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University of Iowa anti-war protests, 1970
1970-05-13 Daily Iowan Editorial: ""Strike!"" Page 3
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[top two columns missing beginnings] 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 to the withdrawal of troops from Vietnam and Cambodia, not dedicated to the abolishment of ROTC on campus, not dedicated to the idea of free and equal society. The crowd Thursday night was a group of individuals, each protesting his frustrations at a number of controversies among the most prominent: the war, abolishment of ROTC and the Kent State massacre. They were not, therefore, inactive. They were not sitting in their rooms apathetically, but were engaging in a demonstration, together, outside, of their feelings. It angers me that one person can tell a group of people what action to take and can expect the group to follow that action (and be angred if it doesn't). Is that not how Nazi Germany started? What angered me even more is that no one else went up to the microphone 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 help develop a society knowing no wars and no hate, be wary of these people who disguise themselves with our own sentiments and our anger. And, that if we recognize them we must not be afraid to speak out against them. For, that is how Germanies start. Debbie Gare, A2 Chicago, Ill. To the Editor: Last week four students were shot at Kent State University. And now the media and Americans in general are filling the air with meaningless drivel about the guilt or innocence of the victims. One could picture a similar argument in the Germany of the '30s between a liberal and a conservative as to whether the Jews that were taken away the night before had really been disturbing the peace. And just as in Germany, an argument that goes no further than a discussion of the incidental legal pretexts for persecution (and thus implicitly accepts the legitimacy of legal persecution) is monumentally irrelevant as well as morally obscene. There comes a time when one must respond to official violence or become an accomplice to the acts of barbarism and fascism which this country disguises under the name of "order" for Americans and "freedom" for Vietnamese. In short, the individual must reaffirm his humanity. Students are often criticized for their immaturity or "childishness." But where are their examples? I have rarely heard any faculty a ovice raised above a whisper. Students have not been able to turn to faculty members for an example of protest that is both rational and radical (in the sense of attacking the heart of the problem rather than its incidental legal aspects.) Instead students have been shown how the intellect can be used to provide excuses for inaction. And in the process, many academicians abdicate their most important responsibility; the formulation of critical standards. This abdication leads to the philosophy of "business as usual," of "what can you expect, they're cops aren't they," of "war is hell; isnt' it." Living in a racist society provides a constant opportunity to exercise that attitude. Racism makes possible the "double-think," in which one condemns mentally what he condones in practice. As in Nazi Germany, racism provides an excellent breeding ground for fascism. Sandfra Seaton 721 Iowa Ave. Don't litter To the Editor: No wonder many people are antagonized by us. No wonder we elicit violent reaction against ourselves and our causes from the very people (voters) whose aid we need and must seek if anything is to be done to effect changes. Here we stand at our rallies holding our signs, shouting our slogans, dropping our litter. Kleenex and gum wrappers slip from posckets or distracted hands; and cigarettes are ground out in the grass. When I pick up and idspose of debris near me, I am either stared at or ignored by fellow students or complimented by adults. Both reactions imply a certain disassociation with the problem by both groups. Why? Why did we even bother to hold "World Day"? Why did we pick up litter for one week? Why do we exhaustively research and study these problems? Why do we talk so much and act so little? Why are we conveniently dismissed by many as "idealists" and "bums?" Are we really so limited that we can concentrate on only one cause at a time? Why can't we each coordinate our concerns, and act on them daily? It is time for "idealists" to become "realists" by transforming ideals into positive action daily. Janet Frohn, G 2724 Wayne Ave. 3 (of 4) "Strike" Tired of insane government 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 last year. We were told that was last year and the strike WAS the vote. If you don't have the students behind you and you refuse to admit it, you need to learn how to count; and if you think your strike is valid, you need to learn how to think. We were also told they were going to close the U down so they could go home and "rap" with the people back home without worrying about school — so I suggest you suggest to them that they should have circled option one or two and left to "rap" with the people back home. I rather believe the strikers are very serious, it is just that they are striking blind and they can not seem to see past the immediate campus area — you do not endear yourselves to the average public by closing a University. But then I'm not all that convinced that closing the University is not the major aim of a lot of them. I am tired of insane government actions, but it is absolutely inexcusable for 2,500 supposedly intelligent students to think that closing a university is sane. Lowell K. Handy, A3 N22 Hillcrest PS: Wait til Thursday to blow up my room, my roommate is leaving. LETTERS POLICY Letters to the editor and a[?] types of contributions to The [?] Iowan are encouraged. All [contributions?] must be signed by the [?] and should be typed with triple [spac?]ing. Letters no longer than 30[?] are appreciated. Shorter [?] tions are more likely to be used [?] Daily Iowan reserves the right [to re?] or edit any contribution. The Daily Iowan OPINIONS Page 2 Wednesday, May 13, 1970 Iowa City Publisher John Zug Editorial Adviser lee Brown Editor Lowell Forte Advertising Director Circulation Manager Mitchell owes the By Art Buchwald WASHINGTON —No one who has followed the events of the past two weeks can have anything but admiration for the political sagacity of Atty. Gen. John Mitchell. Mitchell's astuteness as a king-maker goes back to Miami Beach, Fla., where he engineered the nomination of Richard M. Nixon as the Republican candidate for President of the United States. But it did not end there, in one of the smoke-filled rooms that you always read about. Mitchell, puffing on his pipe, disucssed some of the problems Mr. Nixon would have to face if he were elected to the Presidency. "One of the things we can't overlook," Mitchell said, "is that the people might want to impeach you, Dick, at some time early in your term." "I haven't even been elected yet, and you're already talking about my impeachment," Mr. Nixon protested. "We have to prepare for every contingency," Mitchell said. "Suppose you decide to widen the war in Indochina?" "But I've promised to end the war in Vietnam and bring our boys home." "We know what you've promised, [right hand column missing complete words]
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[top two columns missing beginnings] 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 to the withdrawal of troops from Vietnam and Cambodia, not dedicated to the abolishment of ROTC on campus, not dedicated to the idea of free and equal society. The crowd Thursday night was a group of individuals, each protesting his frustrations at a number of controversies among the most prominent: the war, abolishment of ROTC and the Kent State massacre. They were not, therefore, inactive. They were not sitting in their rooms apathetically, but were engaging in a demonstration, together, outside, of their feelings. It angers me that one person can tell a group of people what action to take and can expect the group to follow that action (and be angred if it doesn't). Is that not how Nazi Germany started? What angered me even more is that no one else went up to the microphone 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 help develop a society knowing no wars and no hate, be wary of these people who disguise themselves with our own sentiments and our anger. And, that if we recognize them we must not be afraid to speak out against them. For, that is how Germanies start. Debbie Gare, A2 Chicago, Ill. To the Editor: Last week four students were shot at Kent State University. And now the media and Americans in general are filling the air with meaningless drivel about the guilt or innocence of the victims. One could picture a similar argument in the Germany of the '30s between a liberal and a conservative as to whether the Jews that were taken away the night before had really been disturbing the peace. And just as in Germany, an argument that goes no further than a discussion of the incidental legal pretexts for persecution (and thus implicitly accepts the legitimacy of legal persecution) is monumentally irrelevant as well as morally obscene. There comes a time when one must respond to official violence or become an accomplice to the acts of barbarism and fascism which this country disguises under the name of "order" for Americans and "freedom" for Vietnamese. In short, the individual must reaffirm his humanity. Students are often criticized for their immaturity or "childishness." But where are their examples? I have rarely heard any faculty a ovice raised above a whisper. Students have not been able to turn to faculty members for an example of protest that is both rational and radical (in the sense of attacking the heart of the problem rather than its incidental legal aspects.) Instead students have been shown how the intellect can be used to provide excuses for inaction. And in the process, many academicians abdicate their most important responsibility; the formulation of critical standards. This abdication leads to the philosophy of "business as usual," of "what can you expect, they're cops aren't they," of "war is hell; isnt' it." Living in a racist society provides a constant opportunity to exercise that attitude. Racism makes possible the "double-think," in which one condemns mentally what he condones in practice. As in Nazi Germany, racism provides an excellent breeding ground for fascism. Sandfra Seaton 721 Iowa Ave. Don't litter To the Editor: No wonder many people are antagonized by us. No wonder we elicit violent reaction against ourselves and our causes from the very people (voters) whose aid we need and must seek if anything is to be done to effect changes. Here we stand at our rallies holding our signs, shouting our slogans, dropping our litter. Kleenex and gum wrappers slip from posckets or distracted hands; and cigarettes are ground out in the grass. When I pick up and idspose of debris near me, I am either stared at or ignored by fellow students or complimented by adults. Both reactions imply a certain disassociation with the problem by both groups. Why? Why did we even bother to hold "World Day"? Why did we pick up litter for one week? Why do we exhaustively research and study these problems? Why do we talk so much and act so little? Why are we conveniently dismissed by many as "idealists" and "bums?" Are we really so limited that we can concentrate on only one cause at a time? Why can't we each coordinate our concerns, and act on them daily? It is time for "idealists" to become "realists" by transforming ideals into positive action daily. Janet Frohn, G 2724 Wayne Ave. 3 (of 4) "Strike" Tired of insane government 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 last year. We were told that was last year and the strike WAS the vote. If you don't have the students behind you and you refuse to admit it, you need to learn how to count; and if you think your strike is valid, you need to learn how to think. We were also told they were going to close the U down so they could go home and "rap" with the people back home without worrying about school — so I suggest you suggest to them that they should have circled option one or two and left to "rap" with the people back home. I rather believe the strikers are very serious, it is just that they are striking blind and they can not seem to see past the immediate campus area — you do not endear yourselves to the average public by closing a University. But then I'm not all that convinced that closing the University is not the major aim of a lot of them. I am tired of insane government actions, but it is absolutely inexcusable for 2,500 supposedly intelligent students to think that closing a university is sane. Lowell K. Handy, A3 N22 Hillcrest PS: Wait til Thursday to blow up my room, my roommate is leaving. LETTERS POLICY Letters to the editor and a[?] types of contributions to The [?] Iowan are encouraged. All [contributions?] must be signed by the [?] and should be typed with triple [spac?]ing. Letters no longer than 30[?] are appreciated. Shorter [?] tions are more likely to be used [?] Daily Iowan reserves the right [to re?] or edit any contribution. The Daily Iowan OPINIONS Page 2 Wednesday, May 13, 1970 Iowa City Publisher John Zug Editorial Adviser lee Brown Editor Lowell Forte Advertising Director Circulation Manager Mitchell owes the By Art Buchwald WASHINGTON —No one who has followed the events of the past two weeks can have anything but admiration for the political sagacity of Atty. Gen. John Mitchell. Mitchell's astuteness as a king-maker goes back to Miami Beach, Fla., where he engineered the nomination of Richard M. Nixon as the Republican candidate for President of the United States. But it did not end there, in one of the smoke-filled rooms that you always read about. Mitchell, puffing on his pipe, disucssed some of the problems Mr. Nixon would have to face if he were elected to the Presidency. "One of the things we can't overlook," Mitchell said, "is that the people might want to impeach you, Dick, at some time early in your term." "I haven't even been elected yet, and you're already talking about my impeachment," Mr. Nixon protested. "We have to prepare for every contingency," Mitchell said. "Suppose you decide to widen the war in Indochina?" "But I've promised to end the war in Vietnam and bring our boys home." "We know what you've promised, [right hand column missing complete words]
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