Seventy-Thbird Year
EDrTED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSrrY F MicGA
UNDER AUTHORiTY OF BOARD i CONTROVL OF STUDENT PUBLICATIONI
"Where Opinions Are FreeSTUDENT P uCATIONS BDG., ANN ARBOR, Mici., PHONE No 2-3241
Truth Will Prevanl"
Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily express the individual opinions of staff writers
or the editors. This must be noted in all reprints.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
Readers Take Issue with Sasaki's Stand
ESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1963.
NIGHT EDITOR: MARILYN KORAL
Lewis Uses Committee
As Delay Tactic
NICE-PRESIDENT for Student Affairs
James A. Lewis has latched on to
he opportunity to forestall final ap-
royal or veto of the Student Govern-
vent Council motion entitled "Member-
hip Selection in Student Organizations."
This opportunity was provided when
is advisory Committee on Referral de-
lared a "stay" Monday on the motion
nly hours before the deadline of his
Lght to veto or approve. This stay will,
a effect, give Lewis almost a month to
ome to a decision.
N HIS UNWILLINGNESS to state even
whether he intended to veto or accept
hae motion, Lewis has declared himself
nwilling to make a decision on a docu-
aent after almost a year's formulation.
In his unwillingness to accept the mo-
on as soon as it passed, Lewis opened
he door for an unnecessary and delay-
ag action on the motion which once
gain casts doubt on SGC's authority to
ratch over student membership selec-
on practices.
In his unwillingness to take a stand,
ewis should be strongly condemned by
oth students and Regents for failing to
et when action was called for.
NDEED, THE administration has been
stalling against the formation of an
dequate membership regulations state-
tent since 1949. At that time, the facul-
r-student Committee on Student Affairs
equired that no group could be recog-
ized if their membership selection was
ased on race, color or religion. As Lewis
ims up the current administration posi-
on, "there is no need to act too hastily."
What is particularly annoying about
he vice-president's behavior is his deci-
on to take a stand of "no comment until
hear more" when he has been informed
iany times what the objections are and
o doubt realizes that the referral com-
ilttee's objections have previously been
ised and satisfactorily answered.
N DECLARING the "stay," Referral
Committee Chairman Prof. Joseph Kal-
nbach noted mainly his committee's
esre for a more thorough perusal of the
ocument-particularly the membership
ibunal clauses. }
He was specifically questioning the
roposed composition of the membership
'ibunal whereby two student members
ad a third person will be chosen by
ouncil. This set-up will make possible
ie appointment of a faculty member to
lis post, a possible violation of the Coun-
1 plan which states that Council may
ly appoint "student committees."
"HE REFERRAL, committee's entrance
into the motion's consideration is cer-
tainly its right and privilege under the
Council plan. However, its tremendous
concern might more aptly have been ex-
pressed at any of the Council meetings
this year when the motion was being
formulated.
At the same time, the committee must
and probably does recognize that Lewis'
original motion established a tribunal
with one member a faculty person ap-
pointed by the University Senate. In addi-
tion, the current proposal is clearly un-,
derstood to mean that Council can only
recommend the appointment of a faculty
member to its tribunal-the faculty body
to which the request was made would
obviously have to approve the recom-
mendation.
A SECOND objection to the adopted
motion has also been raised-as it was
during the formulation of the motion-
by the attorney for 11'campus sororities,
Lawrence Smith.
In representing these sororities, who
are contesting Council's right to watch
over membership selection in any man-
ner, Smith's latest action was a request
by mail for the stay. The lawyer also
reiterated his appeal for a Lewis veto
and asked generally for more time to in-
vestigate the final motion. -
The lawyer's appeal for more time is, at
this stage of the membership game, a de-
laying tactic which should never have
been considered. As SGC President
Thomas Brown observed, the lawyers
haven't introduced a new objection to
what is fundamentally the same mem-
bership motion in over a year.
The result of both objections-by com-
mittee and lawyer-is only a delay.
THE POINT HERE is the attitude of
Lewis.
In short, Lewis has little justification
for ever allowing the "stay" to be called.
He wrote the original working papers
from which the final motion was drafted.
Council also approved a long list of cor-
rections and objections submitted by his
Office of Student Affairs in the formu-
lation of the final motion.
The referral committee's only concrete
objection to the proposal-the composi-
tion of the membership tribunal-is over-
ridden by Lewis' belief that students do
have the right to request the appoint-
ment of faculty members to the tribunal.
HAVING WRITTEN most of the motion
and realizing that objections to it
have been answered, Lewis has made an
unwise decision in letting the referral
committee put off what ultimately must
be approval.
-LAURENCE KIRSHBAJM
To the Editor:
EDWIN F. SASAKI'S letter, in
the Oct. 8 Daily, is a dis-
gusting, confused mixture of in-
tolerance ,ignorance and racism,
indistinguishable in content from
the ravings of fanatics in the Ku
Klux Klan and the John Birch
Society.
It is dogmatic and ignorant to
assert that all Americans are sup-
posed to support the Christian
religion. This Medieval absolutism
is incompatible with the entire
development of liberal democracy
which Sasaki claims to identify
with. Of course, Sasaki alters
standard definitions of democracy.
Loyalty to the principles of de-
mocracy, for him, would have been
violated if people had protested,
even by picketing, against the
atrocities the Japanese-Americans
were subjected to in World War II.
* * *
THE MAIN THRUST of his let-
ter, however, is aimed at those
Negroes who will not adhere to the
projected values of Sasaki's Amer-
ican society. He says Negroes are
not actively working to prove that
theywant Americancitizenship,
and the few who are are counter-
balanced by the militant rabble,
who will picket and se other
techniques to assert their rights.
Sasaki's fairy tale of the Negro's
complete individual responsibility
for his plight shows a total lack
of comprehension of the condition
of the Negro in America. Ever
since Negroes were imported to
this country from Africa to work
as slaves, their economic, political,
social and cultural heritage has
been inferior to the white man's.
Negro per capita income is less
than 60 per cent of white per
capita income; most Negroes in
the South can't register to vote;
if they try, they are in danger of
being killed by terrorist groups
such as the Ku Klux Klan. Ne-
groes have been crowded into
housing ghettoes with standards
of sanitation that most Univer-
sity students couldn't conceive of.
Negro schools are not as good as
most white schools; the teachers
are often inferior, and seldom
dedicated.
THE NEGRO didn't put himself
in this position. He was brought
to this country forcefully, by the
slave-trade barons, and upon en-
trance was forced to assume a
second-class position in society. A
few very fortunate people, mostly
"Uncle Toms," have escaped this
condition of inferiority, but most
Negroes know that if they try to
register to vote, move into a better
neighborhood, enter a "high-class"
establishment, try to crack the
"last-hired, first fired" barrier in
jobs, or otherwise try to raise
their status, they are likely to
meet with violence.
The Negro has waited 400 years
for democracy to havq some mean-
ing to him. He has learned, from
the efforts of Booker T. Washing-
ton, an educater who was a ben-
eficiary of white philanthropy,
that a passive campaign for so-
cial acceptance will not help his
race. It may win acceptance for a
few individuals, but not for very
many. Up until now, the Negro has
been the victim of lynchings (over
3000 between 1880 and 1915) and
other forms of treatment to which
he has not raised a hand in pro-
test, except on rare occasions. He
has seen that even when the Su-
preme Court declares segregation
in schools illegal, little is done to
end it. He has also seen that since
he began to adopt measures such
as picketing, he has had increased
access to stores, schools, churches
and transportation facilities.
He realizes that only by forms
of active protest, can he get better
jobs and education for all mem-
bers of his race, rather than for
a small number, who are put there
by the white power structure to be
a symbol of hope for the rest.
He is beginning to learn that
violence against his race must be
met by self-defense. If the police
and FBI can't defend him, he will
have to defend himself. He will
antagonize a lot of people in get-
ting these gains, but for him
popularity isn't the important
thing. Survival is. Being able to
get enough food to eat, a decent
place to live, and clothes to wear.
Why should he move more slowly
if it means putting up any longer
with the subhuman conditions he
is experiencing?
SASAKI'S COMMENT about the
NAACP is libelous; it is undocu-
mented and untrue. The Direct
Action Committee's militancy has
gained jobs for. Negroes at three
A&P stores, and at Kline's. Sasa-
ki's irresponsible and dangerous
letter cannot be distinguished
from the statements of a frus-
trated racist.
-Charles Thomas, Jr.
--Howard Salita, '65
flow Long? ...
To the Editor:
WHAT REALLY evokes despair
and not anger among Negroes
is the superficial, condescending
judgment by another minority
group person. From his self-
appointed pedestal he rightfully
and proudly proclaims the tri-
umphs of his people to gain poli-
* **
WELL, JUST HOW LONG do we
have to live, work and die for
this country before we prove our-
selves worthy and after three cen-
turies? Then how do we prove our-
selves worthy in the eyes of an-
other minority who says they have
been better Americans. Better
still, how long do we have to re-
ceive this kind of goody-goody,
pious brainwashed thinking?
* * *
IT SEEMS TO ME that the real
and vital issue has been sorely
neglected. That being the recogni-
and an historically conditioned
economic and practical sense.
* * *
THE NEGRO does not have the
above mentioned advantages. He
was brought out of one primitive
environment and placed into an-
other. Domestic insecurity, sexual
insecurity, racial self-contempt,
apathy, pessimism, distrust, social
isolation, and hostility have been
conditioned in most systematically.
This so-called "minority" problem
is quite different from the more
superficial variety.
I am not quite sure if Sasaki
"Christian," as it will not come
from DAC-like demonstrations. It
will come by rationally executed
demonstrations which provide the
Negro with identity and purpose
within the American framework.
-David B. Cohen, Grad
Unfortunate.. ..
To the Editor:
j HAVE JUST READ a most un-
fortunate letter written by Ed-
win F. Sasaki in which he gives
"the solution" to the racial issue
"We're
Sure Overcoming That Old Reputation Of
Being The Colossus Of The North"
f
S
,. ti_ ;yr. y
. rn C'
Z
I/
' i Y
^ M t
. ,,
3%n's r a > ,x
\ x
1
l /l
f
O
ro0-10,
I
r""
,
! !'
'
41
.1 x S' y ty irr MtA
ZZ.
-MOM
" ."''FF . iti. tree t ' a a' V R d: y .. , ~ * - , ? ,. " .i: ^_ J:
/y , t y . ," rt ;.,,.. S.ii;LJ:: n a l i_ .t3':'' FJ .". ' .+ 'Lw
w ^ 'tf'\.'1' 'i' i .Ji i{.., a .' "'.y: t^,pia..'y ;4 h.r. s"{ix. .a.: v;.{ kgrtM d>' ..
,.Se N,C.s
If 4
beg against insurmountable odds
for 300 years.
* * *
I AGREE that there are already
established societal customs, mores
standards of conduct, etc. but a
cursory examination of any news-
paper will reveal that these are
"dished out" to Negroes on spe-
cial plates, usually from the back
door. This partioning of rights is
not American and is therefore not
wanted by Negroes.
Mr. Sasaki seems to belong to
that group which now finds it
comfortable to do some "dishing
out." Recently removed from the
same barrel with the other minori-
ties, he can now assume a kind of
benevolent attitude which dictates
"the way out."
About his remarks concerning
DAC and the NAACP, I only ask
two questions of him: 1)rHave any
Negroes who could afford to pur-
chase certain properties ever been
refused the right to do so on the
basis of color? 2) Have any quali-
fied Negro applicants been reject-
ed for employment on the basis of
color? Would you consider these
"fakes," Mr. Sasaki?
AS ONE READS articles such as
yours and others similar, one im-
mediately senses the inequities
existing in our democracy. Con-
comitantly, one senses the need
for some type of organized protest
for the amelioration of these de-
plorable conditions. There are only
18 million grievances represented
by about 5 "pressure groups." Is
it not reasonable then that one
would see a broad spectrum of
political attitudes? If not then
this democracy is a failure.
Finally, just what does the Ne-
gro want? I will tell you what I
want: I want to help create the
America in which all of its citi-
zens are looked upon simply as
Americans no more, no less. What
ever rights, privileges, immunities,
and not as gifts or hand outs.
Then what ever comes to me in-
dividually as another American Is
mine to enjoy and to be judged by.
-Singer A. Buchanon, Grad
Concern...
To the Editor:
EVEN THOUGH we've both been
at the University several years
now, we've always been struck by
the indifference and apathy shown
by the students. Imagine our as-
tonishment when we saw close to
a thousand students marching
cross-campus last Sunday even-
ing.
At first we thought it might be
one of those peace rallies or civil
rights marches. But then we dis-
covered it had to do with an issue
of much greater importance, and
of" far-reaching implications-the
University's football team.
* * *
IT WAS GOOD to see the stu-
dents showing concern over some-
thing which is quickly becoming a
national problem-the University's
football team! It was inspiring to
hear no snickering in a crowd of
such proportion over a problem
of such extreme seriousness-the
University's football team! Tl
voice of the student body literally
awoke the populace of Ann Arbor
with their enthusiasm over this
noble cause-the University's foot-
ball team!
* * *
WE WALKED AWAY from the
rally with peace in .our hearts,
overjoyed by the fact that the
students were finally voicing their
opinions, but this was tempered by
the fear that they might be sway-
ed from their ultimate goal by
participation in minor movements
on campus.
-Steve Doehrman, '63
-Rusty Peterson, Grad
T
j;
1
i
,
} ,'
I bl M i r
Vote 'No' on Referendum
VOTERS SHOULD cast a "No" ballot in
today's referendum.
The referendum calls for direct elec-
ion, in the all-campus regular spring
lections, of the president and executive
vice-president of Student Government
,ouncil.
At the risk of sounding anti-libertarian
ind overly pessimistic, I would say that
his is a power which the voters should
iot assume and, in fact, which they are
iot capable of assuming.
.jOST VOTERS now--today at the polls
--know very little about the candi-
lates. Perhaps a few voters have heard
candidate speak once or have read a
hort statement of his platform.
Perhaps a voter knows only that a
ertain organization with whom he is,
tsually in agreement has endorsed the
andidate. At any rate, the information
oters have on a candidate is at best
ketchy and limited.
However, direct election of Council
nembers is an evil which must be en-
lured if we are to continue to play our
retend game of representative Student
.overnment Council. But there is little
ense in extending it,
V EXECUTIVE officer of SGC must be
someone with whom the other mem-
ers of Council feel they can work. He
aust be chosen by those who know him
est since these are the people who must
rork in close contact with him and under
its direction. The voters cannot deter-
nine this. Only the Council members can.
Furthermore, there is a very great dan-
er that direct election of the executives
ould become a glorified popularity con-
est. SGC's Committee on Student Con-
~:jG Sid ,w % tt
. ..r .r. v .s.. v. . v . . ana v .s.a.a
cerns idealistically writes in its proposal'
that "For the first time a student will be
able to vote directly for the man he wish-
es to represent him as student body pres-
ident, and the men who are to direct
Council activity."
OFTEN IN Council elections the most
qualified people are not elected;
rather it is the people with most voter
appeal that cop the vote. If a glamor boy
does win, it will be a situation that SGC
and not the voter will have to live with.
If an unqualified person wins, especially
one lacking knowledge of parliamentary
procedures, SGC will lose. The voter most
likely will not be affected.
The, entire concept of student body
president is unfeasible. Council is not a
representative group. How can it be when
it knows little about what its constitu-
tents are thinking? Furthermore, since
it does not legislate over its constitutents
but merely voices what it assumes to be
their opinions (although, to be fair, at
times it does attempt to gather informa-
tion on these opinions), Council does not
have constitutents in the real sense.
N0. CANDIDATE running has a platform
significantly different from any other
candidate so that the voter may distin-
guish between candidates as may be
done in a national election. Thus, the
idea that the president of SGC will be
under a general mandate to the campus
is rather ill-formed. Exactly what will he
be accountable to the campus for?
The committee statement says that
"Their policies, actions, and effectiveness
as officers-not just Council members-
will be subject to general debate and
student control." This optimism is highly
doubtful since few students care enough
to debate any of Council's actions. As
for controlling the officers, it is as pos-
sible to control a president or vice-presi-
tion that no minority group is
truly free, first class or "accept-
able" until all groups are free.
The sooner that this basic reality
is grasped by all minority groups,
the swifter meaningful freedom
will come. And it will not be given
to special minority groups because
they showed proper behavior or
achievement.
It will come because this free-
dom was claimed and fought for
instead of waiting for it to drop
out of the sky in payment for
honoring the status quo. It is just
common sense that freedom and
political and social equality never
came wrapped as a gift.
* * *
IN ADDITION, it seems in-
credibly naive to culminate such
a discussion with the golden rifle.
"Do unto others as you would
have them do unto you." One ques-
tion: Do you know many white
persons who would walk in the
shoes they fashioned for minority
groups in America?
-Andrea J. Smith, Grad
Unrealistic . .
To the Editor:
I FEEL I must take issue with
Edwin F. Sasaki, whose letter
appeared in the Oct. 8 issue of
The Daily. In brief, Sasaki's point
was that, rather than react im-
morally to the immorality of dis-
crimination, the Negro must tran-
scend his nature, be a better Amer-
ican and citizen, and, following
the Christian religion ("which all
Americans are supposed to sup-
port"), love his enemy as he would
love his friend.
This simple, unrealistic and al-
most primitively Christian solu-
tion 'to a most complicated prob-
lem disregards complex and inter-
related historical, economic and
psychological facts.
* * *
IT IS grossly inaccurate to
equate the problems of the Negro
"minority" with those of the other
minorities. Yes, the Japanese were
severely restricted during the
Second World War, but they were
a proud people with an essential
cohesiveness as a particular sub-
group with strong ethnic ties.
The Chinese have been discrim-
inated against, but have won re-
spect because they respect them-
selves and because their achieve-
ments are based on a tradition of
domestic cohesiveness and con-
temporary and historical identity.
understands morality when he im-
plied that, not only the Direct Ac-
tion Committee, but all demon-
strations are immoral, and that
the Negro should turn the other
check.
Morality is relative, flexible,'and
ethical. Sasaki's; formulation is
unrealistic, unnatural and essen-
tially unethical. It avoids the basic
issue that even if we were able
to break into the vicious circle of
poor performancel and social and
vocational isolation, tlie Negro
would remain unacceptable to
many "Christian" Americans. (By
the way, Sasaki's statement that
begins: "The Christian religion
which all Americans are supposed
to support .. ." is highly off en-
sive, and another example of how
he distorts and over-simplifies a
complicated problem.)
* w * * b
REFORM will not come by being
in America. I only hope there are
not many that one could count
among his followers. It gives me
no pleasure to respond to his
statements.
I only wish Mr. Sasaki's status
in America was what he thinks
it is-just an American. If this
were true, then the plight of the
Negro would be greatly enhanced
and much more hopeful as there
would undeniably be less appre-
hension about human rights than
most Negroes feel today.
I do not honestly feel that the
position of the Japanese-American-
is one of envy to the Negro or to
any other minority (including
most Japanese) in America. Mr.
Sasaki seems terribly unaware of
this fact. He also seems unaware
of the long and fruitless struggles
and pleading of the Negro. What
has he done but wait, work and
NATIONAL STUDENT CONGRESS:
USNSA Delegates Grow Up-
'z
(EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the
last in a series of articles by Uni-
versity students who attended the
Sixteenth National Student Congress
last summer at Indiana University.
Sherry Miller is a member of Stu-
dent Government Council.)
By SHERRY MILLER
Daily Guest Writer
IF MODERATION can be taken
as a sign of maturity, the
United States National Student
Association is growing up. As evi-
denced at the 16th National Stu-
dent Congress, delegates will no
longer accept emotion and rhetoric
instead of logic and facts.
No longer will they be forced to
one pole or the other by the
strong attraction of well-articulat-
ed philosophies but will stand
firm on their own somewhat prag-
matic grounds. This does not mean
they are confused or uninformed.
They simply do not accept at face
value the polemics of either ex-
treme; where they do lack back-
ground, they weigh and balance
the opinions aising from the ex-
perience of others.
Perhaps I am attributing too
much to the average NSC dele-
gate. But either by fortuitous se-
lection of delegates or wise stra-
tegy on the part of the national
which are the proper concern of
students.
Of course, the national staff
plays an increasingly vital role in
all of these areas as more and
more ' expertise is required, es-.
pecially in international affairs.
There is already a move to in-
crease the number of area special-
ists with whatever funds can be
obtained. But if the National Su-
pervisory Board (created as part
of the constitutional reforms of
the last congress) is effective,
there should be no divergence be-
tween the legislative and admin-
istrative branches of USNSA. The
national office is responsible for
carrying out specific programs
mandated to it by the full con-
gress.
THIS SHOULD NOT imply that
USNSA is neglecting its work on
a local level. A constitutional re-
form increases personnel working
with specific programs on local
campuses, and regional programs
are preserved-of course, there are
specific programs such as Euro-
pean Travel, Incorporated.
The effectiveness of any of these
programs can be doubted, espe-
cially the regional programs which
involve schools with practically
government leaders gains as a re-
sult of his participation in the
congress and the closer working
relationship with delegates from
his own school.
* * *
STILL, THE NSC demonstrated
that USNSA is in the process of
growing. Delegates still spend
more time discussing in seminars
than hammering, out the work of
the association. They still spend
far too much time haggling over
the semantics of resolutions, which
in my opinion are of secondary
importance, useful only for pres-
sure group and public relations
activity.
They still do not give enough
consideration to the bills they are
passing, though often they cannot
because of the secretarial problems
of getting them typed in time, and
their factual background is at best
limited. They still tend to ignore
"little" problems, which can be
so important to groups involved,
in their anxiety to debate the
larger issues. The outstanding ex-
ception to this was the program
mandate on higher education for
the American deaf, which passed
only because a determined group
pushed it.
* * *
I