DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | Student protests, May-December 1971 | 1971-05-16: ""Des Moines Register Article: ""The 'Sheep' At U of I""

Transcribe
Translate

Student protests, May-December 1971

1971-05-16: ""Des Moines Register Article: ""The 'Sheep' At U of I""

The 'Sheep' at U of I   Over the Coffee
 It has become the fashion among college students of outraged social conscience to refer to police as "pigs, " the idea being that the police officers are sub-humans of swinish sensibilities.
 It's difficult to comprehend what such juvenile name-calling accomplishes, but since they started the games the students must be prepared to accept response in kind.
 Thus, after the events of the past week in Iowa City, they should not object to being called sheep, for in their passive acquiescence to the violence at the University of Iowa City they most resembled the followers of the Barnyard.
  Certainly the Iowa City police and Johnson County sheriff's deputies acted badly --- and stupidly -- in going into the dorms Monday night and using tear gas indiscriminately.
  It was exactly the sort of action we have come to expect of the Iowa City authorities who seem bent on radicalizing every student who goes through that university.
 But for the students to have vented to have vented their wrath at the Iowa Highway Patrol was altogether inexcusable -- and stupid.
 If you can't tell the difference between the Iowa Highway Patrol and the Johnson County sheriff's department you don't belong at a university; you belong in a manual training school for the mentally retarded.
  THE PATROL is a thoroughly professional group.  They don't "over react"; they don't indulge in "police brutality."
 They come into a very difficult situation in Iowa City and brought it under control with the use of minimum force.
  And what did they get for it? A couple of dozen guys hurt, six of them fairly seriously.
 That's really a great lesson for the rest of the police in the state.  If you go in and smash heads and shoot tear gas around you can keep your causalities to a minimum.
 But if you try to be nice guys, if you act in a cool, professional manner, you get chopped up.
  Undoubtedly many of the students involved in the violent demonstration were outraged last year at the shooting of students at Kent State.
 "Murder!" they shouted. "Police-state fascism."
 Killing a policemen with a rock or bottle, however, is a protest against man's inhumanity to man.
  Make no mistake about it , a rock or battle hurled from a distant height is a lethal weapon. That it does not kill or maim someone is accidental. It I unrealistic to expect law enforcement officers to be gentle with mobs that are trying to kill them.
  One night argue that only a small minority of the student body was actually involved in the rock-throwing; the number has been set as low as 150.
  BUT THAT BEGS the question.  That minority of 150 (or500) could not have worked its will without the tacit approval of the other 20,000 students at Iowa.
  Just where were the good students of Iowa on Tuesday night?
 What were they doing while the battle raged?
 They were standing on the sidelines, watching.  They were being what they so often accuse their parents' generation of being.
 Good Germans.
  Of course they didn't see the cans of rocks being carried to the roofs of the dormitories all during the day --- they were busy studying for finals.
  And in any case, what could they do? They only had the protesters outnumbered nine to one.
 Like Germans who lived within sight of the smoke stacks of the concentration camps they did not see what they chose not to see.
  And that is the truly shameful aspect of the recent events in Iowa City.
  The Iowa City police, the Highway Patrol, even the student radicals all acted according to form. It was the great mass of students who perform up to expectations.   
  They joined the Great Silent Majority.
                                                           -----Donald Kaul

Saving...

The 'Sheep' at U of I Over the Coffee It has become the fashion among college students of outraged social conscience to refer to police as "pigs, " the idea being that the police officers are sub-humans of swinish sensibilities. It's difficult to comprehend what such juvenile name-calling accomplishes, but since they started the games the students must be prepared to accept response in kind. Thus, after the events of the past week in Iowa City, they should not object to being called sheep, for in their passive acquiescence to the violence at the University of Iowa City they most resembled the followers of the Barnyard. Certainly the Iowa City police and Johnson County sheriff's deputies acted badly --- and stupidly -- in going into the dorms Monday night and using tear gas indiscriminately. It was exactly the sort of action we have come to expect of the Iowa City authorities who seem bent on radicalizing every student who goes through that university. But for the students to have vented to have vented their wrath at the Iowa Highway Patrol was altogether inexcusable -- and stupid. If you can't tell the difference between the Iowa Highway Patrol and the Johnson County sheriff's department you don't belong at a university; you belong in a manual training school for the mentally retarded. THE PATROL is a thoroughly professional group. They don't "over react"; they don't indulge in "police brutality." They come into a very difficult situation in Iowa City and brought it under control with the use of minimum force. And what did they get for it? A couple of dozen guys hurt, six of them fairly seriously. That's really a great lesson for the rest of the police in the state. If you go in and smash heads and shoot tear gas around you can keep your causalities to a minimum. But if you try to be nice guys, if you act in a cool, professional manner, you get chopped up. Undoubtedly many of the students involved in the violent demonstration were outraged last year at the shooting of students at Kent State. "Murder!" they shouted. "Police-state fascism." Killing a policemen with a rock or bottle, however, is a protest against man's inhumanity to man. Make no mistake about it , a rock or battle hurled from a distant height is a lethal weapon. That it does not kill or maim someone is accidental. It I unrealistic to expect law enforcement officers to be gentle with mobs that are trying to kill them. One night argue that only a small minority of the student body was actually involved in the rock-throwing; the number has been set as low as 150. BUT THAT BEGS the question. That minority of 150 (or500) could not have worked its will without the tacit approval of the other 20,000 students at Iowa. Just where were the good students of Iowa on Tuesday night? What were they doing while the battle raged? They were standing on the sidelines, watching. They were being what they so often accuse their parents' generation of being. Good Germans. Of course they didn't see the cans of rocks being carried to the roofs of the dormitories all during the day --- they were busy studying for finals. And in any case, what could they do? They only had the protesters outnumbered nine to one. Like Germans who lived within sight of the smoke stacks of the concentration camps they did not see what they chose not to see. And that is the truly shameful aspect of the recent events in Iowa City. The Iowa City police, the Highway Patrol, even the student radicals all acted according to form. It was the great mass of students who perform up to expectations. They joined the Great Silent Majority. -----Donald Kaul