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Student protests, May-December 1971

1971-05-13 Daily Iowa Letters: ""Police and Protests"" Page 2

DI 
May 13, 1971
2 (of 5)

IOWA CITY, IOWA
John Richards
Mike McGrevey
Editor, Debbie Romine
Richard Ter Maas
Jan Williams

t
Iowan is some kind 
other campus reds 
ernor. Robert Ray, 
office yesterday
And the university 
courier with the re-
ke to know why he 
his constituents?), 
to that done by his 
me out of this town 
oines Register ("the 
Not much of it has
ory on the situation
gas sparingly, early
who ripped up stop
situation with one
the Highway Patrol 
"sparingly" And, 
this graph are the 
bricks, bottles and
atrolmen were con-
epersons had been

Letters: police and protests
To the Editor:
The recent civil disorders in Iowa City, with their attendant evidence of excessive use of force by police, prompt me to write this letter. While an undergraduate in Portland, Ore., I spent almost three years as a patrolman with the Portland Police Bureau—two years in prowl car work, and the remainder organizing a Police-Community Relations Unit. I recently finished my Master of Fine Arts degree in the Writers Workshop. I hope the above will not be construed as advertisements for myself, but merely as a process of establishing, what will no doubt seem to some, rather muddled credentials. So be it.
While a police officer I participated in two race riots, each of which continued sporadically for several days. During that time my co-workers and myself were assigned to work 12 hours on and 12 off. Actually we worked 15 or 16 hours per shift. The riots consisted of fire bombings, false box alarms, thrown rocks and bottles, and reports (never confirmed) of sniper fire. All this inspired a good deal of stress and fear in myself and the other police. But, though I wrestled, subdued, and arrested several persons during both those riots, I made certain those I arrested had broken the law (and not merely the jaywalking ordinance). Also, though few of the people I arrested submitted without physical resistance, I never found it necessary to strike them with my hand or a nightstick (and I am not strong, 5-10, 150 lbs.).
Our local accounts of excessive police roughness, though I have only read or seen accounts of them in the media, seem to me from my own experience in these matters to be probably true.
Also from personal experience I know that police, even in a stress-filled situation, will not become violent if in doing so they have to fear discipline from their superiors. The main reason for police violence in the past few days is that the police have not been adequately

night that the decision to clear the streets of all people "was made by the police themselves on the basis of the situation" is unconscionable. In Portland, for the police to take this responsibility would be unthinkable, and would precipitate an abrupt turnover in the police bureau's administration.
Mayor Hickerson, the city council, the city manager, one or all of them, are in legal charge of the police here, as are similar officials in charge of police elsewhere. I can understand the pressure they must be under from the police and that part of the community which is interested only in maintaining order, but if they are not weak men they must stand up to this pressure. Ultimately, only they are responsible for seeing that justice is done on the street. And justice is not done when police use excessive force to effect arrests, or when police rough up a man and his wife who walk out of a theatre into the midst of a demonstration.
If I found myself and my wife in the latter position I would use any violent means at my disposal to protect us from this essentially criminal attack. Of course I realize that the Iowa City court, because of the emotionally charged atmosphere of the overall situation, would find me guilty of "Assault With Intent to Do Great Bodily Injury." But the court would not be dong justice.
If Judge Thornton's recent comment, to the effect that the patience of this community is wearing thin, was made to a group more public than his immediate family, then his words were unethical and irresponsible. A public declaration of this nature by a judge, whose theoretical function is to dispense justice, is contemptible and makes all people, not only demonstrators, wonder about the availability of an even-headed judgment in his court.
In essence, I say to city officials and police, "I understand your frustration and your very human weariness, but

yond peaceful protest and plant bombs, or even "trash."
You say your cause is for people. I know you mean this, but the interests of mankind are rarely served by mindless sit-ins over university personnel lay-offs and ROTC. As witnessed by one of your own members (Daiy Iowan letter to the editor, April 27, 1971), the ROTC cadets at a recent panel discussion held here regarding the war were better equipped to attack and dismantle the pro-war arguments of their military superiors than were any of you. The difference between their effectiveness and your impotance  is simple. They had done their homework while you had stopped using your human capability to reason. You relied only on emotion, drama, and cliches, none of which took you very far.
You denigrate the worth of reason, and in doing so you figuratively castrate yourselves. You refuse to use the major part of your mental powers, deprive yourselves of weapons, and all because you think reason is a dirty tool of inhumane men. Of course it is! Do you think there is "pure reason" in any man, untouched by emotion and personal interest?
You demand justice but fail to realize that, in your reliance on emotion, you cannot give justice in return. Emotion only allows you to want justice for your own side. Reason would make you show justice for all persons, even for the police whom you are so inane to despise. You must strive for reason within yourselves; only then can you legitimately demand justice from others. Until that time your actions are transparently narcissistic; you are still waiting for mom's station wagon to give you a ride home from the demonstration.
If you realize the need for police in a complex society where informal enforcement of social mores is not adequate to insure public safety, then you should want the best, most humane men to be policemen. But by taking the attitude toward the police that you do, you will

from beating guys, just by being present."
It is men like this, with the guts to take a police job, do it well, be a good man, stand up to their co-workers when they do wrong, that are needed. The above cop is worth a thousand destructors who don't have the moxie or apparent intelligence to make their own individual decisions about right and wrong. What help is a mob to those of its members, or innocent bystanders, who are victims of violent, immediate injustice at the hands of police?
I think the reason more of you don't become policemen is NOT because you think restricting people's behavior within statutory norms is wicked, but because it is easier for you to deny your responsibility to other persons, to smash plate glass and run, rather than keep an eye (a powerful eye) on your fellow police.
I believe police who use excessive force should be fired and prosecuted, but it is naive of you to expect justice or mercy from men you have made hate you. If you have pursued the war issue as far as your intelligence can take you, and still feel the only thing you can do is fight, then fight by doing something against the war instead of engaging in springtime puberty rites; and don't whine when you take it on the chin from a cop. Know that you have become an outlaw, and don't except mom, the police, or the courts to be nice to you. They SHOULD show you justice, but they probably won't, not now.
It's hard for a man to live, to discover the right way. A police lieutenant in Portland (head of the Intelligence Division) said to me after I took part in a demonstration on my day off, "By God, boy, you are going to have to make up your mind about which side you're on!" If you feel the same way, then you too are pitiable and beneath contempt.
Mike Randall, G

To the Editor:
I wish to ask a favor of the Iowa City law enforcement. Before the next rally,

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DI May 13, 1971 2 (of 5) IOWA CITY, IOWA John Richards Mike McGrevey Editor, Debbie Romine Richard Ter Maas Jan Williams t Iowan is some kind other campus reds ernor. Robert Ray, office yesterday And the university courier with the re- ke to know why he his constituents?), to that done by his me out of this town oines Register ("the Not much of it has ory on the situation gas sparingly, early who ripped up stop situation with one the Highway Patrol "sparingly" And, this graph are the bricks, bottles and atrolmen were con- epersons had been Letters: police and protests To the Editor: The recent civil disorders in Iowa City, with their attendant evidence of excessive use of force by police, prompt me to write this letter. While an undergraduate in Portland, Ore., I spent almost three years as a patrolman with the Portland Police Bureau—two years in prowl car work, and the remainder organizing a Police-Community Relations Unit. I recently finished my Master of Fine Arts degree in the Writers Workshop. I hope the above will not be construed as advertisements for myself, but merely as a process of establishing, what will no doubt seem to some, rather muddled credentials. So be it. While a police officer I participated in two race riots, each of which continued sporadically for several days. During that time my co-workers and myself were assigned to work 12 hours on and 12 off. Actually we worked 15 or 16 hours per shift. The riots consisted of fire bombings, false box alarms, thrown rocks and bottles, and reports (never confirmed) of sniper fire. All this inspired a good deal of stress and fear in myself and the other police. But, though I wrestled, subdued, and arrested several persons during both those riots, I made certain those I arrested had broken the law (and not merely the jaywalking ordinance). Also, though few of the people I arrested submitted without physical resistance, I never found it necessary to strike them with my hand or a nightstick (and I am not strong, 5-10, 150 lbs.). Our local accounts of excessive police roughness, though I have only read or seen accounts of them in the media, seem to me from my own experience in these matters to be probably true. Also from personal experience I know that police, even in a stress-filled situation, will not become violent if in doing so they have to fear discipline from their superiors. The main reason for police violence in the past few days is that the police have not been adequately night that the decision to clear the streets of all people "was made by the police themselves on the basis of the situation" is unconscionable. In Portland, for the police to take this responsibility would be unthinkable, and would precipitate an abrupt turnover in the police bureau's administration. Mayor Hickerson, the city council, the city manager, one or all of them, are in legal charge of the police here, as are similar officials in charge of police elsewhere. I can understand the pressure they must be under from the police and that part of the community which is interested only in maintaining order, but if they are not weak men they must stand up to this pressure. Ultimately, only they are responsible for seeing that justice is done on the street. And justice is not done when police use excessive force to effect arrests, or when police rough up a man and his wife who walk out of a theatre into the midst of a demonstration. If I found myself and my wife in the latter position I would use any violent means at my disposal to protect us from this essentially criminal attack. Of course I realize that the Iowa City court, because of the emotionally charged atmosphere of the overall situation, would find me guilty of "Assault With Intent to Do Great Bodily Injury." But the court would not be dong justice. If Judge Thornton's recent comment, to the effect that the patience of this community is wearing thin, was made to a group more public than his immediate family, then his words were unethical and irresponsible. A public declaration of this nature by a judge, whose theoretical function is to dispense justice, is contemptible and makes all people, not only demonstrators, wonder about the availability of an even-headed judgment in his court. In essence, I say to city officials and police, "I understand your frustration and your very human weariness, but yond peaceful protest and plant bombs, or even "trash." You say your cause is for people. I know you mean this, but the interests of mankind are rarely served by mindless sit-ins over university personnel lay-offs and ROTC. As witnessed by one of your own members (Daiy Iowan letter to the editor, April 27, 1971), the ROTC cadets at a recent panel discussion held here regarding the war were better equipped to attack and dismantle the pro-war arguments of their military superiors than were any of you. The difference between their effectiveness and your impotance is simple. They had done their homework while you had stopped using your human capability to reason. You relied only on emotion, drama, and cliches, none of which took you very far. You denigrate the worth of reason, and in doing so you figuratively castrate yourselves. You refuse to use the major part of your mental powers, deprive yourselves of weapons, and all because you think reason is a dirty tool of inhumane men. Of course it is! Do you think there is "pure reason" in any man, untouched by emotion and personal interest? You demand justice but fail to realize that, in your reliance on emotion, you cannot give justice in return. Emotion only allows you to want justice for your own side. Reason would make you show justice for all persons, even for the police whom you are so inane to despise. You must strive for reason within yourselves; only then can you legitimately demand justice from others. Until that time your actions are transparently narcissistic; you are still waiting for mom's station wagon to give you a ride home from the demonstration. If you realize the need for police in a complex society where informal enforcement of social mores is not adequate to insure public safety, then you should want the best, most humane men to be policemen. But by taking the attitude toward the police that you do, you will from beating guys, just by being present." It is men like this, with the guts to take a police job, do it well, be a good man, stand up to their co-workers when they do wrong, that are needed. The above cop is worth a thousand destructors who don't have the moxie or apparent intelligence to make their own individual decisions about right and wrong. What help is a mob to those of its members, or innocent bystanders, who are victims of violent, immediate injustice at the hands of police? I think the reason more of you don't become policemen is NOT because you think restricting people's behavior within statutory norms is wicked, but because it is easier for you to deny your responsibility to other persons, to smash plate glass and run, rather than keep an eye (a powerful eye) on your fellow police. I believe police who use excessive force should be fired and prosecuted, but it is naive of you to expect justice or mercy from men you have made hate you. If you have pursued the war issue as far as your intelligence can take you, and still feel the only thing you can do is fight, then fight by doing something against the war instead of engaging in springtime puberty rites; and don't whine when you take it on the chin from a cop. Know that you have become an outlaw, and don't except mom, the police, or the courts to be nice to you. They SHOULD show you justice, but they probably won't, not now. It's hard for a man to live, to discover the right way. A police lieutenant in Portland (head of the Intelligence Division) said to me after I took part in a demonstration on my day off, "By God, boy, you are going to have to make up your mind about which side you're on!" If you feel the same way, then you too are pitiable and beneath contempt. Mike Randall, G To the Editor: I wish to ask a favor of the Iowa City law enforcement. Before the next rally,