University of Denver - Kynewisbok Yearbook (Denver, CO)

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It was a scene which has been played out again and again throughout history. Men fought and died for a piece of land which many had never heard of before, and which soon would be forgot- ten in the emergence of new conflicts--conilicts in places like Lebanon and Iran. When Argentina invaded the Falklands, those hostile, windswept and inhospitable islands some 7800 miles from the United Kingdom, it was a gamble from the outset. It was a gamble that Britainls long history of imperialistic exploitation would turn world opinion in favor of Argentina. At the same time, it was a desperate gamble by Argen- tine President Galtieri that the devastating domestic problems of his country would be eclipsed and public opinion would focus upon the performance of the army rather than the performance of the Argentine ruling junta. For the British, the crisis in the Falklands was also a considerable gamble. With rioting in the streets and runaway inflation, calling out the Heet was a financial burden on the system and a politically dangerous move for Prime Minister Thatcher and her party. In all gambles there must be a winner and a loser, yet it is hard to view the Falklands crisis in this light. Who won? ln limited terms, both Britain and Argentina won. Britain, the most obvious winner, gained back the islands, and Prime Minister Thatcher gained con- siderable popularity. At the same time, the Argentine junta gained time and a diversion--it still rules Argentina. Who lost? Argentina lost a group of desolate rocks. Britain Hos Britain Defeated Argentina? Be Debhakam lost the money that could have helped the countryls numerous poor. But, more than just the two parties directly involved lost. For the men who lost their lives in pur- suit of a nationalistic idea, they lost not only their most precious asset, their lives, but also the hopes and dreams of the families they left behind. The U.S. lost, because both sides were largely armed with American weapons. And perhaps most tragically of all, humankind lost another opportuni- ty to settle a dispute peacefully and dispell the notion that gambling with human lives is acceptable. The war for the Falklands has probably not had its final Chapter written. The conflict dates back to the first colonial settlements of the South American coast, and the blood shed for it has in all pro- bability been in vain. Comment by Linda Petersen

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Solidarity: A Stand for Freedom system based on courage, as Charles Peguy would have us believe, then the founda- tion of freedom has been laid in Poland. Armed with little more than per- sonal courage and deep piety, the Polish people have a continuing legacy of bravery and tough resistence that is second to none. This agonized nation has gone from under the thumb of one tyrant--Nazi Germany, to another-- the Soviet Union. A forty-three year history of occupation and un- popular rule would be sufficient to break the spirit of any lesser group. The Poles, however, have survived and are continuing their struggle for better rule and greater freedom. Solidarity and Lech Walesa may be purged and eventually destroyed, but Polandis spirit will remain. A man can be killed or a union outlawed, but a national ethic can never be completely destroyed. Somewhere a spark will remain that will always re-kindle the spirit of the Polish people. General Wojciech Jaruzelski, the leader of the junta currently in power, can physically bring the Polish people under his control, but they will never succumb in spirit. He may rule through force, but he will never command the hearts and minds of the Polish people. He has awesome military strength, but that is all he has. He is only a man and he can and will be swept away. In mourning for the people of Poland, one should mourn only for a friend in the agony of strug- gle, not for one who is dead. The spirit of Walesa and Solidarity will live on and the fight for greater freedom will continue. I f, indeed, ufreedom is a -comment by Linda Petersen puelnaN ueg Over-the-Counter Killer n September 29, 1982, the Chest selling apirin substitute became a killer. It was to kill six more times before it would be checked. Capsules of Extra- Strength Tylenol were found laced with cyanide, a poison so deadly that it kills within minutes, in what has become the biggest consumer alert in history. The victims, all Chicago-area residents, died within days of each other. Tylenolls manufacturer, Johnson and Johnson subsidiary McNeil Consumer Products Co., recalled two batches of the medication--264,4OO bottles nationwide--and the federal food and drug administration warned Americans not to take any Extra- Strength Tylenol capsules until the mystery was solved. While drugstores and supermarkets from coast to coast pulled Tylenol pro- ducts off their shelves, Colorado health officials had no such plan. The reason for Colorado,s seem- ing lack of concern over a very serious matter was that state health officials found no bottles from the suspected batches during a spot check of local stores. Despite state health officials assurance that all of. the drug in the state was safe, several major pharmacy and grocery chains, Safeway, King Soopers, Albertsonls and Osco Drugs, ordered the medication off their shelves as a precautionary measure. The question now was how did the cyanide get into the capsules of Tylenol. An accident at the plant seemed unlikely as the fatal cap- sules came from two different plants. The contamination had to be recent because the cyanide com- pound was a corrosive and would break down the capsulesi gelatin shell. Most telling is the undeniable evidence of tampering. According to Illinois Attorney General Tyrone Fahner, ttln each case, the bottle had several capsules with cyanide in them and several without. You can see that the cap- sules have been pulled apart very inartfully, then the cyanide was put in, and the capsules were shov- ed back together. With the discovery of individual tampering, the poisonings reached the height of hysteria. The thought of an over-the-counter killer, someone that was tampering with products that millions of Americans buy every day, was at the very least unsettling. The threat of copycats became very real as Lavoris, Extra-Strength Excedrin and some types of Anacin were found to contain various forms of poison. McNeil Consumer Products Co., in an effort to regain support for their product, began to run newspaper and television ads tell- ing consumers how to exchange their capsules for tablets tonly the capsules were found to have been poisonedt, or get a full refund. the are doing everything we can to keep your trust? said the ad. uWe want all Tylenol capsule users to now use Tylenol tablets until the new tamper-resistant capsule packaging is available. If individual medications need protective seals, they are con- ceivable for a wide range of other products. Even then, there is really no guarantee of safety; if someone wanted to harm consumers he would surely find some way to do it. tl The magnitude of the possibilities is what frightens me? said Illinois Department of Public Health Toxicologist John J. Spikes. ltWe know what we are dealing with. We just donlt know when and how. Or, most disturb- ing of all, why--and whether similar horrors can be prevented in the future.

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Reagan Budget: 82 Dilemma he major plitical and T economic battle of 1982 took place in the halls of Congress as legislators in part debated, re- jected, accepted, and manicured the components of President Ronald Reaganls fiscal offering. The budget battle revolved largely around what has become the conservative dilem- ma of the early 1980s: how does one decrease taxes, increase defense spending, and end up with a balanc- ed budget? President Reagan,s first step was to cut social spending from obscure job programs to social security. Generally, the President arose the victor after the budget battle of 1982, despite the sacrifice of measures which would have toughened abortion laws, permitted voluntary prayer in public schools, and placed limitations on busing for the purpose of desegregation. A constitutional amendment which would have required a balanced federal budget was also lost, and a bill providing tax credits for private school tuitions was deemed a back- burner issue. President Reaganls successes were numerous. His spending cuts affect- ing welfare, food stamps, health, veterans, agriculture, and federal retirement programs amount to a reduction of 28.4 billion dollars over 3 years. Federal revenue was increased by 98 billion dollars over 3 years through the establishment of more excise taxes and the elimina- tion of some tax lopholes. The Presidentls veto of a program which would have provided 3 billion dollars in emergency housing aid was sustained. In the area of defense, a resolution providing for a nuclear weapons freeze was defeated and the Reagan ad- ministration increased its underground nuclear testing budget by 59 percent. The flood of controversy over the budget left many issues unresolved. Bills involving reform of immigra- tion policy, the use of the insanity defense in criminal trials, a billion- dollar job-creation program, and a bill designed to strengthen the American auto industry all face uncertain futures. While many portions of the 1982 budget escaped the scrutiny of the press and the public, the glaring ef- fects of the cuts in social spending were felt by many University of Denver students who found less federal money available to help them through school. This, coupled with high unemployment rates in many areas, amounted to a decrease in enrollment and the absence of many upperclassmen who were financially unable to return to school. Despite the signs that our economy is improving, the devastating effect which spending cuts have had on students ability to continue their education serves as a monument to the state of the economy which no one is proud of. Americas favorite pasttime had seen a change in the fall of 1982. In- stead of settling down with beer and pretzels in front of the TV to cheer on their favorite football teams, many Americans grabbed a Coke and cookies and settled for reruns of 81 Love Lucy. For upwards of twenty weeks the National Football League was on strike. While team members, coaches and owners negotiated to no agreeable ene, muscles became unused and fans lost interest. When finally the first post-strike games were played, fans were disappointed to see unnecessary fumbles and bad plays, and many decided they had better things to do. Super bowl XVII this year did not have as big a build- up as in years before. The Denver Broncos ended their nine-game season with only 2 wins and 7 losses. And Denver fans wonder, would their team have done better if the season hadn't llstruck out. ' Be Debhakam Season ,82 Fumbles Be Debhakam