On dissent and your local college daily
Tur Airrigan Da'tt
Seventy-eigh t yeairs of ed itorld freed oii
Edited and managed by students of the University of Michigan
420 Maynard St, Ann Arbor, Mich,
News Phone: 764-0552
Editorials printed in The Michigan Doily express the individual opinions of staff writers
or the editors. This must be noted in all reprints.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1969 .
NIGHT EDITOR: MARTIN A. HIRSCHMAN
The Concerned Citizens
as pornography, peddlers
By HENRY GRIX
Editor
T 'HE FREE press has never had, nor
really wanted, many apologists. From
the lofty heights of newspaper columns,
journalists and reporters have delighted in
expounding their views to a chagrinned
and grinning audience.
That is undoubtedly why the arrogant
free press has an many enemies as it has
friends-the enemies being the butts, the
friends being the beneficiaries of journal-
istic blasts. Down deep, no one really likes
a publication which criticizes freely, but
doesn't have to take any guff in return.
The impression becomes that the free
press--and especially the student press--
can print anything it pleases. Paraphrased
from the words of Michigan's venerable
Sen. Robert Huber, this reads: "You
guys up there think you can print anything
your hearts please."
AND WE CAN. Like any professional
newspaper, The Daily is operated by its
editors. They-and they alone-determine
what the editorial content of the paper
should be. According to a plan passed by
the University's Regents last January,
the senior editors are responsible for the
content of the paper and are subject to
the control of a Board for Student Publi-
cations only in contractual and business
affairs. Of course, the editors would be
foolish to ignore the advice of this board
of faculty, students and professional jour-
nalists.
It must be made clear, however, that the
free press--even The Michigan Daily-
realizes the obligations which go with the
freedom to publish. This is particularly
important in the case of The Daily, which
has, by default, a monopoly on the daily
newspaper business on campus. In eight
to 12 pages, we are obliged daily to de-
liver all that we deem important.
The concept of freedom of the press,
however, entails the responsibility to play
fair, and to be honest at all times. This
is not the same thing as saying t h at
Michigan Daily reporters must be boy
scouts; but they must be scrupulous, re-
spect their news sources, get as much
information as they can and report it
as accurately as they know how. Al-
though boy scouts could probably do the
latter with more elan than our reporters
sometimes display, we try harder.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE don't always
succeed. A little over six months ago, the
Black Students' Union charged that The
Daily was not an open newspaper, that it
made no attempt to accurately or ade-
quately cover the news and fulfill i t s
obligation to the community.
The Daily, of course, denied the charges.
The problem was that the BSU had a
point and that the issue they raiged with
regard to openness and this student press
should have been paid more attention.
Indeed, several student groups took the
BSU's cue and voiced their anger with the
editors and sympathy for the causes of
students and student groups verbally
harassed or totally ignored by The Daily.
These groups were-by and large--not
the militant headline-grabbing organiza-
tions who generally tend to bend The
Daily's ear. It became clear that although
these groups were diverse, they shared
alienation from The Daily. Our com-
munications network had broken down.
The irony of the whole thing was that,
in a recently completed campus-wide re-
view of The Daily's operation, it was the
faculty and administration who were ex-
pected to demand an extra insert into the
newspaper to express their divergent opin-
ions. In fact, it turned out that they did
not want the insert, and it was the stu-
dents last year who demanded equal time
in the newspaper.
hTIE BSU ARGUED that they supported
the Daily through the University and de-
served some share of control over its con-
tent. This assumption was wrong. Although
The Daily does receive some indirect Uni-
versity subsidy, it is self-sustaining in its
operation. Students are not assessed fees to
keep this newspaper running.
On the contrary, it is the somewhat
contentious and heady view of most staff
members that The Daily really belongs to
the students who invest their time and
effort in putting it out, not the readers
who purchase the product.
Other student groups challenged The
Daily, saying "it tells people" how to think.
We do, indeed, because we think we are
right. But readers have no grounds on
which to be intimidated by The Daily-
unless, that is, they feel helpless, unable
to respond to our news accounts, accusa-
tions, assertions.
IF WE HAVE failed, and we have failed,
to air dissenting views, we must remedy
the situation.
The Daily seriously seeks to handle com-
plaints about our coverage reasonably and
effectively. We feel obliged to correct
ourselves, provided we are really wrong
and the error is grave. We attempt to
print every honest letter to the editor we
receive as soon as space permits. The Daily
will not guarantee that every decent letter
received will be published; after all, some
issues get enough coverage, some letters
are silly or in poor taste, some papers are
too small to allow for printing many
letters.
Letters from prominent members of the
community-from leaders of student or
civic organizations, from faculty and ad-
ministrators-will be given preference,
since their views often represent those
held by, or which will affect, more people
than themselves.
LONGER ARTICLES by members of the
community are also encouraged, since the
editorial page is open to any guest writer
who will submit his ideas to the discrimina-
tion and red pencil of the editorial pages.
Hopefully, we will not be deluged in the
future by letters expressing displeasure
with our news and editorial policies.
Usually, we are. As a rule, we will continue
to try to handle dissent the best way we
knew how-in print.
"ENCLOSED IS A sample of some of the
obscene literature being passed out to
your children" - this is the first para-
graph of a letter addressed "TO T H E
VOTERS OF THE CITY OF ANN ARBOR."
The letter also includes mimeographed
sheets of the Black Panther 10 P o i n t
Program, the W h i t e Panther 10 Point
Program and the White Panther State-
ment. Ann Arbor residents h a v e also
complained to city officials that copies of
the famed Ann Arbor Argus drawing of a
p e n i s superimposed on Councilman
James Stephenson has been distributed
at their homes. Select sentences from the
White Panther Statement are underlin-
ed in heavy black ink, so that the easily
offended Ann Arborite will not miss any
of the exceptionally gross language.
YET THE distributors of this "literary
vermin" are not the "radical, revolu-
tionary, subversive and militant groups"
but the Concerned Citizens of Ann Arbor,
the s e 1 f appointed guardians of morals
for minors.
It was not the language of the White
Panther Statement, or the ideas express-
ed by the Black Panther and White Pan-
ther 10 Point Programs that w e r e ob-
scene, rather it is the c 0 v e r t motive
spearheading the crusading "concerned
citizens" that is so vile.
Ostensibly they seek the recall of the
mayor and the Democratic councilmen.
But to the discerning eye, this clean-up
campaign is a thinly veiled attempt to
remove an administration, which is try-
ing to make the concept of A n n Arbor
"the All American City" a reality, and
not a mere slogan on bumper stickers.
ONE DOES NOT have to dig too deep to
uncover evidence that the recall cam-
paign is nothing more than an attempt
at electoral coup d'etat by a combined re-
pressive union of the minority Republi-
can party, a core of John Birchers and an
easily manipulated white community
paranoic about "uppity blacks and street
people."
On their recall petition, the committee
counsels voters "We need your help to re-
call Mayor Harris and Councilmen Kir-
scht, Quenon, F a b e r, Kazarinoff, Cap-
paert, and Stadler," because they allowed
permits for park concerts, and did n o t
approve Stephenson's questionably con-
stitutional anti-obscenity ordinance.
But an examination of the records, in-
dicates that Councilman H. C. Curry, al-
so a Democrat, voted the same way as the
other members of the Democratic coun-
cil. Why aren't the "concerned citizens"
calling for Councilman Curry's dismissal?
Is it because he is the only black repre-
sentative - and the committee fears any
blatant offense to the black community?
THE "CONCERNED citizens" and their
Republican allies w a n t to revitalize
the Ann Arbor of yesteryear, where the
token Appointments by white officials of
oreo lackeys such as Emmet Greene.
member of the Social Services Board, Mrs.
Joseph D. Mhoon, former director of the
Business S/aff
housing commission, and O. Herbert El-
lis, member of the County Board of Sup-
ervisors, were considered advancement.
It must be remembered that Ann Ar-
bor was awarded the title "All American
City" on the faith that its fair housing
ordinance would be the first step in guar-
anteeing civil rights to everyone; that its
newly established Housing Commission
would insure inexpensive and.adequate
homes for its poorer citizens; that its re-
cently developed Human Relations Com-
mission would foster f a i r treatment of
all political and racial groups in this city,
ANN ARBOR, under the Republican ad-
ministration has abused this f a i t h.
One need only recall HRC Director David
Crowley's acknowledgement that there is
discrimination in city employment; the
questionable beating of HRC investigator
Ray Chauncey, by Patrolman Wade Pat-
terson who was dismissed but rehired by
Sheriff Doug Harvey; the attempted dis-
missal of former CORE head Ezra Rowry
as acting director of the M o d e 1 Cities
Program and the attempted abandon-
ment of the program itself; the contin-
ual harassment of Ann Arbor street peo-
ple.
With the tacit compliance of the Re-
publican party, the Housing Commission
in the past has harassed and embarassed
rather than serviced the poor of Ann Ar-
bor. For nearly two years, the commis-
sion did nothing but discuss their elabo-
rate plans for solving Ann Arbor's hous-
ing problem, and has only recently be-
gun to make a dent in the housing short-
age.
rfHE CONCERNED CITIZENS, who think
the city government is guilty of "per-
missiveness and excess freedom" is advo-
cating government by the hysteria arous-
ed by circulating scare material. This tac-
tic of the right lunatic fringe is only fur-
ther polarizing the Ann Arbor commun-
ity.
Financial sources of the committee, and
the political affiliation of its organizing
personnel must be investigated. One must
question the right of the committee to
use an Ann Arbor public high school as a
recruitment center for such a campaign
when at the same time they are asking
the city to deny this right to other groups
like the White Panthers. The honorable
intentions and bipartisan actions of many
citizens is being abused by a minority of
"concerned citizens," perhaps even the
Republican party.
Ann Arbor citizens who are truly con-
cerned about their city government be-
coming the ploy of a repressive core of
paranoics will be obnoxed, by the Con-
cerned Citizens Committee.
TRULY CONCERNED citizens must con-
sider the ramifications and basis of a
recall campaign:
-The necessity for finding leadership
to fill the vacuum and unite the entire
city;
- The effect of a change of city gov-
ernment on the direction of many city
programs and services;
--The rationales for a recall campaign
must be substantive issues or serious im-
portance to the community and not silly
issues like dirty words,
-ALEXA CANADY
-LORNA CHEROT
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
A verbal ovation for Fleming's courage
To the Editor:
PRESIDENT FLEMING merits
support for the courageous speech
he delivered Friday evening at
Hill Aud. I offer mine and that of
many colleagues who were in the
audience. F o r a president of a
large state university to advocate
unilateral withdrawal of U.S. sol-
diers from Vietnam and to s a y
that a Communist government for
Vietnam might well be the most
acceptable alternative in achiev-
ing a peace settlement isaunex-
pected and courageous. The sin-
cerity and conviction of his mes-
sage won a deserved standing ova-
tion. University presidents all ov-
er the country should be sent his
speech. President Fleming's anal-
ysis might convince them to take
similar positions.
-Prof. Nicholas D. Kazarinoff
Mathematics Department
Sept. 22
Forbidden fruit
To the Editor:
YOUR EDITORIAL on Nixon's
p~rop~osals for stronger marijuana
legislation stressed the influence
of the AMA and liquor lobbies but
neglected what may be the most
important lobby for anti-mari-
juana legislation . . . the Mafia.
You will recall that the Mafia first
came into prominence as a liquor
supplier during Prohibition. In
several respects, marijuana now
occupies the position which liquor
occupied during Prohibition: (1)
It is illegal: (2) the demand is
relatively large; (3 the retail
price is high; and (4 the Mafia
is a major importer and distribu-
tor.
Stiff anti-marijuana laws will
certainly maintain the high retail
price of marijuana and will ensure
a large profit margin for any suc-
cessful importer or distributor. Ac-
tive attempts to enforce such laws.
furthermore, will almost assure
that no large-scale importer or'
distributor without the Mafia's re-
sources could be successful.
FINALLY, KEEPING marijuana
illegal guarantees a continued de-
inand. Examples of man's desire
for "forbidden fruits" are abun-
dant. It has been asserted that
Americans drank more alcohol an-
nually during Prohibition than
after; the Danish pornography
business s u f f e r e d considerably
from the legalization of porno-
graphy; and so on. Marijuana,
which doesn't rot one's teeth, de-
stroy's one's liver, induce preg-
nancy, or p r o d u c e addiction,
should certainly remain a popular.
and profitable, forbidden fruit for
flower, as it were).
-Don Ellis, Grad.
Sept. 17
Iniferior people
To the Editor:
STUDENTS ARE obviously in-
ferior people: you can tell that
by looking at the way they are
treated. First some old student
living rooms in West Quad were
converted into faculty offices-and
it required extensive remodeling,
rewiring, lighting modernization,
etc. to bring them up to acceptable
office-time occupancy standards.
Then, while some two hundred
freshmen are being contained by
the University Housing Office in
unused dining rooms and former
study lounges, and while three
hundred other students are jam-
med into single rooms converted
into doubles, the prospect of visit-
ors coming for a football game
limits available space for these un-
accommodated students in the
Union and League.
But, of course, they are only
students, whose affairs here are
but living and studying. (It was
the University's Housing Director
who pointed out that a student or
recent graduate could never be a
successful vice-president for stu-
dent affairs because you need
"professional experience" for the
job.'
-Bert G. Hornback
Asst. Professor
Dept. of English
Sept. 17
Tantrum
To the Editor:
APPARENTLY, Mr. Gray, in his
column of 16 September, 1969; is
saying that President Fleming is
against the students because he
doesn't seem to be totally backing
every demand and cause. I don't
feel that most of his actions show
that. Aren't there any alternative
measures to achieve student goals
other than the actions proposed
by the loudest voices on campus?
Mr. Gray is suggesting that stu-
dents should at least be able to
perform minor illegal acts without
being considered law breakers, and
if such law violators don't g e t
their way then they can feel jus-
tified in creating some real vio-
lence to demonstrate t h e i r de-
sires. That's like a child staging a
tantrum.
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"They're to prevent any militant take-over
GEORG~E ILHISTOL........Bu ,ie.
STEVE El-AN Executive Adverising
SUE LERNER................Senior Sales
LUCY PAPP........ ........Senior Sales
NANCY AKIN ........... Senior Circulation
BRUCE HAY DON.........Finance
DARIA KROGULSKI .... Associate Finance
BARBARA SCHULZ............Personnel
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PERIAPS President Fleming
also thinks some of those k id s,
whom Mr. Gray talks about, may
grab up their toys and go home.
-B. B. Townsend
School of Public Health
Sept. 18
Defense of defense
To the Editor:
IN A POLITICAL trial, which
this so-called SDS 'lock-in' trial
undeniably is, the court cannot
help but make a political decision.
Whether or not to permit political
arguments to be made in defense
of the charge is a political decision
and so is the verdict if the defense
has either raised the right to a
political defense or the substan-
tive defense itself.
In response to Jim Neubacher's
editorial of Sept. 20, it is more
important to point out the factual
errors in his recitation of the law.
The notion that the jury is only to
decide the facts and not the law
or the political implications of the
trial is a relatively recent one in
Anglo-American legal history. In
Britain in the era of the eighteenth
century political sedition and libel
trials, juries refused to convict for
political offenses though instruct-
ed to do so. In the early days of
this nation it was apparently taken
for granted that the jury was to
decide both law and fact.
Further, judges were often lay-
men and therefore in no better
position to decide the law than
of this office . . .!
emotional decision are inherent in
the jury system.
In several states 'Indiana, Kan-
sas, Maryland and formerly Il-
linois) constitutional provisions or+
statutes specifically make jurors
in a criminal case judges of law
as well as fact. In Louisiana and
North Carolina, statutes expressly
authorize argument of law as well
as fact to the jury. In a number
of other states (including, appar-
ently, Michigan) the matter is dis-
cretionary with the court.
MAKING THE JURY a judge
of the fundamental fairness of
bringing the accused to trial also
operates as a check on arbitrary,
politically-motivated or pernicious
prosecutions. This is perhaps the
most compelling reason for such a
system in a nation allegedly based
on internal checks and balances.
If a man commits a crime and
the prosecuting attorney refuses
to prosecutes the man, there is no
remedy that can force the prose-
cutor to prosecute. Ever since the
prosecution of crimes has become
a solely public function in this
country t approximately 100 years'
there has been exactly one success-
ful attempt to force the prosecutor
to bring charges. The prosecutor
has absolute discretion, and in
order to balance this source of
potential abuse it is necessary that
the jury be recognized as having
the power' to exercise this same
discretion: that is, be recognized
as being able to say in certain
cases that it wouldn't be fair or
just to enforce the law.
ne to write. However, he explained
to mne that he respected my abil-
ity as a writer and agreed to pay
me twenty five dollars for my
efforts. Thus I could consider it a
business venture and not fret over
the possibility of "selling out."
I proceeded to write the open-
ing twelve pages on general fra-
ternity information and edited
the presentations of each individ-
ual house.
The booklet appeared on cam-
pus Monday, at which time I dis-
covered my comments had been
re-edited. Paragraphs were c u t
out and the original idea was dis-
carded. And most important, I
had not yet been paid for my serv-
ices.
. I HAVE discussed this matter
with IFC and have been informed
that I never will be paid. Such
action leads me to question the
integrity of this organization.
My name does appear on the
first page of this booklet, but I
would like to inform any and all
of those concerned that f in no
way endorse or support the ideas
presented. Rather I am left with a
taste of embarrassment and bit-
terness that my name could be
associated with an organization
whose actions and policies are far
below the standard they claim to
possess.
-Donald Kubit, '70
Sept. 18
Scandal sheet
To the Editor:
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