By MARY ANN CROSBY

Whether it be pollution, wars in which our country is involved, inflation, or corruption in public office, our nation seems to be caught in an unending downward spiral, and many people believe that we cannot sink much lower than we already are. Change is needed desperately and soon, but change is virtually impossible when masses of people still live blindly with false beliefs of national security.

Our present predicament would have been avoided if past leaders had been more prudent in making decisions and had used foresight in regard to each aspect of their administration. Pollution would have not grown to such great extents if past leaders had thoroughly looked into DDT's side effects, as well as other insecticides and pollutants. Our present involvement in the Indo‑China war could have been greatly reduced if past administrations had not continuously escalated our manpower there.

Blame for our present problems does not rest entirely on the past's shoulders, however. Modern‑day man is equally at fault. People today dare not move a finger to promote change or improvement in our world. They barely bat an eyelash when confronted with our present dilemma; and at times I doubt that they would be willing to sacrifice their cozy, comfy lives even if death was their only alternative.

Damage inflicted on our environment has mounted year after year, until finally we realize that we must undo the past's mistakes and plan for future generations. This may seem an awesome task, but it is not an impossibility and may be our only choice other than death.

Can we rightfully say that selfishly progressing our society far beyond what is actually needed is more important than our future? We've reached the moon, but our rivers are dead and people are starving in ghettos and Appalachia. How will we explain this to our children and to our children's children?

More effective than any other possible solution to our country's problems is change. If we cannot exist much longer living as we presently do, radical and far‑reaching change is needed immediately. Many young people are returning to nature and living off the land in order to return to simple life‑styles and slow our country's destructive rate of progress.

One deterrent to solving our nation's problems is a creature brought into view by Newsweek magazine, known as "The Abominable No-man." He is completely against change of any sort and is described as follows:

'Let's,' and he says, 'Let's not.'
You say, 'Hey! Here's an idea!,and he says, 'It won't work.'
You say yes. He says no.

You find him in families, armies, companies, and clubs, and sometimes high in the affairs of your country.

Doesn't he know .
Can't he learn . ‑ that no‑man's land is a wasteland where nothing can grow?

Abominable no‑men are found everywhere, as Newsweek says; and their most destructive act is preventing groups of concerned citizens from banding together to bring about change.

One television newsman commented that he wished Earth would be invaded by Martians. In this way, he said, Russia and the United States would become instant buddies: all races, creeds, and colors would be forced by fear to work together; and individuals would forget their petty conflict with others.

Chicago, a rock group, warns us that we can progress no further without our own destruction in their song, "Where Do We Go From Here?" when they say-

"Everyday just gets a little shorter, don't you think?
Take a look around you and you'll see just what I mean.
People have got to come together, riot just out of fear.
Where do we go, Where do we go from here?"