DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | University of Iowa anti-war protests, January-April 1971 | 1971-02-11 Daily Iowan Article: ""Teach-in Draws 1,500 Participants""

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University of Iowa anti-war protests, January-April 1971

1971-02-11 Daily Iowan Article: ""Teach-in Draws 1,500 Participants""

DI 2/11/71

Teach-in Draws 1,500 Participants 

By JUDY SCHULTZ
Daily Iowan Reporter

" Welcome to the teach-in students faculty, staff, outside agitators and spies from the Central Intelligence Agency."
Nearly 1,500 students gathered in the Main Lounge of the Union laughed at the opening statement, but the rest of Wednesday morning and afternoon was spent in serious discussion of the war in Southeast Asia and what to do about it. 
Robert Dykstra, associate professor of history, outlined the history of U.S. intervention in Southeast Asia. 
Dykstra told the students how the United States broke the Geneva Convention agreements by intervening in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. 
" The United States must bear the primary guilt for the war in Southeast Asia." Dykstra said.
David Hamilton, assistant professor of history, told the group at the teach-in that the real atrocity of the war was not the My Lai massacre, but the heavy bombardment of the Vietnamese countryside. 
" The U.S. is committing daily acts of barbarism in the name of civilization." he said " By bombing the countryside we're forcing the peasants into the cities where they can be controlled more easily by the South Vietnamese government,"
Howard Ehrlich, associate professor of sociology, warned those at the teach-in that "Imperialistic war required domestic repression and this is its ultimate result."
Tim Gardner of the American Friends Service Committee urged an end to the draft, claiming that nearly 30 per cent of the men now drafted each month refuse to appear or refuse induction. 
Another suggestion for ending the war was the People's Peace treaty, explained to the crowd by Tim Yaeger., A3, of the New University Conference. 
Yeager called the People's Peace Treaty " our best hope of ending the war.. the new backbone of the movement."
He contended that the treaty expresses the aspirations of both American and Vietnamese peoples and will help coordinate their actions against the war. 
The crowd then heard the statement of a former "gung-ho militarist" Dick Philips, A1, related his conversion from a Richard Nixon supporter in 1965 to a Vietnam veteran against the war. 
"I knew how to return fire. I knew how to administer first-aid. I was ready for everything. But for the poverty and destruction I was not prepared. For a father procuring patrons for his thirteen year old daughter's services in order to support his family. I was not prepared." Philips said. 
Another Vietnam veteran, Don Pugsley, A1, received a standing ovation for recounting his experiences as a medic. 
Pugsley described the wounds caused by shock waves from M-16 bullets: " It turns bones to powder and muscles to mush. You don't have to aim it. just shoot off a burst of fire into the brush and destroy everything." he said. 
"When you realize how disgusting the tools of war are, you realize how disgusting war is. You're not disgusted with the M-16 you're disgusted with war," he said. 
Students in the crowd gave various reasons for attending the teach-in. One woman who was passing through the Union said she didn't think the teach-in was publicized enough. 
"I don't think it will change much. I think from the experience we had last spring, we can all see that a strike doesn't do much good. What would be more effective would be going out into the community and trying to change people's minds. A strike goes at the problem indirectly. It's not aiming at anything" she said. 
Commented one man " I came because I'm ready for a deadline I'm through demonstrating and I'm ready for violent action."
The crowd later split into workshop sessions with 30 to 40 members in each group.

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DI 2/11/71 Teach-in Draws 1,500 Participants By JUDY SCHULTZ Daily Iowan Reporter " Welcome to the teach-in students faculty, staff, outside agitators and spies from the Central Intelligence Agency." Nearly 1,500 students gathered in the Main Lounge of the Union laughed at the opening statement, but the rest of Wednesday morning and afternoon was spent in serious discussion of the war in Southeast Asia and what to do about it. Robert Dykstra, associate professor of history, outlined the history of U.S. intervention in Southeast Asia. Dykstra told the students how the United States broke the Geneva Convention agreements by intervening in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. " The United States must bear the primary guilt for the war in Southeast Asia." Dykstra said. David Hamilton, assistant professor of history, told the group at the teach-in that the real atrocity of the war was not the My Lai massacre, but the heavy bombardment of the Vietnamese countryside. " The U.S. is committing daily acts of barbarism in the name of civilization." he said " By bombing the countryside we're forcing the peasants into the cities where they can be controlled more easily by the South Vietnamese government," Howard Ehrlich, associate professor of sociology, warned those at the teach-in that "Imperialistic war required domestic repression and this is its ultimate result." Tim Gardner of the American Friends Service Committee urged an end to the draft, claiming that nearly 30 per cent of the men now drafted each month refuse to appear or refuse induction. Another suggestion for ending the war was the People's Peace treaty, explained to the crowd by Tim Yaeger., A3, of the New University Conference. Yeager called the People's Peace Treaty " our best hope of ending the war.. the new backbone of the movement." He contended that the treaty expresses the aspirations of both American and Vietnamese peoples and will help coordinate their actions against the war. The crowd then heard the statement of a former "gung-ho militarist" Dick Philips, A1, related his conversion from a Richard Nixon supporter in 1965 to a Vietnam veteran against the war. "I knew how to return fire. I knew how to administer first-aid. I was ready for everything. But for the poverty and destruction I was not prepared. For a father procuring patrons for his thirteen year old daughter's services in order to support his family. I was not prepared." Philips said. Another Vietnam veteran, Don Pugsley, A1, received a standing ovation for recounting his experiences as a medic. Pugsley described the wounds caused by shock waves from M-16 bullets: " It turns bones to powder and muscles to mush. You don't have to aim it. just shoot off a burst of fire into the brush and destroy everything." he said. "When you realize how disgusting the tools of war are, you realize how disgusting war is. You're not disgusted with the M-16 you're disgusted with war," he said. Students in the crowd gave various reasons for attending the teach-in. One woman who was passing through the Union said she didn't think the teach-in was publicized enough. "I don't think it will change much. I think from the experience we had last spring, we can all see that a strike doesn't do much good. What would be more effective would be going out into the community and trying to change people's minds. A strike goes at the problem indirectly. It's not aiming at anything" she said. Commented one man " I came because I'm ready for a deadline I'm through demonstrating and I'm ready for violent action." The crowd later split into workshop sessions with 30 to 40 members in each group.