94c Afr gigan Onog
Seventy-ninie yeairs Of e(Iitorial free(IO1nI
Edited and managed by students of the University of Michigan
Beyond the purse lay an oppressive society
420 N jynard 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.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1969
NIGHT EDITOR: MARTIN A. HIRSCHMAN
I
The white majority:
Oppressed, alienated?
By JIM FORRESTER
MJICHIGAN is a pocket-b o o k
school.
Since I arrived on the campus
in the summer of 1966, almost
every issue students have em-
braced has directly concerned
their own interests rather than
the wrongs which may or may
not exist in society.
From the 1966 class-ranking
controversy to the bookstore,
Michigan students have seen fit,
not to fight for their rights, but
to struggle for a more privileged
place in an already sick society.
But for those involved in yes-
terday's strike, intimately invol-
ved - not just carrying signs but
examining problems and situations
they have but previously glossed
over - the issue has become the
society.
THE FORCE behind, this broad-
ening of the issue is frustration.
The involved students cannot un-
derstand why the Regents exalt
themselves as the representatives
of the people when they ignore the
very people that the bookstore af-
fects most - the students.
They look at the Regents a n d
find, for strange and unexplained
reasons, that every one of them
comes from the upper crusts of
the society. They talk to them
and find their over-riding con-
cern is for the values and func-
tion of "free enterprise." They see
them in Arn Arbor only two days
of the month, eleven months of
the year, and suspect their field
of greatest expertise is the Uni-
versity's football team.
THESE STUDENTS admit their
confusion and frustration and be-
gin to wonder if their observations
about the Regents and the book-
store are not also observations
about the reasons the world is in
such miserable shape.
The repression, epitomized by
Fleming's actions during the LSA
Building sit-in is forcing many to
realize that the society is ulti-
mately oppressive. They see as
the first tool of repression t h e
arrogant disregard of the people
by "democratic" institutions os-
tensibly constructed to protect
them, and as the second tool they
see force. .
When either of these tools are
put in use, the people have no
recourse but struggle, and t h e
latest manifestations of that
struggle at Michigan ar° the
North Hall take-over, the L S A
Building take-over and the strike.
You might remember this:
"We hold these truths to be
self-evident, that all men are
created equal, that they are
endowed by their Creator with
certain inalienable Rights,
that among these are Life,
Liberty and the pursuit of
Happiness. That to secure
these rights, governments are
instituted among Men, deriv-
ing their just powers from the
consent of the governed. That
whenever any Form of Gov-
ernment becomes destructive
of these ends, it is the Right
of the People to alter or abol-
ish it, and to institute n e w
Government, laying its foun-
dations on such principles and
organizing its powers in such
form, .is to thi m shall s em
most likely to effect t h e i r
Saf ty and happiness."
The Re':ents and, in fact, the
entire structure of government,
have b-come "destructive of these
ends." The problems of blacks.
workers, and other oppressed
people in the society are system-
atically, bureaucratically shuffled
to the bottom of the deck.
Perhaps the agitation of the
past week will cause the Regents
and Fleming to re-shuffle, cut
again, and offer a "new deal" in
attempt to ease the conflict now
taking place.
BUT THE struggle these in-
volved students have entered upon
will continue. They have asked
an ultimate, fatalistic question-
Why?
Why can't the blacks in Pitts-
burge, or any place else, get jobs
in the building trades?
Why, when workers spontan-
eously lash out against the cor-
poration they are enslaved by, do
their own union internationals put
them down, as at the Sterling
Stamping Plant in April, 1969?
Why, wh, n th° government of
Iran responds to political dis-
sent with imprisonment and mur-
der. does the United States arm
and train that government?
And why have thousands of
Americans died in a futile at-
tempt to preserve an admitted-
ly corrupt government in South
Vietnam when hundreds of thous-
ands of Vietnamese have died to
end it?
These questions are not answer-
cd by the struggle for a book-
store; at best they are raised by
it. But free discussion and active
dissent are not possible in a so-
ciety that works to protect privi-
lege at the expense of rights.
Struggle has become the only
way to cast off the chains t h a t
bind us all, yet some look at
struggle as a re-enactment of
Nazi fascism. Well the fascism,
brothers and sisters, is all around
you, and time is the only factor
standing between you and your
being-consumed by it.
The promise of struggle is the
end of oppression: the promise of
apathy is death.
How do you think the whites like my-
self feel when we see Black Power flags or
when we see them give their Black Power
salute? . . . They can wear their hair in
the Afro style, but I don't think I could
get away with wearing my hair like my
ancestors did and I think my culture is
as important as theirs. They can organize
their Ju-Ju and Mau-Mau clubs, but what
would happen if whites tried to organize
a Klan or something? . . .
THIS IS THE angry complaint of t he
"oppressed" white middle class major-
ity. And their wrath is directed at the lib-
eral politicians whom they feel give pre-
ferential treatment to blacks, Puerto Ri-
ans and welfare recipients of all hues.
These sentiments are not new. T h e y
have been presented and analyzed in
magazines and newspapers under the
heading of the "Taxpayers Revolt" or the
"Need for Law and Order." And the se-
curity minded politicians are beginning
Mouth money
[N THIS TIME of escalating tensions it
is time to consider ultimate, if not un-
likely, tactics. What if a general strike
fails? What if the Regents ignore it? How
can the Regents be convinced to allow,
give, bequeath greater student control of
their lives?
Hit them where it really hurts. Organ-
ize a student tuition strike. Keep daddy's
money out of clutches of the imperialist
administration, keep your own money in
the Student Credit Union. Those with
state scholarships cannot participate.
POSSIBLE goals of a tuition strike could
be an end to ROTC on campus, a stu-
dent book store, and low-rent University
housing.
Slogans are easy. How about, keep your
money where your mouth is.
MICHAEL THORtYN
Junk
KUDOS TO Roger Staples, Grad, who
has discovered a new way to cut off
the flow of "junk mail."
The U.S. Post Office has told the Ann
Arbor branch office to stop delivering
such mail to Staples' house because he
has declared that he finds it erotic and
sexually arousing.
I'm going to go look at my Sears Roe-
buck catalogue again.
-MAYNARD
to heed the warnings of disgruntled
whites ("The blacks c a n study African
culture if they want to, but they had also
better get in touch with America's cul-
ture, because that's where they will be
stopped if they don't.") and are no long-
er hailing themselves as civil libertarians
or humanitarians, but are waging their
campaigns as the savior of the common
man.
THE MAYORAL election in New Y or k
will provide an initial indicator of the
actual political influence of this new po-
litical bloc, since the election is largely
a popularity contest between the styles of
"Everyday People" Mario Angelo Procca-
cino and "Beautiful People" John Vliet
Lindsay. Ironically Lindsay supporters
are a seemingly unlikely coalition of "fun
people" and the malcontents they cham-
pion, whereas the "Little Proc" plays on
the sentiments of the average m a n-
"the guy who works h a r d all day and
maybe comes home too tired to move, but
has to moonlight in order to pay h4s bills"
--and late entrants into the middle class,
who are insecure about the permanence
of their new found wealth and status.
The white majority claims they are
tired of their taxes being used to support
blacks and browns too lazy to work, to bus
minority children to their schools, to build
low income housing units in the middle of
their suburbs, to initiate work programs
which will not hire their own children.
PRESIDENT NIXON, with index finger
on the nation's pulse, seeks to assuage
the frustrated whites by issuing a go
slow order on school desegregation, by
slicing anti-poverty programs in half, .by
ignoring the relatively moderate requests
of "responsible" Afro-American leaders.
Unfortunately, "oppressed" whites will
not find themselves more "liberated" or
their pay checks fatter if the president
continues the $26 billion American ego
trip in Vietnam, morale building ventures
such as the $5 billion supersonic trans-
port (SST), the $10 billion moon rock
gathering picnic and $50 billion boogey
men defense complexes like the anti-bal-
listic missile system (ABM), while he
grants oil companies 26 per cent depletion
rights.
THE DISAFFECTED white majority
would better achieve its goal of tranquil-
ity and general prosperity if it does not
allow itself to become the pawn of buck-
passing, scapegoat-seeking politicians
who will divert its pleas and dissipate its
energies by encouraging the majority
to vent its frustration against an alienat-
ed minority.
-LORNA CHEROT
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Strike
To the Editor:
AFTER CAREFUL considera-
tion, the undersigned members of
the history department have de-
termined to participate in the na-
tionwide October 15 Moratorium
in protest against the continuation
of the Vietnam war.
Our intention is to suspend all
routine academic functions on
that day, and participate instead,
as educators and scholars, in ac-
tivities designed to examine the
relation between the war, our uni-
versity, and our society.
We do not adopt this form of
protest lightly. Our belief is that
the horror of Vietnam, among
o t h e r things, is contributing to
the turmoil on our campus and
mocking our values. We feel we
h a v e a special responsibility as
faculty to try and make our voic-
es heard. We urge our colleagues
to join us.
-Mary Anglini
-John Bowditch
-Kenton Clymer
-John W. Eadie
-Albert Feuerwerker
-John V. A. Fine, Jr.
-Raymond Grew
-William B. Hauser
-Ralph Janin
-R. P. Mitchell
-William G. Rosenberg
-G T. Scanlon
-Roman Szporluk
-Robert Sklar
-Thomas Tentler
-William Toll
-G. A. Waggoner
-Sam Bass Warner
-Ernest P. Young
-Marilyn B. Young
Sept. 30
Irresponsible Editors
To the Editors:
IN THE early hours of this
(Friday) morning, the normal
calm around Markley hall was
disturbed by an amplified mes-
sage: "WE NEED YOUR HELP."
The need for bodies to block the
service of a temporary restraining
order against occupation of the
LSA building was proclaimed. As
the message progressed, it became
garbled and incomprehensible due
to electrical flaws in the public
address system. The whole effect
for a
« J
vas something surrealistic
unbelievable.
Likewise was the effect o
editorial by The Daily'ss
editors in Friday's Michiganl
extra. Only the editorial n
of the comments saved them
attack as irresponsible journ
a defense which is not ava
to the authors of slanted re
elsewhere in the edition.
AS A concerned liberal,l
shocked that the behavio
thoughtless radicals is cond
nay supported, by college se
on The Daily editorial staff
cause of student control o
decision-making process at
university is a valid one.
But it must be interpret
student participation in co
We are neither the only no
most important participant
university affairs. We are no
only people with a stake in
these affairs are conducted.
The students participatin
the LSA takeover, to the e
that they have examined
Alk
moratorium
taken
count a
many<
{ * on the
may no
are pre
booksto
existin
It isc
takes t
terests
is the
? -si tuatio
jstores
market.
- context
ly unin
But
V1S' - simple
Univers
control
This is
terest.
-- fdoes fno
student
ing prc
In f~
tion wN
now, a
* ""."|",". The D
ment o
unders
and question at all, must believe that "leader
the right of student dissent, albeit ning tl
f the an important one, legitimately in- attemp
senior cludes the right to prevail and to cesses
Daily force prevalence with violence and
iature illegal means if necessary. ONE
from This is a frightening conclusion this wh
alism if closely examined. As applied to fail to
illable other interest groups, such as the suming
eports faculty or the Regents, the con- knuckl
cept that the "establishment" who re
should have these rights would be Can t
I am decried as fascism by student conced
)r of radicals. But I fail to see how pens t
oned, such a right can be otherwise in- hand,,
eniors terpreted with respect to students mainin
. The themselves. dentsv
f, the We ca:
this THE DAILY EDITORS entirel, dentsf
misconstrue the decision-making which
ed as process when they contend that More
ntrol. there is an "administrative rejec- dents
r the tion of legitimate student demands confor
ts in for equitable participation in this can on
at the process." The list of student means ministr
how of participation in university af- Daily i
fairs on this campus is too long to neg
ig in to list. that, a
xtent Certainly with respect to the was m
this bookstore issue, the Regents have willingr
in
student interests
at every step. A fa
of the students n
Diag or at the LSA
at realize is that th
pared to support
re even at the ex
g private bookstor
certainly this supp
the legitimate stu
to heart. The who
for a university1
need to break tl
on existing with th
as a result ofa
. Student "contro
t is a nebulous and
mportant issue.
who can fail to
business interest
,ty in maintainii
over its own expe
hardly an illegit
and as thusly in
ot reflect generally
,role in the decis
ocess.
act, means of coi
ith the administr
end always have b
aily's report on the
of the LSA incider
cores the fact tha
s" spent more tit
heir own "strategy
ting to utilize t
of communication
IMPORTANT a
hole question which
take into accoun
that the Univer;
e under to student
epresents studenti
he University le
e to one faction w]
o mobilize and
at the expense o
g 99 per cent of
which do not get
nnot assume that
favor the cause o
take action.
fundamentally, v
assert the riaht
mance with their
ly be expected tha
ation will fight b
nterprets this as
otiate, but it is cli
s no tender of n
ade. Negotiation d
ness to bargain a
Vietnam
into ac- assert one's ,view unbendingly and
act which with violence.
riobilizing
building THE DAILY'S attack on Presi-
e Regents dent Fleming was therefore totally
a student unjustified. We should be grateful
xpense of that we are blessed with a liberal,
es. compromise-oriented president. His
career as a laboi' mediator testifies
ort which to his emphasis on conflict resolu-
ident in- tion, and if that is not enough,
le justifi- his very liberal views about Viet-
bookstore nam and society should endear
he cartel him to the rest of us.
ese book-
a captive It is because he is a liberal that
" in this he cannot condone anarchy and
relative- the use of force to achieve goals
which must be achieved only with
an awareness of the legitimate
see the rights and interests of other in-
of thte terest groups.
ing some
nditures? Fleming clearly did not desire
imate in- arrests. He made every effort to
iterpreted attemot to dissuade students from
upon the forcing the issue. He did not
ion-mak- "force this confrontation"; the
students brought arrest upon
themselves.
umunica-
ation are THfE MOST distressing point is
een open. that students generally do not
develop- seem to be examining the under-
nt clearly lying issues. Violence for violence's
t student
me plan- sake may become a norm on this
" than in campus among those who, in the
hese pro- name of a cause which does not
. justify a building takeover, proceed
spect of to do just that.
we often The cause of student participa-
it is, as- tion in University affairs can only
sity must be hurt by this sort of irresponsible
demands,-
interests? conduct. This sort of action can
gitimately realy only be based upon a con-
hich hap- cept-lacking need for aggression-
force its release and social action. Why
f the se- don't we have more panty raids?
the stu-
involved? -J. Michael Harrison
all stu- Resident Director
f the 600 Scott House, Markley
Sept. 29
vhen stu-
to coerce I'-ti'stof revoliitioii
views, it IC 0 u!l
t the ad- To the Editor:
ack. The A word to the wise campus rebel:
a refusal A little Lenin is a dangerous thing.
learly not,
egotiation -J,mes H. Meisel
emands a Political science dept.
nd not to Sept. 29
Forgive your friendly neighborhood fascists
By TOBE LEVA
r1'HE LATEST revolutionary vogue
has been a blind hatred of police
as the inveterate enemies of peace
and progress. But Friday morning at
the LSA Building the police w e r e
more hilarious than hateful, for their
demented over-reaction to our "po-
tent" threat to campus security and
international peace.
T h e weird melange of helmeted
law-enforcers seemed better adapted
to the foxholes of Normandy or Ko-
rea. Most were locked in an ideologi-
cal ghost town - Iwo Jima. Our sup-
porters outside told them "the whole
world was watching" but sloganeer-
ing was obviously useless. How does
one induce guilt in people who clos-
ed their minds when they were six?
Besides they were only following or-
ders.
Actually they were more fatigued
than we, and they weren't even being
paid overtime. We deluded ourselves
w i t h fantasies of revolution while
they pondered Pork Chop Hill.
Some of us were incensed at their
procrastination in arriving. Doug
was 100 per cent right. It would have
been infinitely better to have arrest-
ed us early and not to have "fiddle-
laddled around with those flaming
but obviously our virile law-enforc-
ers did not want to dawdle over sissy
tactics. They grabbed the first peo-
ple they approached by the back of
the collar, jarring them off balance
and yanking them rapidly toward the
steps.
The cops did nothing of an overtly
illegal nature; they merely tried to
be as brutal as they thought Larcom.
Harris and Milliken would tolerate -
or would have to tolerate.
Police brutality convictions aren't
everyday occurences. Their semi-
brutality was very successful, the rest
of us walked out u n d e r our own
steam. The more unfortunate receiv-
ed elbows and fists in the small of
the back as they passed through the
cop gauntlet by the door.
AND THE ILL-FEELING didn't
even compare with the animosity
the cops showed for the street-people
in June. Our ranks included sorority
girls, fraternity boys, and cleancut
freshmen - a general cross-section
of the student community minus the
ROTC cadets and perhaps the En-
gineering School.
Few of us resisted arrest and our
singing exhibition on the first floor
of the LSA Building solidified our
gene Staudenmier, only less gabby.
Marty McLaughlin describes this
kind as "Your friendly neighbor-
hood fascists."
He informed me the Germans and
Japanese had wanted to change the
world just like me. Moreover, he said
Korea was no different from Ger-
many and Vietnam was no different
from Korea. If America declared all
out war on Venus he'd volunteer to-
morrow to fight algae.
ANOTHER OFFICER added an
anecdote from his tenure in Vietnam.
"I'm telling you that she was j u s t
hanging there with her stomach rip-
ped open, her fetus hanging out and
her eyes ripped from their sockets,
those V.C. a r e all animals." He'd
probably acted with equal bestiality
over North Vietnam, only ftr o m an
airplane so he felt infinitely m o r e
humane.
The cops drilled me about the de-
struction of property. Any destruc-
tion which may have occurred was
unplanned and unencouraged. We
were obviously canny enough to know
destruction could only provide am-
munition for police, courts and med-
ia. At no time had the b o d y of us
voted to dismantle doors, break win-
THE ARREST and detention pro-
cedure were a drag, like going
through registration after having
taken final exams the day before.
First we were fingerprinted a n d
photographed at City Hall, and then
fed into a detention room from which
we were driven to the County Build-
ing. We slept in a cold garage f o r
ninety minutes before we were frisk-
ed, allowed to make a phone call, and
questioned about prior arrests a n d
physical disabilities. We were chan-
nelled into a regular cell until we
were finally bailed out.
The sheriff's deputy who drove us
to the County Building informed us
"Doug can be a really nice guy when
you get the know him. I hate the Uni-
versity with a passion and would live
elsewhere if I could," he explained
dispassionately in the tone he'd use
to describe yesterday's ballgame or
the weather. Another friendly neigh-
borhood fascist.
FIFTY MILLION Americans 1 i k e
him hate us for what we did, a n d
perhaps another fifty million think
we were merely out of our minds. To
either group we a r e indistinguish-
able from any person in any cause
which smacks in any way of anti-es-
must be balanced with those of the
alumni, Pentagon and Lansing? May-
be he's convinced himself of the
righteousness of his tactics to alle-
viate mental stress and prevent
manic depression.
Of course a tool with fairly good
intentions is still more tolerable than
a Hayakawa; We might instigate an-
other student strike if Lansing at-
tempts to dump Fleming for an out-
and-out reactionary.
THEN WVHO ARE the villains of
the whole enterprise, or are there
any?
The cops are hopelessly anal-re-
tentive and Fleming is either that or
hopelessly tooled by circumstances.
There are no out-and-out villains
nor should there ever be. But never-
theless those students and faculty
who asked why we acted so "mili-
tantly" (sic) or thought is was the
"wrong way to go about things even
if you were right," or think academia
should be separate from politics, or
would rather strike for Vietnam
(since by now its infinitely more
respectable) are proper targets for
anger.
I am angered by those who endorse
sitting back and conducting rational
. _. : :.