The Michigan Daily
Edited and managed by Students at the
University of Michigan
Thursday, July 21, 1977
News phone: 764-0552
Increase in retirement
age. helps U.S. . workers
A bill passed ast week by the U.' S House of Repre-
sentatives Education and Labor Committee would raise
the standard retirement age in private industry from
65 to 70 and would eliminate it completely for federal
agencies.
The bill, strongly supported by Rep Carl Pursell (R-
Ann Arbor), is good, not just because it eliminates the
inflexible and often unfair retirement age of 65. The real
reason to support the proposal (HR 5383) is demographic
- namely, the population of the U. S. is growing older
very quickly.
By 1985 the percentzge of the population over 65 will
jump from 10.5 per cent to 12 per cent, and between now
and the year 2000, the over-65 population will increase
37 per cent, com'ared with a 15 per cent growth rate for
the rest of the population. And some population research-
ers estimate hte U.S. median age could rise from its
present 28 years to as much as 35.
That's a lot of old people, spawned by the high birth
rate in the Fifties and better medical technology which
allows people to live longer. The current generation of
college students will be among them.
An older population has significant meaning for the
manatory retirement age. If the retirement age remains
at 65 while the population grows older, there will soon
be a mass of "dependent" retirees - a much larger mass
than the smaller working-age population can support.
Increasing the retireme::t age would ease this bur-
den, although, as University researcher John Knodel
points out, it could cause problems when younger workers
try to break into a labor market crowded with older
people.
Still, the present sysiem discriminates unfairly
against elderly workers, as does much in our "think
young" society. They should be given equal opportunity
in the job market.
TODAY'S STAFF:
News: Stu McConnell, Ken Parsigion, Barb Zahs
Editorial: Linda Willcox
Photo: Alan Bilinsky
Sports: Paul Campbell
Arts: David Keeps

Lettei
To The Daily:
Last week I was talking to a 45-
an. On the day before I saw her,
20-year-old daughter had spent the
sing where the daughter had an
was the daughter's third pregna
borne two childrep who are now in
as wards of the court. The daugi
into drugs and has run afoul of tt
least for now has been deemed an
The abortion was paid for by me
current proposals passing through
under consideration in our state le
young woman would not have had
in a decent medical manner. M
could not be used.
Iccantunderstand how some pe
clude that the fetus's rights are
the pregnant woman's and there
reverse the constitutional interpre
Supreme Court's 1973 decision. W
constitutional amendment to asse
of the unborn is proper and may
I cannot understand the recent l
tions which will make it impossible
to abort safely while allowing th
to do so. It's a punitive, nasty
those - who have the least power'I
I deeply regret that Congress h
action and will do what I can to
state government does not follow
Edward C. Pi
anti
To The Daily
Perhaps the recent anti-porn car
by the Ann Arbor News may ulti
guish our own Washtenaw as Mi
County. At any rate, it shows t1
have to be gay to have a dirtye
across your face. The articles mere
the fact that virtually all the "dang
inality" and "obscenity" of acts
essentially natural, human and h
the obvious exception of child po
'their being declared illegal in the
dictatorial, sexually paralyzed tig
to the national terror of providing
education in 'the public schools.
journalism of this nature point t
legalistic, punitive remedies to th
helps create. Therefore, may I offe
tical suggestions generally overlooks
porn establishment, in the hope t
touch on the true causes of this m
own diverse, incredibly puzzling
sexuality.
* A national campaign must be
promoted, ideally by someone with
ership credentials, say, Anita Bryan
all volition, desire, attraction fanta
cy from the performance of the se)
storing it to its original deodorize(
PG rating.
* Outlaw the sale of all mate.
sexual behaviors, such as cars, vans
ets, pillows, underwear, mirrors, too


rs to The Daily

1I


abortions perfumes, hair spray, motels, Kleenex, beer, tele-
vision, telephones and patent leather shoes.
year-old wom- * Close down all public swimming pools and
she and -her ponds; or require of bathers full military dress
day in Lan- or body-length swim suits woven of an opaque,
abortion. This metallic fibre
ncy. She has . 0 Require all dogs and cats to wear clothing,
foster homes to use birth control devices, and to be subject
hter has been to strict fines, loss of license and/or imprison-
he law and at ment of up to five years for engaging openly
unfit mother. in either carnal acts or expressions at any tim
dicaid. Under of the day or night.
Congress and 0 Ignore any and all questions pertaining to
gislature, this sex asked by children, and punish. said children
1 her abortion severely for continuing to ask them after the
edicaid funds first hard slap is administered.
0 Abandon the teaching of reading in public
ople can con- schools.
greater than
fore want to a Gradually phase out the current, outmoded
tation of the system of a two-sexed humanity, perpetrated on
forking for a us no doubt by a cruel and unjust god, either
rt the rights by means of transplants, castration, mastectomy,
succeed. But hairstyling, prayer or the election of a genetic
egislative ac- engineer to the highest public orifice in the land.
e for the poor Paul B. Weiner
ie rest of us
action toward ViOlenCe
n our society. To The Daily:
ias taken this It is appalling that The Daily finds amuse-
see that the meat in human suffering and violence. The un-
suit.- happiness expressed by the man who conducted
erce, M.D. a nude protest and the terror and hurt created
by the thief of Muehlig's :hearse . (incidents re-
-anti-porn ferred to as "Cop Chuckle No. 5" and "Cop
Chuckle No. 2," respectively, in the July 9th
mpaign waged edition) hardly to seem to warrant such "cute"
mately distin-treatment.
chigan's Dade I am sure that the police who finally appre-
hat you don't headed the felon in the latter incident, after
diaper thrown ministering, en route, to the accupants of the
tly underscore automobile which he smashed on his joyride
erous" "crim- to glory, found little in the event to make them
and desires feel mirthful. Nor did those occugants - his
armless, with victims, my friends - enjoy their brush with
rn, is due to death, their ambulance ride to the hospital, the
first place by personal bodily injuries to one (the driver, mere-
ht-asses, and ly an "unidentified" woman), and the loss of
adequate sex an automobile.
Rarely does Like them, I am grateful they are alive; but,
to other than also like them, as I contemplate the entire event,
e problems it I feel anger toward not only the aggressor him-
r a few prac- self but also toward the mentality epitomized
ed by the anti- by The Daily reporter. Such thoughtlessness and
hat they will insensitivity seem altogether too representative
isfortune-our of a larger societal pathology which somehow
and pleasing makes the perpetration of cruelties by some hu-
mans upon others in real life the literal equiva-
designed-and lent of those depicted by make-believe charac-
proven lead- ters in the entertainment media.
t, to eliminate The maintenance of our collective basic hu-
sy and urgen- man dignity demands more compassion and, re-
x act thus re- spect for those within our ranks who are viz-
d, mechanical timized by other mhember transgressors from
those who are responsible for chronicling the
rials that aid events of our daily existence. I am not chuck-
s, beds, blank- ling.
thpaste, soap, Frank E. Heger


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