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THE SUN, Thursday, October 15, 1981, page 4

Editorial

The number of assassinations or attempted assassinations of prominent men this year has prompted some thought on the matter of why? Assassinations are certainly not a new phenomenon, but the concentration of attempted political murders within a relatively short time span, and occuring world wide must point to some prevalent global condition.

Is it boredom?

that boredom is the root of all evil.

Kierkegaard once proposed

Children,

for example, "are always well-behaved as long as they are enjoying themselves. . . if they sometimes became unruly in their play, it is because they are already beginning to be bored — boredom is already approaching.. ." Inacertainsensetheworlddoesappear to be in a stagnant position; there are no great wars going on, the economy is equally depressing in most countries, and the masses are feeling particularly helpless politically, especially in the sight of what often appears

as uneffective leadership.

"FEEDBAG'

Nothing is getting

Not Laughing

Dear Editors:

I would like to express my displeasure with certain features in the SUN. I realize that the SUN is a university paper and I will agree that it reflects some- thing of the higher education which dis—- tinguishes our university. I also agree that humorous articles have their place, however, I would like to

see sucm articles labelled-

as such. An example of what I mean is "Rumor Hath It...", clearly a fun article which does not appear to be news. However, some "comical" sections appear as news or mixed in with news (or newslike) articles.

For a Specific example of what I'm complaining about, I will take the page "View From the Top" in the October 8 issue of the SUN. This page, which poses as a bi—weekly news page (and appears to contain a smattering of it), included a joke item which demonstrated the difficulty professors have in comprehending or. ’ expressing thexfact of a flat tire. ( A kind

' eingineer defined for us: Tire — a round thing with air in it; or some— - thing like that.)

Also, on thispage, there appeared several sexist remarks, which taken out of the context cf-humor, are very

offensive: e.g. "to service

the girlfriends of

impotent . . students,"

(as though the purpose '

of a girlfriend is such

that she must be

serviced) and, "a w

committee to recruit,

pale young females for

social events"? Furthermore, the

egotistical dig directed

towards a particular

(named) "Biology" student

through an esoteric

article entitled "Geek

of the Week" and the

obscene initials cursing Jim F. could be taken as being very offensive. since the page ("View From the Top") was not expressly written as a page of "comedy". Certainly I'm not so blind or unfair as to suggest that the page was not meant as a"comic" page, but it does look bad for our student body (in particular our engineering students who expressly take respons- bility for the page) when such daring "comic" remarks are not labelled as such. Also, I do

- not suggest that this is-

the only article to risk the dangers involved in not clarifying"comedy" or humor, as such, _ (depending upon how one . defines "Comedy" - ' 3 perhaps "comedy" should not be equated with "hmrll )‘.

Thank—you!

Job

better, nothing is being resolved, in faCt nothing is happening - the natives are restless. Boredom, therefore change.

This situation cannot be Lmderstood through the application of any strict political or economic theory, rather, it requires a human theory which involves a number of diverse features, not the least of which is change, some- tiems knam as progress. '

V'Ihe ultimate change must certainly involve . death. 80 whether an assassin is considered sane or not, the in t of killing involves hopes of change which a1 implies a prior condition of ' impatience or >bor'edcm. Alternate to this argument is tl'e idea that the assassin feels his interests are being threatened by the policies of themanwhobecomes his target. Butwl'en this arguement would eventuallyzpcint to an initial condition of discontent or boredom which caused the establishment of separate or, different interests than that of the state.

In many cmmtries today the process of political change has been highly institutionalized and internationalized. This very condition creates impatience, boredom, and frustration for many of \ those not directly involved in the political process. Unfortunately, this condition has led to radical attempts of assassination by persons or groups who do not see that even killing of one man does not mace a lot of difference anymore. Things have changed.

v». «- “KM... “‘-

> the right to edit material

, Production — Frankie Smits

if I ‘I'heCSun'

The UPEI SUN aims to Monday and Wednesday

be an independent \

newspaper published 11-3. . weekly throughout the Tuesday 7- midnight year by the UPEI Student Friday 11-2. Union, printed by the I Many thanks to: Williams & Crue, Ltd.-, in Anne MacE Summerside and distributed P , ‘78“ throughout the campus and all RObmson

Cathy Parkman

Charlottetown.

Contents are the responsibility of the editors. Opinions are those of the persons expressing them. All letters and articles must be signed even if the name is to be withheld from publication. Deadline for all submissions is Friday noon. We reserve

Preston Delaney

Todd MacLaughlan

John O'Brien

Frankie Smits

Tom Schneider

Robyn Hume

Paul Bradley

Dave McInnis

Sue Parlee and the Fallfest Gang

the Professor

Jim Ravell

Larry LeBlanc

for their help this week

Staffs rs

Co—editors - Maureen Hartman Tom Schneider

for space or legal reasons.

Photographers —

TyplSt ‘ Cathy Farm Ad Manager — Dave McInnis

Graphics - Paul Robinson ' 894-3031

L

Todd MacLaughlan Preston Delaney

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