Seventy-Tbird Year EDITED AND MANAE TY STUDENTS OF THE UiNn-ftsrr oF' MiCHIGAN - UNDER AUTHORITY OF BOARD IN CONTROL OF STUDENT PUBLICATIONS Vhere Opinons A Are STUDENT PUBLICATIONS BLDG., ANN ARBOR, MICH., PHONE NO 2-3241 Truth Witt Prevail"' ' Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily express the individual opinions of staff writers or the editors. This must be noted in all reprints. DAY, AUGUST 7,1964 NIGHT EDITOR: JOHN BRYANT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Response to Query on COFO Beyond Frustration: Justified Violence TIHE NEWSPAPERS TALK these days of various forms of defiance of organized society, and responsible citizens condemn these forms as destructive and useless. They read of young Negro men rioting in New York cities and rising crime rates among adolescents and adults alike. The stories are replete with violence, with men striking at what to them sym- bolizes all of society. Unnecessary! Irresponsible! Intoler- able! the citizen charges. Perhaps he asks why these men cannot protest through less radical channels-such as the vari- ous political groups which apply pres- sures from within the system. In any case, he is unable to condone civil dis- obedience and civil protest. Even those who do sympathize with cv- i disobedience are often unlikely to go beyond non-violent forms, such as the sit-ins. They find the rebellious, often violent release of passions insupportable because they do not see what it accom- plishes. RADICAL perhaps will attempt to justify his violence by saying that it accomplishes social good. This might have been the case in Harlem-where Mayor Robert Wagner responded to rioting with a nine-point program for dealing with poverty. But much more often the re-. sult of violence is retrenchment of the system, if not retribution. 1M oreover, violence is almost never ac- companied by specific demands. Rather, It is random, simply a striking back at the whole social structure. Yet it is in this randomness, this re- lease of passions, that the real justifica- tion for violence lies. That justification is the fact that a man can take only so much before he .must either shrivel up or explode. This has been the theme of much of the writing of Paul Goodman and Nor- man Mailer: the assertion that condi- tions may well build frustrations to the point where a man must draw the line and reclaim his dignity-even if only tem, porarily. It is also the assertion that there is nothing to be ashamed of in the n atural human need for self-expression. SO CERTAIN MEN, certain whole classes of men, find one day that there is a very clear-cut choice before them. They can abandon their legitimate de- sires, abandon all hope of realizing the fulfillment they know ought to exist. They Editorial Staff KENNETH WINTER ....................Co-Editnr EDWARD HERSTEIN..................Co -Editor MARY LOU BUTCHER.......... Associate Editor oHARLES TOWLE ................... Sports Editor JEPPREY GOODMAN .................... Night Editor ROBERT HIPPLER.................. Night Editor LAURENCE KIRSHBAUM......... Night Editor Business Staff SYDNEY PAUKER...............Business Manager PETER DODGE.........Assistant Business Manager CY WELLMAN ...............Supplement Manager mRUTH SCHEMNITZ .............. circulation Manager The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use of all news dispatches credited to it or otherwise credited to the newspaper. All rights of re-publication of all other matters here are also reserved. The Daily is a member of the Associated Press and Collegiate Press Service. Published daily Tuesday through Saturday morning. Summer subscription rates $2 by carrier, $2.50 by mall. Second class postage paid at Ann Arbor, M'cb. FEIFFER iW~'~W~S 7~A& eRRY?J> can let conditions around them strangle their humanity. If they cannot surrender, however, if they cannot commit emotional suicide, they must unleash their despair. Most likely, their rebellion will not change the conditions which made it necessary. But the rebellion has value in itself, for it is the only thing they could have done, and it has been done. The protestors are perhaps left with guilt; certainly the return to normalcy is more depressing than ever. But beneath these feelings is a very subtle exhilara- tion, a restored sense of dignity. The spirit- is freer, and if it can still not find mod- erate alternatives to violence at least it need not tie itself in futile knots around desires which cannot be satisfied. The Harlem Negro, the criminal - these men will ultimately bring social wrath down upon themselves. They will return to a hypocritical world which claims human expression as a sacred value, but whose only opportunity for expression often is violence.,What can a man do? THOMAS JEFFERSON wrote that Amer- ica would need a revolution every 20 years. This statement has been unfulfilled in the large sense-the sense of the Rus- sian, French or American revolutions- and instead it has had to find fulfillment in smaller ways, by individuals and small groups. It is these smaller revolutions that have preserved our sanity and our dig- nity, despite the fact that they have ap- peared to destroy sanity and dignity. They have made conditions tolerable for those who could not tolerate, and they have occasionally' brought functional changes in their wake. And because they have come from all quarters-the right as well as the left-they have ensured that neither the system nor any sin- gle dissident group would rule the minds of Americans. It is difficult to justify all of these minor revolutions, for every revolution goes against someone's personal senti- ments. Yet justification is essentially a matter of hindsight, of finding a valid rationale for a past event. It should not be construed as advocacy, for while viol- ence may often be justified as the only course open to an individual, it is seldom ultimately the pest. The point is that whether or not it is the best course, it may well be valid in the particular situa- tion. Furthermore, only the individual who perceives that there is nothing left to do in his situation can excusably choose violence. The outsider must be content to judge, on the basis of that situation, violence which has occurred-but not to advocate future violence. JUSTIFICATION must therefore be af- forded to the rioter, to the criminal- to men who sensed they could stand con- ditions no longer and could do nothing but fight. The release of frustration does not recognize responsibility or irrespon- sibility. It recognizes only the crying need for doing something-where the human spirit cannot conceive, and does not have, alternatives that would leave it whole. It is not a question of whether society can afford such a release. It is a question of how society can remain human with- out it. -JEFFREY GOODMAN EDITOR'S NOTE: The following letter responds to one written by Martha MacNeal which appeared In yesterday's Daily. Miss MacNeal cit- ed a "rumor" she said she had heard from civil rights workers that the Council of Federated Organi- zations wanted Its workers to be killed In order to draw sympathet- ic publicity to its Mississippi voter- registration project. Miss MacNeal challenged Miriam Dann, who has been soliciting funds locally for COFO, to "straighten this out." To the Editor: I FIND IT disgustingly hard to answer Miss Martha MacNeal's question for two reasons: it is inane, and the answer is obvi- ous. Miss MacNeal states (or ques- tions-it is hard to tell which) that COFO wants its workers kill- ed, and that this is its official policy, and that this is why people do not support it. To clear up this fallacy imme- diately, I will state as fact that as soon as the three civil rights workers disappeared in Mississip- pi in the latter part of June, a worker called me from Mississippi and said that all further activi- ties in the most dangerous areas there would be drastically cur- tailed. It should be obvious that the type of individual who is willing to fight for the dignity of his fel- low man, who cares more about freedom and equality than movies, cars and clothes, the type ofnper- son who stops to care and do something about the sadism and torture (physical or psychologi- ca) which has become a way of life for most white Americans- it is obvious that this type of person is extremely rare. These persons are so rare that the death of one of them means a fantastic loss to the cause of human freedom in this hypocrit- ically "freedom-loving" and demo- cratic nation. * * * IN MY APPEALS for aid- money, books, clothes, a letter to one's congressman, anything-I have been met with so many ex- cuses and rationalizations that I have compiled a three-page, type- written list of Negro and white, persons' excuses for taking abso- lutely no part in fighting against the degradation of Negroes here or in other parts of the world. Miss MacNeal's is simply another excuse for not acting: "I won't help that suffering man because there is an organization which desires the death of those who try to help others." This is ob- viously ridiculous. I am disgusted by the atti- tudes, questions, and rationaliza- tions of all the "evaders of re- sponsibility" in this struggle or any other struggle for freedom and dignity of any oppressed peo- ple. Yet, in America it has histor- eal endorsement: any course in American history will readily con- vince one that we have failed to cope with every important prob- Lem facing this nation. We have not yet solved the problem of slav- ry, or the problem of the con-t trol of a corrupt power structure >ver a mass of people depriving them of decent education, due process of law, the dignity of equality in law and in fact. We have not yet solved the problem of big-business control over the minds and attitudes of the Amer- ican people so that we are com- mitted to the notions that "a man can be anything with just a little effort," and that money is the key to privilege, dignity and respect. THE LIST could go on, but I merely want to show that the reasons people give for not acting are often pure on the surface- yet never so untainted below. For instance, Miss MacNeal states that people do not sup- port COFO because it wants to kill its workers (who does she think would implement their proj- ects in such a case?). The real answer, however, is that most people simply do not care. They are used to sitting back and let- ting others fight for (or against) them. We are facing the most .serious crisis in our history: the whole mass labor force of millions of men and women is being threat-' ened with loss of their jobs through automation. Our 17th cen- tury educational system has fail- ed to educate them. What will happen to their lives? Does any- one realize what this does to a man's dignity, to his ability to face the future with hope and with practical planning? Can anyone understand a man's frustration when he finally realizes that he is unprepared for a job and that he is already in the vicious cir- cle of ever-increasing indebted- ness to the managerial class of exploiters? Can you possibly con- ceive of the attitudes of the few who want to help those who suf- fer from the wrong skin color or background? OF COURSE, Miss MacNeal, there will be martyrs in this srug- gle. But no one except prejudic- ed segregationists (and those who do nothing to stop them) want the death of men and women who are fighting to implement the ideals and principles which were supposedly granted to all citizens in 1776. You had better find a better excuse for your silence. -Miriam Dann, '64 Why? To the Editor: DAILY READERS might well be puzzled by the review of Janet O'Brien, who roundly panned the Irish Hill Players, and the rave of George White, who proposes to dedicate seven articles to the merits of this project. (More cov- erage than The Daily gives all season to the combined U Play- ers and PTP.) One notes with interest the large ads being placed with The Daily by the Irish Hill Players. It is also a matter of record that the wealthy patron who backs this project has lost nearly $90,000 to date. Is it really cricket to try to assist this latter-day Maecenas by lending the columns of The Daily to such inordinate length and giving Mr. White such an unprecedented forum? What s- pecial interest does the Irish Hills project hold for The Daily and Mr. White that it far over-shad- ows the space given to the Uni- versity's theatre activities? A lot of us are asking and a lot of us find the whole matter rather odd. So odd that you may well wish not to publish this let- ter, but you certainly ought to re- examine your policy in this case! -Jay Smith, '66 As to the conflicting opinions, I refer Mr. Smith, to the masthead of any day's Daily, which points out that all opinions on The Daily's editorial page are individual. Indi- viduals disagree.- As to the relative play given the Irish Hills vs. University events, Mr. Smith has a point. However, ,when a provocative well-written ar- ticle is made available, its subject matter is not the major criterion of publication. Would Mr. Smith prei'er that The Daily tear up SWhite'sseries in the name of an arbitrary consisteny? As to the insinuation that the t Irish Hills' ad money also bought editorial space, Mr." Smith might well note that the PTP and the University Players purchase much larger ads. The Daily's editorial and news columns are not for sale. -. W. Social Desert? To the Editor: HAVE ATTENDED summer school in a number of places both large and small from coast to coast. Some of these had a fair amount of social life, and others had little or none of this. One, namely, the University of Wisconsin, had a great deal of it including a dorm formal and a summer prom. The social centers in some of these places were quite large and rather elaborately fur- nished; others had very small and simple ones; a few had no regular social centers at all. There is one unique thing about the University of Michigan, how- ever. It is the one and only insti- tution I know of with two unions or social centers. The amusing thing to me is that there is hard- ly enough campus social life for one center-to say nothing of two! The Michigan Union closes its eating places at 8 on weekend nights but stays open until 10 other nights. It seems too bad that these facilities are denied to students just on the very nights they have the most time to en- joy them and might if they could. The Michigan League has a self- service snack bar on the lower floor, and it is open every night until midnight. However, this is unlike eating at a drug store or cafe. The snack bar is complicat- ed to operate and is often empty of certain things or out of or- der or both. The food is more expensive and of poorer quality than that of most drug stores and cafes. ** * IT IS TRUE that many students leave town on weekends, but if the University had more social affairs going on then, more peo- pie might stay around on weekends to enjoy them. I understand that the various fraternities and sorori- ties plan the bulk of the social activities during the school year, but they do not function much in the summer time. Thus other groups must do the social plan- ning then if it is to be done. "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy," is just as true in sum- mer as in winter if not'more so! -Elbert R. Ross, Spec. 0 R r,7 / 9 M f " ,.Ifr-. - -( 1 A PERSONAL COMMENTARY Name-Calling--Left and Righ By MICHAEL HARRAH AS A JOURNALIST, I have al- ways considered it presump- tuous for a member of the profes- sion to speak in th efirst person, since it amounts to setting one- self up as a sort of self-appointed oracle on matters at hand and removes the aura of critical com- ment. The writer, not the material, becomes the focus. As a result I have always at- tempted to avoid voicing any edi- torial opinion in the first person, hoping to stick to impersonal com- mentary. However, there comes a time when it is difficult to remain silent' and when it is hard to speak in abstractions against a barrage of unfounded criticism. .* * * RECENTLY, I have been the target of a volley of replies to several of my editorials. I shall not belabor the issue by naming names, for in most cases the( names are- of no importance. I shall only make this point: my liberal opponents (and it is they who have labeled me a conserva- tive; I don't claim the title) seem to have one trait in common: they resort to the use of name calling, unsupported personal attacks and obfuscation in order to refute what I have said. - Just once I would welcome a well-conceived, Impersonal rejection of what I have said, I am not the only victim. Typi- cal of the malady, I think was the recent exchange in our letters- to - the - editor column between' Prof. Ross J. Wilhelm of the busi- ness school and John Talayco of the Romance Languages depart- ment. PROF. WILHELM wrote to The Daily as follows: Now that editorial writers of The Daily such as Jeffrey Good- man, letter writers such as James McEvoy and other local, groups have proven by such logical forms of reasoning from, stereotypes, guilt by association and the principle of post hoc ergo propter hoc that the cam- paign urging the 'support of the local police is some kind of dirty, if not clearly understood plot, I am looking forward to their next episode. I am on tenterhooks to learn whether the John Birch Society ever has recommended we seek to prevent forest fires. If the Birch .Society has come out against forest fires, I am sure 'Goodman, et al will be able to prove Smokey the Bear is a dirty fascist symbol. Smokey, with his military hat, his gruff authoritative manner, his asso- ciation with the power elite and his emphasis of property values over human values obviously is defending the vested interests and probably Barry Goldwater. By the reasoning processes used on the police stickers this should be positive proff of Smokey's disaffection and that we should not attempt to prevent forest fires. Prof. Wilhelm is referring to a recent series of articles and edi- torials in The Daily, in which it was disclosed that The John Birch Society is the initial distribution agency for window stickers bear- ing the inscription: "Support Your Local Police." * * *. TALAYCO, in the next issue of the paper, apparently disagreed with Prof. Wilhelm on the issue, though it is not clear from his reply: I was very happy to read Ross Wilhelm's satire on the kind of reasoning that groups like the 1Tn.1. Rh.nh .nniatv will usein enter the fray and defend us from extremists. Now Wilhelm made this point, however satirically: Just because the John Birch Society supports a campaign to support local police, this does not make the campaign' a bad one., .* * * TALAYCO seeks to refute Wil- helm's position, but instead he only belittles Wilhelm in a snide attempt to be clever himself. He makes three points in his reply: 1) Wilhelm is a type of person (or thinker) who is of the same character as a member of the John Birch Society, 2) Wilhelm's argument is only a "smoke screen" to "becloud and confuse" the real issue, and 3) Wilhelm is not the sort of scholar worthy to 'be a part of a university community., None of these three arguments does he substantiate. Wilhelm has disagreed with the idea that the Birch Society'ssupport of the Support Your Local Police effort, necessarily makes the campaign itself undesireable. In attestation to this argument he has advanced the reasoning that if the Birch society supported a forest fire prevention campaign, this would not necessarily make that bad, either. THE FOREST FIRE simile is a good one, for it is a well-known campaign to which most Ameri- canssubscribe. Does this mean, Wilhelm i~ples, that these ,who seek to prevent forest fires would be all Birch types if the Birchers did so? Talayco, however, does not ad- dress" himself to this argument. Instead, he dismisses it briefly as a "smoke screen," a label which he does not substantiate, and then HOULDING Economy. Of Facts' I T MAY BE ...that we are in the midst, or perhaps only at the beginning, of a profound re- organization of the departmental structure of knowledge and of academic life The old departmental bounda- ries are crumbling in all directions in the physical as well as the so- cial sciences. There is something abroad which might be called an interdisciplinary movement. It is reflected at one level in the in- terest in general education. It is reflected at another level in the development of cross-disciplinary institutes, for instance, institutes of industrial relations, institutes of international relations, area studies, and so on. It may be, however, that what we are witnessing is not so much the unification of knowledge as its restructuring. This restructur- ing is being forced upon us by the very growth of knowledge it- self. Now that the transcript of science has become so large that a single individual cannot hope to encompass a hundredth part of it in the course of a lifetime, the problem of order and economy in learning . . . becomes of over- whelming importance. The academic world generally goes on the assumption that the more we know of everything the better. This at least seems to be the assumption that underlies the requirements for a PhD. The stu- dent has always known better + ,-,-r- u .. .h ... n.. - -. n +-A proceeds to belittle Wilhelm's academic status and imply that he is some sort of political anach.- ronism, neither of which he sub- stantiates. I think this is typical of the sort of ideological bickering that is arising in the name of political philosophy, and in my opinion it threatens our political system. It flies in the face of all tra- dition. Men like George Washing- ton, a Federalist, and Thomas Jefferson, a Republican, certainly had very opposite political views. But I am certain Washington would never have 1insinuated that Jefferson was some sort of intel- lectual freak or an undersireable element as Talayco has done. * * * ALL THROUGH our history, our nation's politics have been char- acterized by widely diverse views, not only from state to state, but between cities and between urban and rural areas, and always we have maintained the balance be- tween all factions by achieving a workable compromise-a solution acceptable to all. Today, we witness the all-the-' way philosophies at both ends of the political spectrum In 1952, we had the spectacle of Sen. Joseph McCarthy (R-Wis) labeling every liberal in sight a Communist. In fact there were Communists to be uncovered, but too many garden- variety liberals we wroged. Now we have politicians and ewspaper columnists denouncing conserva- tives as "fascists" and "extremists" and "fanatics." New Republic columnist Murray Kempton has evengone:so far as to call the entire Republican party "racist" without offering a shred of sub- stantiation. To these liberals, every conservative ais the same "as a liberal was to McCarthy. There is,.. no attempt to find which con- servatives are quite responsible and which are not. * * * I THINK this narrow-minded "since you don't agree with meyou are dangerous" philosophy has got to be stopped. It confounds the very principles of our nation. Lamentably, it is being furthered by these institutions which were created to defend those principles. The irresponsible name-callers are using their right to freedom of, speech as a platforur to spout the very mouthings which make that freedom undesireable. I call upon the opinion-formers -the media of mass communic- ation-to bring this to a screaming halt. This can be done very easily by clearly pointing to vicious, un- substantiated attacks whenever they occur, so that 'all are clearly informed as to their character. This and only this will call a halt to the irresponsibility which does us a real disservice. No serious nominee for the presidency should be looked on as a "fanatic" or a "racist" without substantial, un- contestable evidence. This may be Kempton's opinion, and he is cer- tainly entitled to it, but I fail to see what good is achieved by this vicious name calling. * *S * IN FACT, I would venture so far as to say that it does the nation material harm. Michigan's Gov. George Romney, at the Re- publican National Convention, spoke out against "purveyors of fear and peddlers of hate." While he was referring to extreme right- wing elements, I think his criti- cism can be well applied to such editorialists as Kempton. 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