U44 Ar4,* tian Ba~tk Eighty years of editorial freedom Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan 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. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1971 NIGHT EDITOR: LARRY LEMPERT The invasion of Laos THE AMERICAN people should be at war; not with the people of any other nation. R a t h e r, the American people should be at war with their own govern- 'ment, a distant and alienated leadership only claiming to represent them. For those who observe, the battle be- tween the two proceeds daily. For most, however, the fact that the Nixon Admin- istration has expanded the Indochina war, even in the face of an overwhelm- ing national desire to end it immediately, 'is the most recent indication of the depth of the struggle. To an extent, everyone recognizes the existence of the problem. Thus it was that Nixon employed a blackout of the news prior to the invasion, for he understood that most Americans would not tolerate any further indication that the policies which led to the invasion of Cambodia last May had not been changed. Realiz- ing that the people are against him, Nixon could only hope to manipulate his enemy by controlling the information they re- ceived. But the fact remains that Nixon is solely responsible for the current inva- sion. Even if people can believe adminis- tration statements claiming that Ameri- can intervention in Laos has been limited to air and artillery support, Secretary of State William Rogers' admission that the final, decision to enter Laos lay with Nixon clearly indicates who is responsible for the continuation of imperialistic acts in Indochina. Nor would Nixon's responsibility be les- sened if his claim of keeping U.S. troops out of Laos were actually true. For the technological escalation of the war re- sulting in the defoliation of the Vietna- mese countryside and the subsequent genetic damage to the Indochinese people as well as the destruction resulting from anti-personnel and conventional bombs are no less devastating or immoral than would be the use of ground troops. DESPITE THIS genocidal A m e r i c a n strategy, the Vietnamese recognize the necessity of alliance between themselves and the American people if peace is to be achieved, they have continued to ex- press their steadfast solidarity with the American people who they feel are not represented by the U.S. government. Even after the U.S. had intervened in Laos, for example, Madame Nguyen Thi Binh, foreign minister of South Vietnam's Provisional Revolutionary Government, sent an appeal to the American people Editorial Saft MARTIN A. HIRSCHMAN Editor STUART QANNE6 JUDY SARASON Editorial Director Managing Editor NADINE COHODAS .. .. ...... .. Feature Editor JIM NEUBACHER ......... Editorial Page Editor ROB BIER.............. Associate Managing Editor LAURIE HARRIS................ Arts Editor JUDY KAHN Personnel Director DANIEL WERDLING...............Magazine Editor ROBERT CONROW. ............... .. Books Editor JIM JUDKIS................ Photography Editor saying, "Earnestly call you to mobilize peace forces in your country. Check U.S. dangerous ventures in Indochina." And after communicating with Ma- dame Binh Sunday, Rennie Davis report- ed to the conference that the Vietnamese have lost the patience they once had about the war. As the genocide against their people mounts they can no longer consider waging a five or ten year strug- gle with the belief that the defeat of United States imperialism is inevitable. They can not face the prospect of an entire generation of deformed children brought a b o u t by American chemical warfare. THEREFORE, IT is now more important than ever for the American and Viet- name peoples to take joint action to end Nixon's Indochina war. And the People's Peace Treaty just ratified by the national Student and Youth Conference on a Peo- ple's Peace represents a significant step in this direction. But the treaty will only be another meaningless petition if those who sign it do not recognize their responsibility to implement it. The flexibility of the treaty in not prescribing any specific form of implementation a l1 o w s the anti - war m o v e m e n t to broaden its support - through an appeal to individuals of dif- ferent levels of political consciousness. In the long run, the proposed May Day demonstrations in Washington, D.C., are one important method of implementing the treaty, for the decision to commit large-scale civil disobedience in the capi- tal intensifies the level of the American struggle. Of course the success of the May Day actions rests on the work done to take the treaty to the American people in the months preceding May. Given the government's news manipu- lating ability and the limited media cov- erage that such events as the people's peace conference received, difficult per- son-to-person contact may be the only means available to garner the support to end the war. In any event, the May Day demonstra- tion is not likely by itself to end the war; hence it must be seen not as the culmi- nation of the peace treaty efforts but rather as a stage in a protracted struggle. And the struggle must begin now, before the American people are allowed to for- get the import of the Laotian invasion- such as happened after last year's Cam- bodian invasion. Students on this campus must adopt the sense of urgency felt by the Vietna- mese over the invasion of Laos. The shell of apathy that has enveloped this campus must be burst by fierce opposition to the invasion and to the general policy of the Nixon administration. Ann Arbor must demonstrate itssoutrage by participating in actions here tomorrow, thus joining with millions of others in demonstrations across the country this week. -ZACHERY SCHILLER -CHUCK WILBUR T reaty for a g People 's Peace The folloning is the text of the joint treaty of peace between the People of the United S ates, South Vietnam and North Vietnam, as ratified by the na- tional Student and You.h Conference for a People's Peace. B E IT KNOWN that the American and Vietnamese people are not t enemies. The war is carried out in the names of the people of the United States and South Vietnam but without our consent, it destroys the land and people of Vietnam. it drains America of its resources, its youth and its honor. We hereby agree to end the war on the following terms, so that both peoples can live under the joy of independence and can devote themselves to building a society based on human equality and respect for the earth. In rejecting the war we also reject all forms of racism and discrimination against people based on color, class, sex, national origin, and ethnic grouping which form the basis of the policies of present and past United States governments.: 1. The Americans agree to immediate and total withdrawal from Vietnam and publicly set the date by which all U.S. military forces will be removed. 2. The Vietnamese pledge that as soon as the U.S. government publicly sets a date for total withdrawal: , .They will enter discussions to secure the release of all American prisoners including pilots captured while bombing North Vietnam. 3. There will be an immediate cease fire between U.S. forces and those led by the provisional Revolutionary Government of South Viet- nam, s 4. They will enter discussions on the procedures to guarantee the safety of all withdrawing troops. 5. The Americans pledge to end the imposition of Thieu-Ky-Khiem on the people of South Vietnam in order to insure their right to self- determination and so that all political prisoners can be released. 6. The Vietnamese pledge to form a provisional coalition govern- ment to organize democratic elections, all parties agree to respect the results of elections in which all South Vietnamese can participate freely without the presence of any foreign troops. 7. The South Vietnamese pledge to enter discussion of procedures to guarantee the safety and political freedom of those South Vietna- mese who have collaborated with the U.S. or with the U.S.-supported regime. 8. The Americans and Vietnamese agree to respect the indepen- dence, peace and neutrality of Laos and Cambodia in accord with the 1954 and 1962 Geneva conventions and not to interfere in the internal affairs of these two countries. 9. Upon these points of agreement, we pledge to end the war and resolve all other questions.in the spirit of self-determination and mu- tual respect for the independence and political freedom of the people of Vietnam and the United States. By ratifing this agreement we pledge to take whatever actions ar e appr opiriate to implement the termis of this joint treaty and to in- sure its acceptance by the government of the United States. The obsolescence ofthe da te By LARRY LEMPERT "YOU HAVE to accept change before it's too late," said my friend Justin Thyme (who likes to include his middle initial N., for Nickov) as we ran around the track at Waterman. "You can't be static in a world of motion," said Justin, "You'll be left behind." I TRIED TO catch up as he con- tinued, "I know it's not always easy. You've been brought up to have certain expectations, to do things in a certain way." "Can you slow down a little, Justin?" "You can't slow down." he said "you've got to keep up with the times. She's liberated. Don't feel hurt, learn from her. Do you want to know why she turned you down?"he asked as we began our fourth lap. "No, I want to sit down for a minute. I'm not in very good shape, you know. All I do is go to classes and work at the paper." WE STOPPED RUNNING. "I'll tell you why she turned you down. You asked her for a date, that's why. ' "Oh." "There is no such thing as a date anymore, Larry. The only dates that exist grow on trees." "I was never too good at climb- ing, I guess." But Justin was halfway up the rope. "Dating is a dead institu- has surprised the Marxian state in tion," he yelled down to me. "It withering." He dropped down to the mat. "Fact it, you're still living in high school." "Oh my God." "That's right, high school. You think you can call a girl on the telephone and ask her to go to a play. Then you think you can go to her place, pick her up, see the play get something to eat after- wards and take her home." "Didn't you forget something?" "No, that's just the point! Things don't work like that any- more. You're on the wrong track the minute you pick up the tele- phone." WE LEFT THE track and walked toward the showers. "But I didn't pick up the telephone. I asked her in person." "And what did she say?" "She said she'd let me know in a couple days." "And I suppose you sat around wondering if she was putting you down, or if she was playing hard to get, or whatever? "Yeah, I guess I wondered." Justin shook his head sadly. "You are in bad shape, aren't you? Those games are over now. What was her final answer?" "She said she couldn't go be- cause she couldn't afford it." "Don't tell me." Justin braced himself. "You said, 'Oh, if that's the only problem, I'll pay for it." "That's right." "No, no, no, no, no! Sure, going to a show on some guy's dough is a freehride. But it's also accepting his definition of roles. It's saying, 'Yes, pay for me, provide for me, because I can't pay or provide for myself'." "Shit, that hurts!" I turne.d off the hot water in the shower. "You're damn right it hurts, and that's why she turned you down. Listen." he said, "You're all wet." HE TURNED off his shower and went to get me a towel. *1- tL Letters to The Daily -Daily-Randy Edmonds Harris To the Daily: AS CANDIDATES for political office in the city of Ann Arbor, we are appalled and angered by the firing of Robert H. Hunter as as- sistant director of the city's Hu- man Relations Department. Mr. Hunter has charged that his dis- missal was politically motivated. It appears that he was fired be- cause he has consistently taken the position that the city govern- ment ought to be a vigorous de- fender of minority rights rather than an ineffective apologist for meaningless and marginal reform. He dared to criticize Mayor Harris for refusing to prosecute a police officer who had struck a black prisoner who was pinned to the ground at a rally during the BAM strike at the University last year. The claim of Mayor Harris that the Hunter dismissal was the sole decision of the director of the Hu- man Rights Department is no more than a politically motivated refusal to face up to the respon- sibility for this atrocity. It is interesting to note that for nearly two years, Harris has con- tinually refused to support the re- moval of Police C h i e f Walter Krasny from his position despite numerous, well d o c u m e n t e d charges of racism and insensitivi- ty on the part of Krasny and his department. It is ironic, indeed, that a supposedly liberal mayor should dismiss a man w h o for nearly five years has fought for the rights of Ann Arbor's black w.C.C. To the Daily: Thank goodness for the Washte- naw Community College Free Day Care Center. Without it, myself and many, many others would not be able to further our educations. Fortunately the Washtenaw Com- munity C o 11 e g e administration could see that this community col- lege would need day care facilities in order to serve the community for which it was established. 'they acted affirmatively by creating a day care center for pre-schoolers. With the increased student en- rollment at W.C.C. came the in- creased load of children on the nursery facilities. Therefore, an- other facility was made available for more pre-schoolers this term. This is truly a community college in tune with the community it serves. Now, however, there is a greater need for more playthings, (espe- cially sturdy wooden toys), snacks like juice, crackers, and fruit, and educational materials. A request has already been made to The Ann Arbor News' Action Please column concerning the need for a television (possibly two, now) so the children would be able to watch the much acclaimed NET television program, Sesame Street. As of this writing, no affirmative action has come. The University of Michigan could certainly learn something from the W.C.C. positive day care center program, the newly-created day Classified research and the 'U': Reevaluation necessary EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is the text of a letter sent to Prof. Gerhard Weinberg, chairman of Senate Assembly. SINCE MY appointment to the Senate Assembly Classified Re- search Committee, I have become increasingly concerned about the type of military-sponsored research being conducted at the University. As a committee member I have had the opportunity to review sum- maries of all classified research proposals written during the past two and one-half years. At this point, it is clear to me that most of this secret research is inconsistent with the goals and philosophy of our university. I am bringing this matter to your attention, and to the attention of the entire university community, because I feel that some immediate action must be taken to rectify the situation. The primary goal of a university should be the preservation and en- hancement of human life and hu- man resources. However, our uni- versity is conducting millions of dollars of research to perfect wea- pon systems and subsystems which are being used by the military to kill and incapacitate other human beings. Obviously, such enter- prises are inappropriate for the and reports are classified they are not generally available for peace- ful a n d humane applications. Moreover, the nature and mission of the agencies sponsoring this type of research mitigates against the non-military utilization of the knowledge obtained. As a member of the university community, I am deeply concerned that academic freedom be pre- served. Researchers should have the right to conduct investigations in any area of interest as long as they do not endanger the health and safety of others. The research which I am describing, however, does not fall under the umbrella of academic freedom because its results will be used by the funding source to injure and kill people. Further, research in wnich the data and reports are often kept secret isantiethical to academic freedom as well as the scientific method. Many other renowned institutions including Yale, Harvar-1, Prince- ton, Michigan State, and the Uni- versity of Minnesota have come to the conclusion that classified re- search is not an appropriate fune- tion of the university. IT IS ESPECIALLY incensing to know that our university is making ability of military aircraft and tanks so that they can reach their targets. Remote Sensing, Counter- measures Techniques, Target Sig- natures, Acoustic Surveillance, In- frared Surveillance and Counter- measures - all of these seeminglyg innocuous research areas are, in reality, sophisticated weaponry en- hancing destructive capabilities in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. In view of the above, I wish to make several recommendations with respect to secret military re- search. First; all war research# funded by Department of Defense agencies, or any other sponsor In- volved in the killing process, should be immediately halted. Second, the veil of secrecy sur- rounding such research should be lifted to permit informed discus- sion within the university commur ity. Finally, the Senate Assembly should thoroughly reevaluate clas- sified research and publicly recon- sider the appropriateness of con- ducting war research at the uni- versity. In closing, I would like to re- quest permission to appear before Senate Assembly sometime in the near future to elaborate by con- cerns. Thank you very much for your consideration.