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University of Iowa anti-war protests, 1970

1970-05-13 Daily Iowan Editorial: ""Strike!"" Page 1

1 (of 4)
DI
May 13, 1970

STRIKE
! [Line printed upside down] STRIKE
To the Editor, from the peop

Deploring, applauding SPI Board action
To the Editor: 
I find deplorable the actions of the Board of Student Publications, Inc. concerning its recent decision to retain the editorship of Lowell Forte instead of allowing the new editorial staff, headed by Leona Durham, to assume the duties of running The Daily Iowan.
This is not an indictment of Forte or other members of his staff who have decided to answer the unjust call of the SPI Board, but this is an indictment of the Board itself, for it's decision appears to me, as it has to others, to be a form of political oppression and an attempt at censorship.
It is ludicrous for the Board to think that concerned students and faculty will accept its claim that "this is a poor time to make an editorial change," in the words of Professor George Forell, and that the politics of Miss Durham and her staff did not enter into its deliberations. The reasons given are absurd and are a gross disrespect fo the intellect of the people of this community.
Moreover, I deplore the actions of the Board for the reasons that in this day and time when the press is attacked from both sides of the left-right spectrum, and especially when those in the media cry the loudest when critically assailed, such tactics as the SPI Board's are approved and applauded by professors and student journalists.
The Board approved Miss Durham's candidacy for the editorship; they approved her staff selections. The Board made its decision, now it should have the courage to live up to it. The belief that the new staff would take actions to further inflame an already tense campus are unfounded. The SPI Board may find that its actions may do more to inflame the student body than anything Leona Durham or her staff could ever do in this troubled time. The true colors of such avowed liberals as Professors Forell, Lane Davis and others who make up the composition of the SPI Board has finally come to the fore. There is nothing like a crisis to expose the true character of a falsity.
Finally, as editorial page editor under the editorshp of Mr. Forte, I find that I cannot in good conscience assume my former position and I protest the actions of Forte and my former fellow staff members who have decided to join him in this unjust act.
It is unfortunate that several staff members, most of them journalism majors, decided to sign a statement pledging their loyalty to The Daily Iowan, rather than to any individual. It is unfortunate because as future journalists their loyalty should be pledged to an uncompromised search for truth, justice and a fairness applicable to all.
These things have been denied Leona Durham and her staff.
M. E. Moore, G
517 Hawkeye Dr.

To the Editor:
In a time when more people should be keeping their heads about them while more and more seem to be losing theirs, the hurling of epithets in public gatherings seems a highly dubious, if not in-
[right hand side words missing]

Who's facist now?
To the Editor:
Thursday evening at the Pentacrest a speaker told the crowd that if they were not going to break into Jessup Hall and take over that building, they should leave the Pentacrest, for they had no right to be there "doing nothing." He also told the crowd that the band would play no more. And it didn't.
These are the words of someone, not dedicated to the people, not dedicated
[missing rest of column)

and called this speaker a fascist pig. No one told this person that he is demanding the same thing Nixon is demanding—that people act in a way contrary to their morals and beliefs. No one told him that we are fighting people like him —power hungry bastards.
And yet, he was among us; and perhaps leading us.
I am asking that we must, in order to
[missing rest of column]

Tired of insane govern
To the Editor:
I hear they had a vote last night; well, no one gave me a ballot; I shall assume then that George Wallace supporters can get together and vote "overwhelmingly" to make him President of the United States (he got a little over 10 per cent of the votes, too; for your little brain 2,500 — if they all voted for the strike, which I doubt—is hardly representative of 20,000, but then your math may be very poor).
I've been told that this strike is comparable to a union strike; however, unions tend to vote to see if they will strike —Sunday afternoon at one of the pro-strike meetings a student asked if we the students could vote like we did

[missing right hand words]

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1 (of 4) DI May 13, 1970 STRIKE ! [Line printed upside down] STRIKE To the Editor, from the peop Deploring, applauding SPI Board action To the Editor: I find deplorable the actions of the Board of Student Publications, Inc. concerning its recent decision to retain the editorship of Lowell Forte instead of allowing the new editorial staff, headed by Leona Durham, to assume the duties of running The Daily Iowan. This is not an indictment of Forte or other members of his staff who have decided to answer the unjust call of the SPI Board, but this is an indictment of the Board itself, for it's decision appears to me, as it has to others, to be a form of political oppression and an attempt at censorship. It is ludicrous for the Board to think that concerned students and faculty will accept its claim that "this is a poor time to make an editorial change," in the words of Professor George Forell, and that the politics of Miss Durham and her staff did not enter into its deliberations. The reasons given are absurd and are a gross disrespect fo the intellect of the people of this community. Moreover, I deplore the actions of the Board for the reasons that in this day and time when the press is attacked from both sides of the left-right spectrum, and especially when those in the media cry the loudest when critically assailed, such tactics as the SPI Board's are approved and applauded by professors and student journalists. The Board approved Miss Durham's candidacy for the editorship; they approved her staff selections. The Board made its decision, now it should have the courage to live up to it. The belief that the new staff would take actions to further inflame an already tense campus are unfounded. The SPI Board may find that its actions may do more to inflame the student body than anything Leona Durham or her staff could ever do in this troubled time. The true colors of such avowed liberals as Professors Forell, Lane Davis and others who make up the composition of the SPI Board has finally come to the fore. There is nothing like a crisis to expose the true character of a falsity. Finally, as editorial page editor under the editorshp of Mr. Forte, I find that I cannot in good conscience assume my former position and I protest the actions of Forte and my former fellow staff members who have decided to join him in this unjust act. It is unfortunate that several staff members, most of them journalism majors, decided to sign a statement pledging their loyalty to The Daily Iowan, rather than to any individual. It is unfortunate because as future journalists their loyalty should be pledged to an uncompromised search for truth, justice and a fairness applicable to all. These things have been denied Leona Durham and her staff. M. E. Moore, G 517 Hawkeye Dr. To the Editor: In a time when more people should be keeping their heads about them while more and more seem to be losing theirs, the hurling of epithets in public gatherings seems a highly dubious, if not in- [right hand side words missing] Who's facist now? To the Editor: Thursday evening at the Pentacrest a speaker told the crowd that if they were not going to break into Jessup Hall and take over that building, they should leave the Pentacrest, for they had no right to be there "doing nothing." He also told the crowd that the band would play no more. And it didn't. These are the words of someone, not dedicated to the people, not dedicated [missing rest of column) and called this speaker a fascist pig. No one told this person that he is demanding the same thing Nixon is demanding—that people act in a way contrary to their morals and beliefs. No one told him that we are fighting people like him —power hungry bastards. And yet, he was among us; and perhaps leading us. I am asking that we must, in order to [missing rest of column] Tired of insane govern To the Editor: I hear they had a vote last night; well, no one gave me a ballot; I shall assume then that George Wallace supporters can get together and vote "overwhelmingly" to make him President of the United States (he got a little over 10 per cent of the votes, too; for your little brain 2,500 — if they all voted for the strike, which I doubt—is hardly representative of 20,000, but then your math may be very poor). I've been told that this strike is comparable to a union strike; however, unions tend to vote to see if they will strike —Sunday afternoon at one of the pro-strike meetings a student asked if we the students could vote like we did [missing right hand words]