May, 1987 Volume 5, No.1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Editor's Notebook Bridgewater What's New(s)? , 1 by William Let/in 'J • Letters to the Editor 2 Guest Opinion Preserving Local History. ............ .. 3 L,-eVleW by Patricia J. Fanning Poetry by Elizabeth Moura ... .......... .. 5 Essays Youth Sports: Boon or Bane? 6 Editor: Michael J. Kryzanek, Political Science by Paul Dubois Associate Editors: Barbara Apstein, English New England Pilots in the William Levin, Sociology Lafayette Flying Corps ... .. 10 Editorial Board: by William F. Hanna Stanley Antoniotti, Economics The Crisis of the State David Culver, History in Africa ......................... .. 14 Stanley Hamilton, Foreign Languages by Shaheen Mozaffar Edward James, Philosophy Short Story Joyce Leung, Librarian Snow Strategy 18 Vahe Marganian, Chemistry by James Brennan William Murphy, Special Education Diane Peabody, Biology Gallery VOODOO: Images and Objects Philip Silvia, History 22 Nancy Street, Speech Communication Cultural Commentary Coping with Adolescence 24 Photography Editor: Robert Ward, by Margery Kranyik Media and Librarianship Travel Commentary Art Director: Joan Hausrath, Art City of Victory 27 Fiction and Poetry Editor: Charles Fanning, English by Robert Cole Design and Layout: Richard Hopfner A Conversation with George Sethares .. 29 Typography: Roberta Harris, Book Reviews Office of Public Affairs Not So Free To Choose: The Political Economy of Milton Friedman Special Thanks to: Christine Glynn and Ronald Reagan ................ .. 30 by Ranjit Vohra The Schools We Deserve: Reflections on the Educational Crises of our Time.. 31 by Leo McGuirk "IT" 32 by Michael Hurley The Last Word The Bridgewater Review is published three times a year by the faculty of One Giant Leap Bridgewater State College. Opinions expressed herein are those ofthe authors for Mankind. .......... Inside Back Cover and do not necessarily reflect the policies of Bridgewater Review or by Philip Silt/ia Bridgewater State College. Letters to the Editor should be sent to: Bridgewater Review, c/o Editor, Department of Poiitical Science, Bridgewater State College, Bridgewater, MA 02324. Articles may be reprinted with written permission of the Editor. A protected plant in Massachusetts, the Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) blooms from July through September. Professor Emeritus of Biology, Lawrence Mish, located and photographed the flower on Copyright © 1987, Bridgewater State College - ISSN 0892-7634 the cover, growing along the town river in Bridgewater. Editor's Notebook WHAT'S NEW(S)? by William Levin t happened after a few years of ECONOMY STALLED nightly reports of American c~sual­ RA_C!;~~G ~ Cl\.A~ACCIDENT I ties in Viet Nam. There was fIlm of TOWN EXPERIENCES wounded soliders being hurried into 34~ SKIER DIES I helicopters and the relentless counting ROCKET EXPLODES IN ALASKA ~lG~"[t:.ll ofbody bags. As our capacity to absorb tragedy overflowed, many· frustrated EXECUTION THREATEN~t'S~v.$1~ Americans wanted some relief from the bad news. Some asked, "Why J'lDG don't THEY show more good news?", MAN KILLED ON MASS PIKE meaning the television and newspaper B1UTISHFEllRY~S~R£~S£ people. RISK OF AIDS RISES When it became clear during Jimmy ~ O~ U-'"' JEEpD»h~ Carter's presidency that the American hostages held by that odd man in Iran ~~SO KILLER ON TRIAL -- 9'~.l( Elllltcr would not be brought home quickly despite our wealth, power and tech­ nology, the complaint was common on excess, inefficiency and plain corrup­ Thus, crime of any sort is news again. During the Watergate scandal, tion in society. But what is more funda­ because we become concerned that our the OPEC oil embargo, the rise in rates mental is that in any society, and general ability to predict that others of crime, drug abuse, cases of AIDS especially in one that supports a free will not cheat or harm us will be and, most recently, the messy deal in press, it simply CANNOT happen. diminished. And a crime committed by which we shipped arms to Iran to get This is due to a simple fact about the a public figure, such as the President of hostages freed, the cry has gone out for way people and societies (not just our the United States, takes on magnified relief from the bad news. own) operate. importance since such a person serves Part of the frustration suffered by In everyday life we depend upon sets as a symbol of the extent to which our those who would like journalists to of rules for behavior called norms. For norms can be trusted to work. If a ease up on the bad tidings is that many example, we know how to talk on the President of the United States acts people, including our president, think telephone or how to act in a doctor's immorally or breaks the law, what the news industry is an invention of office because we learn how from our reason is there to believe that anyone those who work within it. The judicial, parents, teachers and one another. won't do the same? legislative and executive branches of Norms differ between cultures, and Now it should be possible to see that government are specifically established even between subgroups within one "the news" (meaning the "bad news") in our constitution, but with the excep­ culture, but what all norms have in is inevitable, and why what we might tion ofthe first amendment, there is no common is that they are matters of call "good news" is not news at all. We enabling legislation for the establish­ agreement among groups of people. constantly need to keep tabs on the ment of news organizations. Who told These rules for behavior make life stablility of our social, political, and these people who bring us such unre­ predictable to the extent that they are economic environment, and we cannot lenting bad news that this is how shared, and we need that predictablility accomplish this by being assured that journalism should operate? Where is it to feel secure. all is well. By experience we know that written that bad news can't be bal­ We come to depend upon the pre­ the world at every level quivers and anced, say half-and-half, with more dictability of social life and become shifts, sometimes dramatically. Thenews uplifting stuff. extremely anxious when it is threat­ is justwhat it sounds like, new informa­ This is just the sort of plea that has ened. Even simple rudeness, or the tion about the changes (or potential been made by a string of presidential failure to keep an appointment is changes) in our world; changes that we defenders. Richard Nixon had his Spiro enough to upset most people. But there might like to prevent but which, ifthey Agnew, who referred to newspaper are more deeply-held, more vital norms do come to pass, should certainly re­ reporters as "the jackal press." Ronald than these. For example, we have laws quire different ways of behaving for Reagan's man has been Patrick Bucha­ against theft, assault, murder, and incest. which we would rather be prepared. nan, who blamed the press corps for Violations ofsuch rules result in propor­ "Good news" is a contradiction in "tearing down America" and "tying tionately greater discomfort than the terms because what is new is always the president's hands" in the conduct violation of rules for everyday interac­ perceived as a threat to our accustomed of his foreign policy. At times they tion, especially when they are violated ways of behaving. For those people seem to wish that, "in the interest of by people in whom we have placed who would rather be reassured that the country", nobad news be reported great trust, such as a president or "everything was just fine today", I at all. police officer, or when violations suggest they stick to reading what makes Ofcourse, it is possible to argue that occur within the everyday operation them happy and allow the rest of us to this should not happen because the free of our most critical institutions, such continue monitoring the turbulence in press in America provides a vital check as the courts or the stock market. the social waters. D 1 Letters to the Editor Dear Editor: Third, Professor Boyle's analysis diplomatic, or economic ends. To focus Professor Boyle's paper in the Jan­ fails to point out the aspects ofreligion our attention on the religious aspects uary issue ofthe Bridgewater Review is which are opposed to terrorist actions. of terrorism is to miss the point that a provocative study of the relation­ This is the most serious error. If his terrorism has become (if it hasn't al­ ships between terrorism and religion. selection ofquotations from the Koran ways been) an article ofstatecraft. Our Regrettably, it contains several errors is as incomplete as those from the challenge is to begin the dialog which which should be discussed. Bible, our Moslem brothers have been will result in the end of terrorism. First, we engage in a very comforting done a serious disservice. Indeed, de­ Thereis an old Klingon proverb (brought piece of sophistry when we draw a vout Moslems begin each recitation to us via Star Trek) that only a madman distinction between terrorism and war. from the Koran with-"In the name of fights in a burning house. The end of It is difficult to look at the conduct of Allah, the Merciful and Compas­ terrorism will come when we recognize war in the 20th century and not find sionate." The selections from the Old that our house is on fire! multiple examples ofterrorism as part Testament ignore the books of Amos, Dick Andrews ofthe methods ofmodern warfare. The Habakkuk, and Jeremiah. The first Class of 1970 rape of Belgium during the opening chapter of Amos describes the reasons days of World War I, unrestricted why God will punish the nations which Professor Boyle Replies: submarine warfare, bombing of the were the neighbors of Israel-wartime am grateful to Mr.