LETTERS TO THE EDITOR lie t t ign Daily Seventy-nine years of editorial f reedom Edited and managed by students of the University of Michigan ...Sociology 603 joins the strike... 420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, Mich, News Phone: 764-0552 I Editorials printed in The Michigan Doily express the individuol opinions of stofftwriters or the editors. This must be noted in oil reprints. I FRIDAY MARCH 27, 1970 NIGHT EDITOR: ROBERT KRAFTOWITZ The Carswell nomination: One piece in Nixon's jigsaw r 1THE NOMINATION of G. Harold Cars- well for the United States Supreme Court will soon come to the floor of the U.S. Senate. There are reports that, a final vote on the nomination ;per se will be averted by voting to send the nomina- tion back to the Senate Judiciary Com- mittee. It is fairly certain that sending the nomination back to committee would effectively end Senate consideration of the presidential nominee. From the first announcement of Cars- well's nomination in January, it was clear that the nomination was no mistake. A racially biased nominee, from the South, seemed predictable. Even during his campaign, President Nixon was cri- ticized for his +soft-peddling of the race issue. Senator Edward Brooke (R-Mass.) requested that Nixon amend the racially- loaded phrase, "law and order," by using the phrase, "law and order with justice." Nixon refused, setting a precedent for the manner in which he would deal with racism in the future. President Nixon has repeatedly demonstrated that he wants to "fall back" from whatever token gains the black community has achieved. The Carswell nomination has been only one piece of the racist puzzle which has been composed by the Nixon adminis- tration. First, there was the little-known fact that the Justice Department, under the direction of John Mitchell, had not prosecuted any voting rights cases in all of 1969. At the same time, unprecedented "legal" and extra-legal repression was, being used against the Black Panther Party. In September, Nixon nominated Clement Haynsworth to the Supreme Couirt in an obvious attempt to gain Southern (better labeled "white racist") support. MORE RECENTLY, a member of the Nixon staff, Patrick Moynihan, pro- posed that the issue of racism be handled with "benign neglect." Coupled with the speeches of Vice President Agnew, Moyni- han's statements help justify the growing racist tinge which the administration's actions have acquired in the eyes of many. Most recently, the President has sub- mitted a wide-ranging policy statement relating to school desegregation. In it, he essentially proposed that the government "back off" on desegregation (as if the administration had previously been push- ing) and concentrate more of its efforts and resources on uplifting the already- existing school systems, in both the North and South. Further, after rejecting the budget proposals for the Department of Health, Education and Welfare as being infla- tionary, the President proposes to spend $1.5 billion for "compensatory" and in- terracial "efforts" in schools. Thus, Presi- dent Nixon is willing to allocate and shift resources to enforce a policy of de facto segregation; whereas he demands cuts in the budget of the more liberal Department of Health, Education, and' Welfare. THE CARSWELL nomination must be seen in the context of all of the above. Basically, Harold Carswell is the kind of judge whom the President would want to promote. There have been well-docu- mented charges that he has repeatedly demonstrated a racial bias in the past. Also, Carswell is charged with being a male chauvinist, because of his recent court decisions attacking women's work- ing rights. And finally, Carswell is hardly a stand- out in his field. Senator Birch Bayh, Democrat of Indiana, has stated it well: "In Judge Carswell ... the President has, unfortunately, confronted the S e n a t e with a nominee who is incredibly indis- tinguished as an attorney and as a jurist." ON APRIL 6 the United States Senate will consider the motion to return his nomination to committee. If the nomi- nation is not returned to committee at that time, then the Senate will consider the nomination itself on April 8. A de- feat of Carswell's nomination would be another bitof resistance to the prevail- ing air of racial bias and political re- pression. Regardless of whether the Sen- ate simply returns the nomination to the Judiciary Committee or defeats it on the Senate floor the nomination must be stopped. --BRIAN SPEARS To the Editor: SOCIOLOGY 603, "Theory and Research in Race Relations." has formally been cancelled for the duration of the non-violent strike in support of the BAM demands for a commitment of sufficient University resources for the at- tainment of 10 per cent black en- rollment by 1973-74. We feel that in order to facili- tate the increase in black enroll- ment, we, as students and faculty, should be prepared to make per- sonal sacrifices, such as tuition in- creases and salary cutbacks. --Richard Ballon -Bill Lacy -Jan Emmert -Phyllis Elkind -Doug Cornell --Howard Schurman -Michael Johnson -Judy Cohen --Ed Walsh March 26 Newman To the Editor: WE, THE UNDERSIGNED mem- bers of the Newman Student As- sociation Steering Committee, wish to both personally and on behalf of our organization express our support for the present demands of the Black Action* Movement on this campus. Although some of us question the tactic of a strike as the most effective means for communicating the point, we feel that there are two major issues at stake on which we cannot con- scienciously keep silent. These two are (1) the issue of racial justice and , equality of opportunity for education and (2) decision-mak- ing policies employed by this Uni- versity. With regard to the first of these issues, we feel that the Regents have made some positive step in establishing a goal of 10 per cent black enrollment at the University by 1973. Their good intent in this cannot be denied. We do feel, how- ever, that what they have done is not enough. The positive action in terms of reordering priorities to come up with the resources, financial and otherwise, to meet this goal is what the Regents have so far failed to take. The resources are at our disposal if only we are willing to make a small sacrifice in a less important program with- in the University to give this issue . the priority it warrants The second issue here is la more complex one than that of simply rearranging priorities. It is one that will take, on the part of the Regents, Administration, a n d many others, a totally neW men- tality toward their own roles with- in the University. This is, indeed, the issue that has recurred in most of the major problems this University has faced in recent months, the bookstore controversy, ROTC, war research, etc. Today's students are not willing to have their decisions made for them by outsiders without having a voice in making those decisions. And they should not be .expected to. Members of BAM have spent countless hours reviewing the pos- sible alternatives for action that the Regents might take in their case. They have made concrete proposals that warrant consider- ation. In saying that he will "not accede to demands from any group," a Regent is failing to, do his duty as aRegent. First of all he is elected to rep- resent the people and shouid listen to their communications, and sec- ondly he is failing to inform him- self of the needs of the education- al community. How many days has Regent Huebner or Regent Smith spent on this campus within the past semester? How much have they read about the issues in edu- cation today, and what are the sources'from which they are read- ing? Indeed, what are their cri- teria for {Waking decisions con- cerning the administration of "the University? If they do not listen to the persons directly involved, how can they make any kind of an intelligent decision? It is the duty of the Regent to be informed of issues at the University and to know both sides of the issues be- fore he can make ar decision WE WOULD LIKE, then, to make known the fact that we do see two important moral issues at stake here and feel that action must be taken immediately to al- leviate the problems. The Regents must learn to make intelligent decisionsabased on communica- tions from students, and in the particular case at hand they must act to meet a certain rightful de- mand that the students have pre- sented. -Edward C. Swart -John A. Vanni -Judy Vetsch -Chuck Wollenweber -Sister Connie Smedinghoff --Mrs. Patricia L. Nischan -Elaine Dziobak -George J. Coakley -Elizabeth Snider -Debby Balk March 24 African students To the Editor: ON BEHALF of the African stu- dents in the University, I wish at this time to render our unreserved endorsement of the demands made to the University authorities by the Black Action Movement for educational reforms. The African Students Associ- ation bases their support on) the following grounds: 1. Black Americans have for too long been barred from full and fair participation in American prosperity, largely by barring them from the educational opportuni- ties upon which so much else hinges. 2. Promises to black Americans for equality have too often been neglected and very often these promises have remained unful- filled. 3. The University, in concert with various governmental units and private organisations, has for too long been more generous fi- nancially and numerically to stu- dents from foreign nations than to the indigenous black citizens of this state and this nation. x 4. BLACK AFRICAN students are far too often used as a safe means of balancing the racial ratio while the black Americans are deliberately, casually and com- fortably kept at bay. We consider this unjustifiable escapism not on-_ ly for the University but for the U.S. Government. 5. The African students are con- vinced that far too few black Americans actually benefit from the numerous "Programmes" set up to assist in the reparation of the enormous injustices which have been perpetrated upon Amer- ica's black people who have work- ed for so long and for so little to bring this nation to its present status. Far too often these projects benefit only a few opportunistic administrators who may not even be black. 6. The present black demands are fair and deserving of imme- diate acceptance and execution by the University. The alternative is but to perpetuate inequity and to impede the progress of the black American. The African Students Associ- ation would like to enjoin the Uni- versity authorities to use reason in considering the Black Action Movement demands to prevent un- reasonable insistence on the part of the black Americans. -Adams D. H. Koroma March 30 Dorm To the Editor: EARLY THURSDAY morning Chicago House of West Quad pass- ed the following resolution by a' vote of 57 to 11: We of Chicago House support the BAM demands and the strike. t-Chicago House Residents March 26 To the Editor: WE, THE UNDERSIGNED, did not support the resolution Chicago House passed early Thursday morning. We do believe the BAM demands are reasonable, and therefore support them. We do not' support the strike because we feel that it is not now' the best tactical means for achieving the desirable demand of 10 per cent black ad- missions by the academic year 1973-74. We urge President Fleming and the Regents to meet immediately with representatives of the black faculty and students to discuss rationally the demands and their budgetary ramifications. Because we do support the demands, we also support a commitment to re- order budgetary priorities within the University to meet those de- mands. -Steven R. Cox -Tom De Vroskin -Michael Dixon March 26- Conrection To the Erlitor: IN SATURDAY'S DAILY Rob Bair wrote. "Architecture Prof: Joseph Wehrer says that many, instructors believe that no matter how much money is provided, the black students with the ability to "make it are just not out there" While I made such a statement in 'referring to some specific fac- ulty response it should be clear that this is nottmy personal view. I feel, and so stated, that there are ample qualified blacks. While some progress is being made many of our admissions standards anti curriculum requirements, ostensi- bly directed toward academic ex- cellence, are designed to limit en- rollment to a discrete slice of our white middle class and in it's suc- cess, decreases the value and rele- vance of a U. of M. education for a rapidly changing society. --J. J. Wehrer Professor of Architecture March 25 Opposed To the Editor: CONTRARY to the implications of the media, there are a few of us at this University who do not support the demands of the Black Action Movement. We are among the many here who are concerned about the shortcomings of society, but who have never really done anything about them. We strongly believe in the principle of racial equality in this country, especially in edu- cation. and we therefore also be- lieve that the population of the University should reflect the pop- ulation of the state of Michigan. To this end, we support the aims of BAM for recruiting qualified Black students from various high sshools. However, we disagree just as strongly with most of the other demands made by BAM. This organization is attempting to gain Black equality on campus by forcing the Regents to impose a quota on the number of students of different races admitted. They justify this by charging the Uni- versity with racism, because its admission standards are set by high school grade averages and, especially, SAT scores. The SAT, says BAM, is a test based on white standards, and is therefore unfair to Black students. But isn't it true that the abilities to understand the English language and mathe- matics have nothing to do with one's race? THE REAL PROBLEM, we be- lieve, is the low quality of the public schools in most Black urban areas. These schools do not offer the kind of education that exists in the white suburbs. As a result, the student attending one of these schools does not gain enough knowledge to do a decent job on' the SAT. It is in the city schools, then, that the real racismn exists. So why is BAM dealing with the symptoms instead of the cause? Perhaps because it is far easier to organize a few hundred students to skip classes and carry signs that it would be to educate people to the problems existing in our cities' schools, and to go and do some- thing about them. The Black stu- dents who attended ghetto schools must know better than any white suburbanite just what was wrong with their education. At the same time, those students were deter- mined enough to enter this Uni- versity. It is the responsibility of these students to inform the University community of the inadequacies of ghetto schools, so that some con- structive work can be started. On- ly by dealing with the root causes of educational inequality can BAM hope to eliminate it from this Uni- versity. -David Bloch, '73 Engin. -Arman Dolikian, '73 Engin. --Bernard Nowackt, '73 LSA March 24 4+ Rad Colletge To the Editor: RADICAL COLLEGE urges the students and faculty in all schools and departments to meet at once to assess on their own salaries and on the general departmental budgets a graduated tax to provide funds for meeting the University's 10 per cent comrniltment to Black student enrollment. --Radical College (unanimously) March 25 SEI To the Editor: THE BLACK FACULTY and staff of the School of Education have voted to strike until the Uni- versity has adequately and appro- priately responded to the BAM demands. The majority of the Ed. School teaching fellows have decided not to holdclasses until the BAM de- mands are satisfactorily resolved. The , Governing Faculty of the Sclool of Education has voted to support the BAM goals and to ask the Central Administration to re- consider its position on them, The Dean and the Governing Faculty had decided, in Nov. 1969, to sup- port the Black Caucus demands (which in many cases were stronger than the BAM demands). The Executive Committee of SEI has unanimously voted to strike the School of Education until the BAM demands are met!!! WE ARE ASKING our fellow students to support the strike and not to cross the picket lines. Fur- thermore, we are calling on all ed. school faculty -to capcel their classes until the BAM demands are met. -SEI Executive Committee March 25 I. ,, More letters: Business Ad profs oppose the strike;, but... To the Editor: WE DO NOT approve of the Strike. However, we are in sym- pathy with the need to increase Black enrollment. We suggest an alternative. The University community num- bers at least 40,000. If we could get an average. contribution of just over $10 per person per year, that would add up to $1,500,000 in three years. Not all might wish to con- tribute, but those that do should be able to meet that kind of a tar- get, and perhaps much more. There might even be support in the Ann Arbor community for this. Contributions could be made tax deductible. We believe such an action would convince the Regents that there is sincere and widespread support for increased Black admissions. It would provide a significant part of the necessary funds. It is not a complete answer, but we believe it is a meaningful step that could unite many who have conflicting views on the Strike. THOSE WHO are not teaching clases expect to receive their sala- ry for the days missed, we pre- sume. Perhaps they could contrib- ute more significantly by meeting their clases and giving their salary for those days to the Black admis- sions fund. As faculty members we would be glad to make that kind of contribution over a three year period to get things started, We believe the Regents would respond appropriately. We feel it is appropriate that the costs of moral gestures be born by those who make them. -Vern Terpstra -Rex V.Brown -David J. Brophy _-Sidney C. Sufri panting to know, revolts, we dole them gingerly enough knowledge to pacify them temporarily. If, as in the Great War, we discover soldiers too ignorant to use o u r machines of murder and destruc- tion, we train them - to use ma- chines of murder and destruction. If mounting wealth calls for in- telligent workmen,, we rush tu- multuously to train workers - in order to increase our wealth. But of great, broad plans to train all men for all things - to make a universe intelligent, busy, good, creative and beautiful - where in this wide world is such an educa- tional program? To announce it is to invite gasps or Brobdingnag- ian laughter. It cannot be done. It costtoo much." (W. E. DuBois, a1920). tical science department to collect voluntary contributions from stu- dents and faculty members to help support increased black enroll- ment in the University as a whole. We propose the establishment of a Martin Luther King Scholar- ship in political science for black students at the undergraduate lev- el, supported by teaching and re- search funds and voluntary con- tributions. We applaud the non-violence of BAM in seeking support for their demands. i. We regret the inference com- monly made that the faculty ad- vertisement in last Sunday's Daily (March 22); referred to BAM. Approved by the Executive Com- mittee of the Political Science De- partment. Approved by the Executive Committee of the Political Science Department. Gary Harris Lorra Rudman Lawrence Dworkin Howard Backer Alan Ross Jeff Levin Chip Downs Kathy Fotopoulos Lynne Ojalvo Nancy Morrison Bernard Hirschbein Lauri Ellias Louise Goldstein Robert Dziolo David Saffer Richard Rosen D. Michael Kane Mark Peters Richard Wehren- berg Rachelle Zalman Jennie Borgerhoff Jonathan Barney March 25 Marty McLaughlin Jo Novoson Kelly Cannon Alan Kaufman Beth Shields Carol David Anne Stine Jim Lanrz Marie Wacht David Federman Alan Singer Amy Horowitz Shari Reisin Judy Kahn Doug E. David Bernstein Randy Reiter Shell Kovin Larry Rodkind Craig Harris Martha Salyers Joel Block Ben Robinson Samuel J. Elders- velt, Chairman James Eisenstein William Zimmer- man John W. Kingdon Alfred G. Meyer Archie Singham J. 'D. Singer Herbert Weisberg Warren J. Anton A. F. K. Organski Edward Levine Dan Levine Bruce D. Bowen Kenneth P. Lang- ton Robert A." Schoenberger Ray Tanter Jack Walker Lutz Erbring Allen S. Whiting Rand Smith George Breslauer John Muenzer Andrew Zagrzejewski Farhad Kazemi Thad Brown Rick Piltz James Ward R-nh-rt Anrt Jim Fay Suzanne Hart Alan C. Lamborn Neil Richardson George Ingram Carl Shaner Lynn Ferrara- Ton Sanders David Liden Robert Zimmer- man Herb Asher Bruce Cammeron Jon Pammett Terrance E. Dwyer Frank J. Richter Henry Heitowit Richard Vidmer Lewis Snider Jean Walker W. Ross Brener Send Hoosenally Saul Barry Wax Greg Protasel Ronald Monta- perto, Bruce Nussbaum Mary Carroll Gerald Cole Cha'les Ellison Yoshio Hida Alndrew T. Cowart Classics To the Editor: THE REGENTS. in constructive .interaction with the Administra- tion and the black students, have set as a firm goal for the Univer- sity a ten percent black enroll-. ment by 1973/1974. We, members of the Department of Classical Studies, believe the Administra- 'tion, Faculty, and Students toge- ther must now commit them- selves, without cavil or recrimina- tion, to the orderly attainment of the Regents' goal. We believe new entrance re- quirements should be framed and programs created so that any new student admitted has a reason- able chance to graduate in his chosen curriculum; further, we are confident that the University, through adequate financing and supportive services, can and will achieve this just and histdric goal in the time allotted WE FURTHER recognize that in three years this University w ill have to accommodate itself to the necessities of a multi-racial com- munity; we therefore urge t h e faculty and students of LSA, draw- ing on the experience of other qni- versities, to begin devising appro- priate structures to effect this transition without violence and without disruption We do not see how hostile responses to the Re- gents' action can aid in imple- menting their goal. T. V..Buttrey Elizabeth R, It. D. Cameron . Leonard Frank o. Copley R. A.Pack J. H. D'Arms Andrew Ramage Gerald F. Else G. Seligson Bruce W. Frier Waldo E. Sweet Glenn M. Knudsvig March 26 American culture ,r., +h , n . place greater importance on sup- portive services for black admis- sions rather than such frivolities as construction of a new I-M building and the upkeep of Uni- versity parks and a faculty golf- course, Radwick Farms. WE ARE in complete support of BAM demands. We urge you to call another Regents' meeting to comply immediately with those demands and end the strike. - Douglas Smith, '71 -Leatrice Hauptmlan, '70 -Helene Lippincott, '70 and students from the American Culture Program March 26, Alienated To the Editor: WE ARE SITTING in the rem- nants of a Chem 106 lecture. We say remnants because over 50 BAM members just marched through the lecture destroying bottles of chemicals, a movie screen, and a glass case. They turned out t h e lights, scribbled on the blackboard, and completely disrupted our class. Why should they expect us to stand for such actions? We hereby withdraw any support or sym- pathy we once had for the BAM strike. been a disgrace for decades. This is in no sense to deny the useful- ness of sports, even perhaps -as part of an educational program, but it is impossible to justify the huge sums spent on stadia, re- cruiting, over-paid coaches, equip- ment, team travel, support of pro- fessional players, and juvenile hoopla when sports facilities for the great mass of students, staff, and faculty remain pitifully inade- quate. No doubt all this is part of the sickness of American cul- ture, but it is depressing to find it so enshrined in universities. IT IS HARD to understand why BAM, and others, have not long since pointed to the professional sports drain as the most obvious single source of funds so 'desper- ately needed, to finance an appro- priate university effort to enroll black students. Once here they, -like others, will want adequate sports facilities now denied be- cause funds are so largely restrict- ed to commercial circuses. Sure- ly it is past time for the university to reorder its priorities on t 1}'i s shriekingly obvious matter. -Rhoads Murphey, Director Center for Chinese Studies March 21 That ad To the Editor: ON MARCH 22 a full page ad- vertisement, in which over 500 members of the University of Michigan Faculty endorsed four principles condemning violence and disruption on the U. of M. campus, appeared in the Michi- gan Daily and in the Ann Arbor News. Few, i any, on the Faculty ad- vocate or condone the use of vio- lence. Indeed, we are equally dis- re-examination of the underlying causes of unrest in the University. This statement is being readied for publication as an advertise- ment in the Michigan Daily with- in the next five or six days. The spectrum of issues that are generating the rising tide of seeth- ing dissent, can neither be resolved by sheer violence, nor disposed of by its mere condemnation. T h e need and opportunity for the exer- cise of reason appear to have con- verged; as' responsible faculty members we would be remiss in our obligation if we ignored either. The original advertisement that appeared and the one that is be- ing readied were started prior to and independent of the BAM ac- tions. -Prof. Sylvan Kornblim Medical School March 23 Strike To the Editor. LAST FRIDAY I struck my economics class and joined the picket line outside the Economics Bldg. The student response was very poor on that day; almost all the people we talked to went to class. Over the weekend I decided that the strike was doomed to failure because it had not been planned far enough in advance to make it a real majority action. I believed that a strike was justified but felt that tactically some other action would be more appropriate. I realized this week that being against the strike means that you are not on the side of BAM and its supporters. Whether people agree with the strike as a tactic or not and whether or not they believe that it. will succeed are now ir- rilevnt .Inactinn will be inter- 4 Tom DeWoskin 'I3 Lawrence La Fontaine Martin Bell Jahn Cunningham Mark Goldberg Brenda Sanford W. P. Sharp Cynthia Churchill Tom Swenson R. G. Sitrin A. W. Gillette March 25 Poli Sci To the Editor: THE FOLLOWING political sci- nce faculty and students agree to these seven points: We support the basic demands of the Black Action Movement. ixm ..aath a- ' n a nr-.. Athletics? To the Editor: IT WAS ENCOURAGING to see the first timid effort in Thursday's Daily to identify perhaps the fat-