confronted with
such an ominous problem.
However, we totally fail to
comprehend how any we'll
balanced individual can take
such a sadistic and gleeful
attitude in impatiently urg-
ing us to get underway with
this hazardous enterprise.
Such signs as "A Test a
Day Keeps the Commies
Away" and others of equal
vein indicate a rather i'm
mature approach to a very
grave problem. Shocking as
it may be, Young Americans
for Freedom seem to find
cause for cheer in the in
trinsic threats of mutation
and still births represented
by exposure to nuclear fall
out.
Regardless of YAF's undue
enthusiasm about raising the
fallout level and the humor-
Gus approach of their "clev-
er" signs, it should be obvi-
Gus that nuclear testing is
no laughing matter to be
lightly dealt with. 1t might
be advisable for YAF to dis
card their cliches and to
adopt a more serious atti-
tude toward this portentous
problem which confronts
America indeed all hu-
manity.
Victor Clark,
Edward w. Knappman.
II X +
If nothing else was ac-
complished, the student
peace" demonstrations here
made a good case for Fed
eral intervention to improve
our educational system. Des-
perate measures are obviously
in order.
According to the logic of
some of the signs I read, the
students were picketing the
President of the United
States to stop Russia's nu-
clear testing which took place
eight months ago.
The ignorance on display
during the entire demonstra-
ton was nothing less than
appalling.
]. C. Davis.
* X 4
In her report about the
peace marchers, Mary Nc
Grory's use of the word
ANTS" takes on a bad con-
notation. Is not our Repub-
lie founded on the right to
dissent, and express views
which perhaps do not COIN
eide with others? Judging by
the attitude of Miss Nc
Grory, this is bad!
Regarding the statements
made by certain YAF mem
bers, it is clear that they
willingly accept the growing
mass conformity in our So
ciety. They now judge peo-
pie by the way they look or
dress. I need not make any
excuses, but if one were to
closely survey our group, he
would see the extremely great
diversity of personalities and
modes of dress. I was really
amused reading such signs
as Ban the Barber" and
Ban the Beatnik" knowing
that they judged a persons
worth by the length of their
beard or hair. I don't have
a beard or even a mustache.
The one way in which we
are all alike is our firm hope
and desire for the cessation
of nuclear tests, and the
eventual abolition of all nu-
clear weapons.