--steve anizalone --in quiet desperation T4L Sitr4gan Dail Seventy-eight years of editoral freedom Edited and managed by students of the University of Michigan Tripping with Senator Huber 420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, Mich. News Phone: 764-0552 Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily express the individual opinions of staff writers or the editors. This must be noted in all reprints. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1969 NIGHT EDITOR: JUDY SARASOHN Polities and platitudes. Fleming speaks tonight TONIGHT BEGINS the latest in a long series of anti-war teach-ins at the University; we're against the war, so we urge students to attend. Now, having disposed of that obliga- tion, let's take a closer look at the poli- ties of this teach-in. The title is mislead- ingly militant: "Time's Up!" We can get a better idea of the affair's intended tone from its speakers list: leading the band will be Robben Fleming. It shouldn't be difficult to guess at the content of his speech. He will tell us that it has been a bloody war, a sad war, a costly war, and a long war - and that it ought to have the good manners to end in the reasonably near future. He will also remind us that he (for one) has resolutely (if quietly) opposed this war from its very beginning (almost). And, allowing for a rhetorical flour- ish here and there, that's about as deep as he'll go. Because to examine this war any further - its roots, its cultivators, its fruit - requires a candid discussion of the crisis of urbane liberalism in the twentieth century. To get past the cro- codile tears and deal with the politics of the war means examining those sectors whose interests such wars serve. THIS, IN TURN, entails a critical analy- sis of the frankly predatory nature of the American society - of American capitalism - and of its structure, needs, and dynamics. It would focus on the stratified, hierarchical nature of that so- ciety and the way in which the oppres- sion of blacks, students, workers (blue and white collar) and others here at home. The next step is the scrutinizing of those, institutions which facilitate, per- petuate, and justify all this - including the media, the crurches, the universities. Since the teach-in is taking place at a university, it shouldn't be too much to expect Fleming to talk about its role in the U.S. Establishment. But he won't do it. Because that would involve a forth- right discussion of war research and ROTC. But, even further than that, Fleming would have to deal with the fact that it is here where "socialscience" and capi- talism's patron theology are married, where the raw materials (the students) are channeled into the vacant slots in a pre-existing structure. Here obedience patterns are reinforced. Here imperial geopolitics are taught. Here the inevit- ability of oligarchy (on the one hand) and mass passivity (on the other) is in- toned. And here the Robben Flemings de- vote themselves to defusing any attempt to upset this rotten applecart. To do this, the Flemings marshall the most demagogic and manipulative rhe- toric and tactics at hand. Thus Robben: "If ROTC is the target today because of opposition to the war, why cannot a chemistry class be the target tomorrow because someone may learn something about chemical warfare. . . . Or a- class in Greek because someone does not like the Greek government." To keep things calm, Fleming will say and do anything (no matter how o u t- rageous or two-faced). The criterion is not honesty or candor; it is effectiveness. He is no scholar, he is a hack. He is the bureaucrat whose job is to keep the sys- tem safe and happy, to disorient and un- dercut any movement' which threatens that safety or happiness. BECAUSE the demands of the American Establishment are everywhere sover- eign, we should not be surprised to find the Establishment's watchdogs - the Ad- ministration - sovereign in the Univer- sity. Neither students nor faculty are per- mitted the last word on any matter fun- damentally affecting t h a t Administra- tion or that Establishment. Within those bounds, the faculty has power over the students - both becfiuse the former is the "safer" from a political point of view and because the hierarchical principle itself is sacred in a hierachical society and in the institutions which sup- ply its personnel. Keeping students subservient to fac- ulty, keeping both subordinate to the bu- reaucracy and the system It serves - this is what Fleming likes to call "finding an accommodation among these various interests." That is his job; that's what he's paid for. TONIGHT Fleming will be on the job. He will engage in moralisms, he will evade analysis. He will come out four- square for peace and justice; he'll stand firm against death and destruction. He will likely suggest we write letters to Con- gress, march peacefully for peace, guard jealously our admirable social conscience. He is paid to say all of this; we are fools if we accept it, -BRUCE LEVINE EVEN IN THE depths of my soul's most depraved moments, I was incapable of realizing the complete significance of the notorious demon of the state senate, Robert Huber. Sure, one can watch Huber on television denouncing obscenity on college campuses, or one can read in the newspapers the frightening details about Huber's commit- tee on campus "disorders," but at best this only gives the limited picture of another reactionary legislator. It is realy necessary to sit in the same room with Huber-to hear the man rant and scream, to be struck by the electro- motive waves of his fanaticism-if one is to experience the awful totality of Robert Huber. To blow one's mind with a Huber Experience is like embarking on a psy- chedelic trip where coming down is better than going up. I TOOK A trip on Huberism last week. I'm still coming down. And while the com- ing down is market with a sense of depres- sion-almost to the point of nausea, I still think that the terror of the demonic hal- lucinations should not have prevented me from having a frightening Huber Ex- perience. Daily editor Henry Grix and I went to Lansing last week to take part in a panel discussion on MSU's educational television, WMSB. The panel included three college editors and three representatives of the Legislature. Joining Huber were Rep. Jim Brown, the man who tried last year to re- place the editors of the State News with more "responsible" ones, and Terry Black from the House Speaker's office. An editor of the State News completed the panel. The discussion was to revolve around the function of the students newspaper. The format was quite intelligent and would deal specifically with the role of the student paper in campus politics. Unfortunately, the program soon got bogged down in Huber's demagogury. EVEN BEFORE the show started, Huber was complaining about the expenditure of his time for something he did not think was important. The moderator reminded Huber that what he had to say is just as important on educational television as it is on one of the large networks. But Huber squirmed impatiently, aware of the meager political mileage in educational television. When the teleprompter failed to func- tion correctly, Huber blasted out at the stupidity of the technicians in the studio. His lack of civil behavior was only begin- ning to show itself. After an initial attempt at rational dis- cussion, Huber's constipated fury broke loose. In strident tones that he was to use all night, he quickly took control. He lashed out against the college press and said that no college editor should be allowed to print any word that comes into his "little mind." He reminded us that the Michigan constitution stipulates that all power is invested in The People. Right on, Senator. Claiming that The People were upset with the obscenity in school papers, he said they would no longer stand for it. The squat "champion of the people" then asserted that the problem was only with the college press; no "adult" publication needed to use them. I pointed out that I had seen those nasty, unprintable words in such publications as The Atlantic and Harper's. Huber told me that I had not seen these words in those magazines, be- cause he reads them and has never seen such words. It's hard to argue with logic like that. THE HUMILIATING aspect of the whole evening was that I had believed that the force of logic would enable us to put Huber against the wall. But we could not break through Huber's continuous stream of bom- bast. He literally took control and dragged the "discussion" down to his level. It is impossible to beat Huber on his own per- verted level. While we sat shaking our heads in dis- belief, Huber switched the program over to an editorial that Grix and I had written denouncing his "investigation" committee. He screamed that the editorial was a com- plete package of lies. Huber specifically made note of the falsehood that he was "anti-intellectual." Huber said that this was not true, since in fact he attended Yale University. The moderator then asked Huber to enumerate a few more lies in the editorial. Huber said that he could go through word for word and point out falsehood but that it would take up too much time. However, the senator did point out that we were wrong in asserting that he was using the investigation to make political hay. He maintained that he was elected chairman of the committee over his ob- jections and had no other choice than to serve. Grix pointed out that we did not want to see him serve as chairman either. It was the only point of agreement all evening. WHEN TIME RAN OUT, we found that only Huber had been able to express him- self. I knew that anything I could have said would have made no effect on his ,thinking, but I did hope that at least I would have had the chance to insult him. The only worthwhile comment that I made was after the program. Like every legis- lator, Huber invited us to visit him in his office sometime. I responded that if he sent me a subpoena, I probably would. Huber then launched into some nonsense about how he didn't need the power of subpoena, and soon he was on his way on his way to Detroit. He has probably al- ready forgotten about his little perform- ance, but I haven't. As educational as the trip was, I don't think narcotics like Huber should be legal- ized. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Mayor Harris speaks in his own- defense The police and the people To the Editor: MR. NISSEN'S September 18 article contains a number of fac- tual inaccuracies and is so per- sonal an attack on me that I feel obliged to make a reply. His first criticism is of the state- ment I i s s u e d at 3:00 a.m. on Wednesday. J u n e 18. after the first night of rioting on 5 o u t h University. I had been at a meet- ing of the National League of Cit- ies and had flown in at ten p.m. The statement was based on such information as I then had avail- able. I confined my praise to the Ann Arbor Police Department. My omission of any reference to other departments was deliberate and was noted, with resentment, by the Sheriff. While I have subse- quently received two complaints about the conduct of the Ann Ar- bor Police Department that night, and while I have heard rumors, but received no complaints, con- cerning an Ann Arbor Police "charge" through the Engineering Arch, it remains my position that my comments on the Ann Arbor Police were substantially correct. They certainly were in good faith. IN MY OPEN letter to students. my reference to non-students was directed to the reports I had then, and reports I have received since, to the effect that the vast bulk of rock-throwing was by people too young to be college students and that persons old enough to be col- lege students were bystanders, not participants. I was not attempt- ing to incite hostility towards street people. I was attempting to make the point that the mass of students had not been drawn into the fray. I did and do consider It vital to k e e pa state of affairs from developing in which the enormous college student popula- tion is alienated from the police to the extent that they will act violently towards the police. To the best of my knowledge, and I have searched memory care- fully, I have never said or written anything about an "unwashed, non-student minority." I consider s u c h a phrase quite obnoxious. This is a canard that has appear- ed in letters to The Daily before. I do not know its source. I DENY THE charge of duplic- ity as regards the Tenant's Union. In the meeting to which Mr. Nis- sen refers a n d at larger public meetings I have taken the posi- tion, as candidate and Mayor, that as Mayor and hence as candi- date) I should be and am "neu- tral" as regards the struggle be- tween the Tenant's Union and the landlords, I have made no bones of the fact that before I was a candidate I worked on behalf of other rent strikes and probably would have supported t h i s one were I a private citizen. I think a Mayor has an obligation of neu- trality in such struggles and a pri- vate citizen h a s no comparable obligation since the private citi- zen is not called upon to protect the interests of third persons caught in the struggle nor is the private citizen in the position of potential mediator of t: struggle. (I have tried to mediate this con- troversy on two occasions, with- out success.' I have tried to pursue many of the goals of the rent strikers - I said and still say that to sub- ject the police, but no other city employes, to new review proce- dures is unfair. The new proced- ures, which the Ad Hoc Police- Community Relations Committee has been asked to define and rec- ommend to City Council very shortly, should embrace all city employes and not just police. As regards police harassment of the black community, note should be taken of the Ad Hoc Police Community Relations Committee which I appointed and which has just brought in its first report, much of which is directed to pre- cisely this problem. IT HAS BEEN, and remains, my opinion that broad community support for such reforms is need- ed if they are to become a perm- anent part of Ann Arbor govern- ment. I thought, and think. that the chances of mustering s u c h broad support is enhanced if the proposals are shaped by and rec- . City Administrator, City Attorney, and Human Relations Director. AS TO THOSE aspects of the incident which represent b a d judgment, not illegality, I have asked 'the Ad Hoc Police Com- munity Relations Committee to review the incident and m a k e recommendations for the future. The group that was created to investigate complaints arising out of the June riots has been active if "out of sight." That group con- sists of the City Attorney and two investigators. one from the Police Department and one from the Hu- man Relations Committee. There will be a report from the City At- torney to Council soon concerning their work. MR. NISSEN is concerned about "rumors . . . on discrimination in city hiring practices." Going well beyond response to complaints of discrimination. Council is moving on an Affirmative Action Program THE USE OF political repression is theoretically considered alien to a. society which claims to be democratic. But when this repression is committed in the name of law and order, it takes on a holier form, allowing the populace to righteously condone it and dismiss it. In such an atmosphere, the evolution of police autonomy has naturally evolved. And with this automony, they have as- sumed virtually unlimited freedom in the exercise of their authority as the arm of The Law. Here in Ann Arbor, as in other col- lege towns, this situation is especially blatant, and has created a high degree of hostility between the police and the mi- nority segments of the community. A QUICK GLANCE at the past summer brings this out poignantly: --Ray Chauncey, a staff member of the Human Relations Commission, was arrested last May while investigating al- leged racial discrimination at a local bar. Chauncey said that while he was at the police station he was struck twice in the face by the arresting officer, Patrolman Wade Wagner. When these charges were confirmed by the city attorney and the city admin- istrator, Wagner resigned, only to be im- mediately hired by Sheriff Harvey. -Last July, police converged on the Whistle Stop restaurant and ordered the owner to remove a table and chairs from the sidewalk outside the restaurant. The attitude and the actions of the police toward blacks and students. That this has been allowed to con- tinue for so long is a severe indictment of the administrations which have govern- ed Ann Arbor. For the responsibility to institute con- trols on the growing power of the police lies squarely on the shoulders of the civilian administration. The people by themselves --are powerless. IN APPARENT recognition of this fact, Mayor, Harris persuaded the City Council to authorize a committee study of police-community relations, with a view toward alleviating the tensions which now exist. The committee presented their initial recommendations to City Council Mon- day. They will be considered at a public hearing next Wednesday. It is commendable that the commit- tee's general conclusions - as outlined in their interim report - recommend that the initiative for easing the hostility come from the police - who are largely responsible for that hostility. However, the specific recommenda- tions - while fine in principle - are too piecemeal to have a significant effect on the present situation. It is vital that the city take several larger steps to normalize the relationship between the police and the community. T HE HRC and Whistle Stop incidents this summer pointed out the need for the position that the concerts could continue, despite the White Panther propaganda that accom- panies them, subject only to reas- onable regulations to prevent ille- gal activities or unreasonably loud noise. This, too, was done in the face of a recall drive seeking to make these concerts, and the participation of Panthers in them, a major issue. This vote, like the pornography ordinance vote, rep- resented principle, not expediency. I SHALL NOT DWELL on the non-crisis accomplishments of the Democratic majority, but will mention that we have fulfilled our pledges to establish half-hour bus service, to push for passage of a tax reform package of income tax anc. property tax cut. to get the public housing program moving, and to retain control of the Model Cities program in the hands of those local residents to whom it originally was entrusted. O4r ap- pointments. including the ap-