The Archives of The University of Notre Dame 607 Hesburgh Library Notre Dame, IN 46556 574-631-6448 [email protected] Notre Dame Archives: Alumnus NOTRE DAME msmm mSeptembe r 1968 THE WARRIOR and HIS GAME .'•?W- • -^^^ 'P^- Hi Aluniui Ask "I believe that a Christian is one who does in every circumstance what he believes Jesus would do if He were in the same position. .. .J have never been able to picture Jesus with a gun or flying a bomber ready to kill " MORE ABOUT VIET WAR and trust in Jesus Christ, the Prince of very simply, "For God, Country and Ed Banks '58 suggests that those Peace. Notre Dame." who doubt his words about the con­ I believe that a Christian is one —Arthur L. Conrad *35 duct of the war in Vietnam, conse­ who does in every circumstance what Bensenville, III, quently are disgusted by the immoral­ he believes Jesus would do if He were ity of our participation in that con­ in the same position. In my frequent BRADEMAS AND SUMMA flict, go over there and see for reading of the New Testament, I have I received in the mail from US Rep. themselves. I suggest his description never been able to picture Jesus with John Brademas of Indiana a copy of a and his avo%val of having deliberately a gun or flying a bomber ready to kill speech he delivered in Congress re­ ordered artillery fire which resulted in and thus I refuse to do it either. siding the success of SUMMA. the slaughter of innocent men, women When Jesus died for you and me on Although I am not so ungrateful as and children more than justifies the the cross, he knew it was an injustice to completely dismiss the speech, I concern felt by millions of Americans, and yet he accepted it (and thereby would like to question the maimer of including the late Senator Robert F. overcame it). its distribution. Kennedy and Senator Eugene McCar­ I am not a Communist by any Several facts indicate the speech thy, over the moral erosion that we means and I might even be willing to was not the product of any spontane­ have suffered as a result of our par­ agree that the US forces are fighting ous outpouring of goodwill towards ticipation. ruthless, calculating, unscrupulous and the University. On the contrary, these It is certainly a peculiar kind of unethical people in Vietnam and a facts indicate a significant amount of moral courage and devotion to free­ host of other places. What I am say­ collusion brought forward the speech dom that leads our soldiers to kill in­ ing is that the noun is more important and its subsequent distribution. First, nocent civilians to save their own than the adjectives — the fact they "information" for the speech was pro­ necks. This is essentially what was are people is more important than vided by Notre Dame; it should be accomplished by the artillery fire of that they are ruthless, calculating, un­ pointed out that the University de­ which Banks speaks. scrupulous and unethical. And I, for nies actually writing the speech. To what extent were those killed one, refuse to kill them or anyone else. Second, the envelopes containing beneficiaries of this self-styled Amer­ —Desmond iawler, '68 the speech were addressed at ND at ican struggle to extend the rights of Valley College, NY ND's cost. "Third, ND paid the life, liberty and the pursuit of happi­ speech's printing cost of over $700. ness to all the world? Those who are Indeed, the speech was "not printed willing to give their own lives to ex­ The ALUMNUS welcomes all letters at goverimient expense." tend these rights are certainly to be regarding the University and its commended but those who feel en­ Alumni but reserves the right to After some reflection, these facts titled to take the lives of others, par­ edit them to meet space limitations. show Brademas' concern for ND to ticularly others who pose no threat to Short letters stand the best chance be minimal; he had nothing to do of publication. with paying for the speech, little to these rights, must be condemned in do with mailing it, while having little the strongest terms. personal familiarity with the subject Banks' attempt to justify his and matter of the address. Is there any­ our country's conduct in Vietnam with ABOUT PATRIO-nSM AWARD thing left concerning the speech that the assertion that the other side is I read with a great deal of interest could be wholly attributed to Brade­ doing the same thing or even worse the May, 1968, issue of the ALUM­ mas? will hardly satisfy the consciences of NUS. The story on changing the senior those who have been deeply concerned Well, yes, we must credit him for award probably gave me as big a jolt delaying the speech's delivery for an about our nation's posture in this as I have received in a long time, "rhe bloody conflict. opportune moment as regards his own article said, "Because of continued candidacy in Indiana's 'Third District Although one hears much about the criticism of the award and its man­ (where many members of the ND fam­ alleged "muddled thinking" of the agement, and the difficulty of deter­ ily vote). Why did Brademas wait present generation of ND students and mining what patriotism really means until SUMM.\ was eight months old the need for a return to the "old- 99 and over 60 percent on its way to time" discipline, Banks' comments I read this several times and so did completion? Was it because he did make me wonder. The present gen­ several other ND Alumni members in not share ND's faith and vision from eration, at least, does not engage in the Chicago area, to see if I was read­ the start? Or at that time wasn't it such moral g>-mnastics. If Banks' letter ing it correctly. It seems to me that if close enough to send off some expo­ is symptomatic of the type of thinking the seniors at ND and the adminis­ sure material to a special interest produced by the older discipline, then tration have difficulty in determining group in his constituency? I for one must say "Thank God Notre what patriotism is, then we have come Dame has changed." Admittedly, an incumbent nomi­ to the end of the rope. It seems in­ nee has certain advantages in seek­ —Lawrence J. Bradley '60, '62 credible that ND, the ND we know, ing election, but those advantages are Notre Dame could even question for a moment of his own office and not those of what patriotism means. There are so private individuals or corporations. I would like to reply to Ed Banks' many examples of ND men's patrio­ "There comes a time in every election letter in the .July-August issue of the tism in time of war and out of war in year when we should be wary of our ALUMNUS, since it appears to be ad­ service to their country in many, many office seekers. I think we have passed dressed to me among others, as I am ways. This really hit an all-time low. that point already. We should, how­ a conscientious objector to war. I have no objection at all, as a ever, not fault the Alumni Office for Bypassing the issue of the Vietnam matter of fact, since the alternate pro­ failing to observe the point where war for the moment, I would like to posal is an excellent idea, but it Brademas becomes the office seeker, point out that conscientious objec­ should be done in addition to the because Brademas himself doesn't tion goes far beyond any particular Patriotism Award and not as a sub­ know the diflference between being a war. It says that war, any war, is in­ stitute for it. If this is interpreted as perpetual candidate and a member of trinsically evil and immoral and is "flag waving," so be it. I ^all con­ Congress. I believe Brademas owes not based on an objection to certain tinue to wave that flag and I shall the ND family an apology. military tactics, the killing of civilians, continue to tip my hat at the door to —Michael Schaefer 'Sf etc. For myself, it is based on a belief Sacred Heart Church which reads Soufh Bend ALUMNUS SEPTEMBER 1968 Editorial VoL 46 No. 5 ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE Septonbcr, 1968 THE REVISED ND Alumni Association Constitution, offered for mem­ bership ratification in this issue, is the result of a two-year inventory ALUMNI ASSOCIATION of Association affairs and dreams by the Alumni Board. It replaces a omaRS document authored in 1956. Substantial changes in the new Constitution Ambroje F. Dudley Jr '43 involve the creation of the Alumni Senate and revised procedures for HOMOUKV FteSmENT electing Alumni Board members. The Senate, while still in its infancy, Richard A. RoKntlial '54 is nevertheless a reality. It provides a much more effective and consistent BlESIDENT William D. Kavanaugh '27 line of communication from the governing body of the Association down ViCE-PtaSIDENT to grass roots level and back again. William F. Kenrin Jr '40 VlCE-P»ESIDDIT The Senate is a rather unprecedented concept in University affairs, Leo V. Tuigcon '42 • VlCE-PkESIDINT granting a much larger and broadly representative group of Alumni a James D. Cooney '59 distinct voice in life of the Association as well as a specific forum through EXECUTIVE SECRETARY which their attitudes, concerns and interests can be articulated to the University.