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Over the Coffee*Who Needs Friends?THE SOCIAL adaptability subcommittee of the Legislative Interim Committee — otherwise known as “The Plait and Messerly Medicine Show and Jug Band” — has ;ome up with a characteristically brilliant suggestion.It wants the Legislature to ?et up a “quasi-standing eom-nittee” (which may or may lot be the same as a squat-ng committee) to “solve problems” at our state universities.Problems tike free speech,icademlc freedom and unfet-ered intellectual inquiry. It igures tilings are getting out »f hand.The band members seem articu!arly upset about a :ouple of items that appeared n University of Northern[owa publications.Prof. Josef Fox was quoted n the student newspaper as saying he has taught civil Jisobedienee and would con-inue to teach it, a statement Branded “immoral trash11 by Senator Joseph Flatt dead kazoo).And the North American Review, a quarterly published by the school, offended Ihe sensibilities of Senator Francis Messerly (second washboard) by carrying a poem that “bordered on pornography.”Naturally, responsiblepeople up there in Cedar* Falls are disquieted by the criticism. A faculty member I know called me lip just the other day. He was crying.“Gee Sacheverell,” 1 told him. “You shouldn't take it so hard,”'That’s easy for you to say,” he snuffed- “The Iowa Legislature isn’t libeling your school.”“Are you kidding? The Iowa Legislature can’t libel a school. An insult from a legislature counts the same as two Ding Dong School Awards from the National,. Education Association.”“But they called Joe Fox'sabout that. Was it kind of a racy poem?”“It didn't even have any four-letter words in it.” “None?”“No. It had a THREE-let-ter word and a FIVE-letter word but no FOUR-1 etter words.”“Maybe the legislators miscounted the letters.”AND THEN to call the North American Review a liberal propaganda organ. ...”“Well, it did come out against high button shoes.” “It’s not fair, it’s not fair,” “Calm yourself,” I said. “I’ll tell you what’s not fair.” “What?”“I happen to writ* a column for the North American Review and Senator Messerly didn’t mention me In his critique of the magazine.”“He didn’t?”“Not a word. He didn’t even say that I was bordering on anything.”“That's tough.”“The least he could have said was that I was an effete snob.”“He probably didn’t thinkof it.”“That’s small consolation. Listen Satch, the North American Review, should count its blessings.”“Why?”“With enemies like Flatt and Messerly, a quarterly journal of informed opinion doesn't need friends.” -—Donald KaulA Cookie Crumbier(The Refllslef's low* N«*/•. Service)• BROOKLYN, IA. - These are the times that . boggle children's minds. Kindergartneps Beth Mor-lan, daughter of Brooklyn Chronicle publisher Frank Morlan, and Sherry Frant? were being taken to school, Morlan'relates, when Sherry told Beth she was taking some cookies to school for the class Halloween party.Oh, dear,” Beth said, I don’t have cookies for thenartv.”
Newspaper Details
Des Moines Register
Des Moines, Iowa, US
Sun, Nov 09, 1969
Page 96
Full Page
Clipped by
University O.
IA, USA 19 Oct 2021
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