Page 4-Wednesday, May 31, 1978-The Michigan Daily

omichigan DAILY
Eighty-eight Years of Editorial Freedom
420 Maynard St.,Ann ArborMI.48109
Vol. LXXXVIII, No. 20-S News Phone: 764-0552
Wednesday, May 31, 1978
Edited and managed by students
at the University of Michigan
Activst Hugo Blanco
deserves freedom
L AST WEEK indus-t
try and commercex
ground to a halt in
Peru, as workers
across the country
joined in a general '
strike to protest the
government-authoriz-
ed price increases.
When the strike was
called on May 18,
Peruvian President\
Fr a ncisceo M or ales
Bermudez placed the
country under martial
law, cancelled con-
stitutional guaran-
tees, postponed up-
coming national elec-
tions and declared the strike illegal.
The next day Peruvian peasant leader Hugo
Blanco appeared on television to voice his support
for the strike. Not long after, Blanco was arrested
in his home by the Peruvian secret police because
of his unfavorable political beliefs. On May 26,
Blanco was deported to Argentina, a nation under
the power of fascist dictator General Jorge
Videla.
The deportation of Trotskyist leader Blanco and
thirteen other political activists to Argentine
represents a veritable death sentence for these
people, since Videla's government has an inter-
national reputation of hatred towards socialists.
Blanco spoke about oppressive conditions in
Latin America and the need for revolutionary
change. He did this while in exile from Peru,
where he hadn't set foot sinco 1970.
i HIS SPRING Blanco was allowed to return to
Peru where he became a candidate in the
national elections on a workers, peasants, studen-
ts and poor people's front. Blanco continued to
voice his opposition to the Peruvian government.
Blanco's arrest and' deportation represent an
extreme denial of free speech and political action.
Only worldwide pressure, especially from the
United States, can save Blanco and his fellow
prisoners.
The U.S. Committee for Justice to Latin
American Political Prisoners is urging supporters
of human rights to send letters and telegrams to
Videla, demanding freedom for Blanco and his
safe passage to the country of his choice.
This move is only token, since the dictator will
not consider these demands. The only way Blanco
can be saved is through pressure exerted by the
United States' government on Videla's gover-
nment towards the end of securing Blanco's
political syiurm- itr -the -United - &- ea-tes.

TV:. You can run,

but ou can 't
By Ken Parsigian and then replied with a shrug, "I
put it away because I just can't
We've all read "mood of the get these kids to read novels
nation" pieces before, the kind anymore. I don't mean difficult
that tell us that the average novels," she quickly added, "I
American family has 2.3 mean I can't get them to read the
children, 1.7 cars, and watches a kinds of things I taught you in the
total of 154.8 hours of TV per eighth grade. I'd love to each
week. ut we never really think Hemingway and Fitzgerald and
of ourselves as part of that silent Twain again, but they just can't
majority known as "Middle handle it."
America". The other day, SHE GOT UP and went to her
however, my 10-year-old sister bookshelf, took down a book, and
Carol brought my lofty percep- handed it to me. The title was "A
tion of my family down to earth. Survey of American Literature".
We were riding in the car, and As I thumber through it, she con-
Carol was getting bored, so I tinued, "No story in that book is
suggested that we sing a song. longer than seven pages, and I
"OKAY," she said with a practically have to threaten them
smile, "You, you're the one-you to get them to read that much,
are the only reason.. ." and even then their comprehen-
"Wait a minute," I shrieked. sion is poor."
"That's not a song, that's a com- It was extremely difficult for
mercial. Don't you know me to believe that the situation
anything else?" at my own high school had
She looked puzzled for a deteriorated so rapidlt. I asked
moment, then shrugged and my former teacher what she
launched into another melody, thought the cause of this
"I'm a pepper, you're a pep- apathetic attitude toward
per..." reading was, and she was firm in
"ARGH!" I moaned, "the Dr. her conviction that TV was the
Pepper jingle. What's wrong with culprit.
you, Carol? You don't even like "They go home from school
Dr. Pepper."
"I do now," she replied.
That was ominous. Could it
really be that she now liked Dr.
Pepper just because of the
jingle? She's clever enough for
that, so for the moment I chose to
believe the latter.
A FEW MINUTES later an in--
teresting-looking foreign car
passed us, and my mother asked 3t -
if anyone know the make of the $F
car. Before I could answwe my
sister piped up, on key no lea
"You asked for it. You've got
it-Toyota!
"Mom!" I gasped, "do you Cr
realize you're raising a walking
TVset!"
"You should see her friends,
my mother said with a sigh,
"believe it or not they're worse."
"I TRY TO restrict the amount
of TV she watches, but even then
she picks all this stuff up from
her friends," she explained.
The image that conjured up of
my sister and her friends and the and watch four or five
rest of the adorable little kids in hours of TV, and they've sim-
America was frightening-a bun- ply forgotten how to enjoy
ch of' little Ronnie Zamoras, reading."
beating people up because "BUT," I countered, "I wat-
Kojack does it; eating Big Macs ched TV when I was in high
because Ronald McDonald says school too (albeit not four or five
so; squeezing Charmin to defy hours worth)."
Mr. Whipple; and spelling "Yes, but you knew it wasn't
R-0-L-A-I-D-S because TV tells real," she replied. "And besides,
them to. No, I was exaggerating. TV is much more insipid these
Things weren't like that when I days."
was a kid, and they couldn't have I left a little disillusioned, and
changed this quickly-could determined to save my little
they? sister from this horrible fate.
Perhaps they could. A few When I got home she was down-
weeks ago I went back to visit my stairs watching The Partridge
former eighth grade Englisfi Family (reruns, no less). In my
teacher, who wasnow teaching best parental fashion I turned off
eleventh grade. The first thing I the set, and told her I-wanted to.
noticed when I walked inot her talk. I explained how TV was fine
classroom was the conspicuous as long as you didn't let it rule
absence of her Hemingway you. I told her how worried I was
poster, which had always oc- that she had a regular pattern of
cupied an honored spot on the TV watching, especially between
blackboard at the front of the the hours of 4:00 (when she gets
class. When I inquired about it. home from school) and,3:30-
she got Itg I in aer y (weheissually eatsadinnG?.T

hide
bemoaned the fact that she wor-
ships all the media heroes like
Charlie's Angels, Fonzie, and The
Hardy Boys.
I SUGGESTED that she read
more, and that she expand her in-
terests. And I finished in rousing
style by assuring her that I never
let TV affect me, and I wasn't
going to let it ruin her. I think she
understood my concern, even if
she didn't agree. There was hope,
at least. I might yet be able to
save my sister from becoming a
statistic in Time Magazine.
But even though I had finally
accepted that my high school and
even my family were part of a
nationwide plague of TV-
alcoholics, I remained convinced
somehow that I was immune. On-
ce again, Carol opened my eyes.
I had gone grocery shopping,
and Carol came along. When I got
to the detergent aisle I scanned
the huge selection, and finally
picked out a box of cheer.
"WHY DID YOU get Cheer?"
Carol asked.
"Because it washes in all three
temperatures," I answered, "you
know, 'All Tempa-cheer' ". She
just nodded. Then I picked up
some aspirin, and again she
5)
questioned my choice.
."Why did you but Anacin?" she
"BECAUSE IT gets the pain
reliever to your head faster," I
said.
"Oh yeah," she replied, "I
remember tha from the adver-
tisement on TV."
TV certainly hasn't dulled her
mind that much, because she had
nailed me perfectly at my own
game, and she was right. It is
nearly impossible to escape the
effects of TV and advertising
these days, and I'm no excep-
tion-that was tough to take.
means that both of ushave t
work at decreasing the effect we
let TV have on us, right?" She
nodded.
So, this weekend, Carol and I
worked on the yard, played
backgammon, went canoeing,
read books on the front yard, and
watsed. abslutel o TV.
TV'ygertail nt duledhe