Eighty years of editorial freedom
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan
The urge to wander... and to return
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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 7, 1970
NIGHT EDITOR: ERIKA HOFF
L,
I!
By RICK PERLOFF
BENEATH classes, papers and
the eternal reading lists lurks
a possibility, an option which
haunts the entire routine. It isn't
an obsession; nor an apparition
which comes mystically from the
depths. It's merely the question of
dropping out, of how you'll stay
a student and why.
It's there all right; it has to be.
The possibility exists that one
may drop out, and people are al-
ways leaving school.
Their reasons are familiar:
classes hassle, Ann Arbor con-
fines. They want to see the world.
So they travel, take jobs along the
way and read odd books and meet
strange people as they go. But
they never seem to make per-
manence of their peripatetic plods.
The process is the thing: ob-
serving, experiencing, travel. A
goal is nil.
There is reluctance to impose
a destination, of taking the West
for a year and then hitting Mex-
ico until spring. That would re-
move the spontaneity, the bliss
of the moment-precisely what
school lacked.
So the traveler lives for each
day; works in a factory, learns
and enjoys the people there and
at night perhaps explores the en-
vironment.
But what keeps him going?
What gives him the fullfillment
and sense of personal accomplish-
ment that propels him onward,
that drives him forward with anti-
cipation? What gives the future
purpose?
VERY LITTLE. In the imme-
diate, the striving for material
sustenance gives reason to pursue
the routine; to survive one needs
money, so he continues to rise to
the 8 o'clock alarm. But the job
is lower-level for he has no de-
gree. And despite the contact with
different peopleit is probably like
most jobs in this country: "an
apparently closed room," offering
little stimulation or inner satis-
faction.
Perhaps a new locale is needed
-yeah, that's it. He leaves his job
in California then, with enough
money for freewheeling 'hitching.
It's fun for a while, but travel-
ing is only movement, not move-
ment toward anything. You groove
about, going place to place, de-
liberately with nowhere in mind.
,missing is the satisfaction at a
project finished, a destiny con-
quered. Empty is the drive toward
tomorrow, to devour the future.
Nil are the purposes we need to
justify the dawn and make con-
tinuing tolerable.
YOU HEAD toward Arizona,
turn right at Texas-tomorrow is
the same as last Tuesday. The
nomad persists, and the dew is as
dull as it was the day before.
Going, ceaselessly going; nothing
propels you, you only go.
On the road, but after a while,
pure movement is not enough.
Destinations develop . . . we'll
make Oklahoma by sundown and
the defiant grin returns . . . if
only she were here, I'll meet her
in Missouri; the fond imprion-
ment of love . . . join the party
at the stay in Chicago'. . . every
worker I convince is more reason
to organize . . . purpose for to-
morrow.
Then: love stops, the party's
tired. The road plows on. Corn in
Indiana multiplies; a farmer grins
his way to harvest. In the city,
heat surrenders, yet jobs continue.
It's September. Children chirp to
school, grownups are heading for
work each morning.
Only you keep traveling. Where?
Anywhere? Everywhere. There are
millions of people to experience,
thousands of towns to try. Why
stay in the Midwest? Why not
South Carolina? Or Australia?
There's so much it's frightening.
THE ANGUISH MOUNTS; it's
hopeless. So much to do, so many
to see, where to turn? You yearn
for a destiny to work toward, and
one with bounds, with limits.
You're tired . . . take I-94 to Ann
Arbor.
There it is again too: classes,
papers, the eternal reading lists.
But it's something; an assignment
for Tuesday, a test next week. A
groan to the roommate once more.
Requirements too, courses for
the future. No longer is a whirl-
wind of choices hurling itself at
the body. There are limits, the'e
are bounds. The time schedules
are out; might as well stay an-
other term and graduate.
*1
THE BIBLICAL BYLAWS
Mere
mortals?
No,
its the regents
no as
1970 The Re'g s
ribunew, Syn"dte
The Hanging Tree
Federal wiretapping: Mitchell
continues his illegal policy
IN A SPEECH Monday before a national
convention of police chiefs, Attorney
General John Mitchell disclosed that the
Federal Government is expanding its use
of wiretapping against suspected crim-,
inals, chided former Justice Department
officials for refusing to use wiretapping,
and declared that "The only repression
that has resulted (from increased wire-
tapping) is the repression of crime."
Let's not kid ourselves, Mr. Attorney
General.
Mitchell reported only on court-ap-
proved wiretapping, the kind of wiretap-
ping that, as that sort of thing goes, is
the least offensive to most people. The
federal courts surprisingly have thus far
showed a comforting s e n s e of concern
about granting permission for wiretaps.
Only 133 have been used nationwide thus
far this year, mostly against organized
crime in the form of gambling, narcotics
smuggling, and loan sharking.
That organized crime is a great men-
ace which deserves greater attention
from the federal government is an estab-
lished f a c t. Use of wiretapping, under
surveillance of the courts and within the
guidelines of the 1968 law, can aid law
enforcement officials immensely in this
area.
UNFORTUNATELY, what Attorney Gen-
eral Mitchell didn't say was far more
important than his endorsement of
court-approved wiretapping.
He ignored altogether t h e more con-
troversial issue of federal wiretapping
and o t h e r electronic eavesdropping
against radical domestic groups and sus-
pected foreign spies.
He has asserted in court cases that he
has legal authority to eavesdrop without
court authority on both types of groups
when he considers national security to
be threatened. The Supreme Court has
yet to rule on the legality of this type of
surveillance, and there is no legal pro-
vision for it in any act of Congress.
The whole concept of federal wiretap-
ping is so repugnant that only in legiti-
mate criminal cases, where there is signi-
ficant evidence of criminal activity and
where the wiretapping is carried out un-
der the authority of the courts, should
this potent weapon be employed.
Otherwise, the potent weapon will be
subject to a gross potential abuse, and an
undercutting of faith in the federal gov-
ernment. Mitchell, in refusing to discuss
this aspect of wiretapping, is j u s t as
clearly refusing to give up his assertion
that he can step beyond the bounds of
the 1968 law at will.
Until Mitchell is gone from the Justice
Department, there is little that can be
done about that, except to bring it to the
publics' attention, and not allow him to
pretend that his dangerous, illegal wire-
taps do not exist.
-JIM NEUBACHER
Editorial Page Editor
By MARK DILLEN
THE WORLD has seen many people come and go who were insistent
in claiming they were gods. Sometimes they have had followers
and sometimes not. Most recently we have witnessed the cult of Mao,
a man truly ranked among the immortals; a man swift of freestyle and
mighty of presence. As we all know, followers of this god have spread
themselves over the face of the earth, waving and quoting from a little
red bible in which all knowledge is contained.
Of late, however, a new set of gods has emerged, giving great re-
lief to those in need of a different sort of worship. These gods are in-
deed powerful; they are mighty of mouth and nimble of brain. Further-
more, their kingdom is from everlasting to everlasting (indeed, it knows
no end). Their followers, though few in number, now, makeup 'for it
with their steadfast loyalty to a little green book which contains all
their knowledge. It is 80 pages long and goes by the name of Bylaws
of the Board of Regents.
Thus far, these gods have yet to reveal their almighty personages
to the common people. Most people still think these gods are normal
people like you and I. But the scripture in the little green book dis-
proves this.,
I must say now I am convinced the regents are gods. Nay, I know
it to be true and am sore afraid. I have seen the regents in their full
glory as they monthly descend from their towering Olympus to dwell
in the place holy of holies - the regents' conference room.
AT THESE TIMES I have seen them in their true identity as gods.
I have stood in awe as they partake of canapes and then, resting from
their labors, fall into blissful sleep. I have watched in wonder as sil-
very voiced words of wisdom flow forth from their hoary heads. All
this, nay more have I seen. Observing all this methought, whence com-
. eth these giants among men? How succeedeth they to be established
among us?
IN THE BEGINNING, the regents sprang full grown from the brow
of the State (and their respective political parties, of course). There
were 8 of them and even as their members changed, they looked alike,
spoke alike and even thought alike. Indeed, they were perfect in every
way for running a university, even though they knew nought about ed-
ucation. But the State saw it, and said that it was good.
Now ghere have come students who see it and say, "verily this is
a bummer." Some have gone so far as to fast for days next to the holy
of holies to protest the commandments given to the students from the
regents (section 7 of the scripture). Indeed, they have contended they
know best how to run their lives.
But the regents rebuke them, saying, "know ye not that we are the
regents? Thou shalt have no other governance before us. For it is
written 'all participation in governance derives from delegation by the
regents.' We shall retain authority."
SO IT WAS, and is. If they be gods, methinks we should indeed be
humble in their presence. Some say they are truly mortal, but what
manner of men can give us freedom to participate in student organiza-
tions that have no power? Such strange sort of mortals I would not
know, for surely they could trick me into thinking I had something I
indeed had not. So I for one, shall be content to call them gods.
4
Letters to
The Daily: Driving the Israelites into the sea
To the Daily:
TOO OFTEN all of us rely on
emotion and what-we-wish-his-
tory-was-like to back up our poll-
tical arguments. With no disre-
spect meant at all let me just
correct George Brown Jr.'s con-
ception of the history of the Mid-
dle East.
Brown doubts the existence of
"Arab nut rhetoric about throw-
ing the Israelis into the sea." He
also dismisses as myth Arab
threats to slaughter Israelis to re-
lieve old grievances.
On December 23, 1962, Nasser
said, "We feel that the soil of
Palestine is the soil of Egypt, and
of the whole Arab world. Why do
we all mobilize? Because we feel
that the land of Palestine is part
of our land : and are ready to
sacrifice ourselves for it."
fense, Hafiz Asid, said on May
24, 1966, "We shall never call for,
nor accept peace. We shall only
accept war and the restoration
of the usurped land. We have re-
solved to drench this land with
our blood to oust you aggressors
and throw you into the sea for
good." If this is not a call for
the slaughter of. Israelis, I don't
know what Mr. Brown or any-
one else would call it. Perhaps an
invitation to a beach party?
BUT REALLY this is not a sub-
ject for jokes. As Brown correct-
ly points out we should be hor-
rified at the conditions the re-
fugees have been forced to live
under. But even leaving out en-
tirely th question of what was re-
sponsible for their mass exodus,
any reasonable person should real-
ize that war and/or the destrue-
hope for peace is if the Arabs and
their supporters realize that if they
make peace with Israel the real
winners will be the Arab people.
The victory will not be one nation
vanquishing another, but it will
be a victory of life against death.
-Donald B. Susswein '74
Oct. 3
Arab no-no's
To the Daily:
THE DAILY should be con-
gratulated on a balanced Sunday
editorial page concerning the
Middle East (Sept. 27). However,
as Mr. Hamill of the N.Y. Post
probably c;id not read the letter
and criticism by George H. Brown
(Daily, Oct. 3), I would like to
point out the following.
eral of the Arab League, BBC, 15
May, 1948: This statement was
made on the day of a combined
Arab invasion of Israel, that is,
on the morrow of Israel's Procla-
mation of Independence.)
"Egypt will be glad when her
army and that of Syria will
meet on the ruins of this treach-
erous people, the Zionist gangs."
(President. Nasser, 18 Dec.,
1955.)
"We want a decisive battle in
order to annihilate that germ,
Israel. All the Arabs want a de-
cisive battle."
(Nasser at Alexandria, Reuters,
26 July, 1959.)
"Egypt, with all her resources
-human, economic and scien-
tific-is prepared to plunge into
a total war that will be the end
face if they loose a future war or
battle.
-Ziona Kopelovich, '73
Oct. 5
Fact Sheet
To the Daily:
FACT: We are the only organ-
ization which has county-wide
economic development programs.
FACT: We are the only inde-
pendently funded organization
which represents the county.
FACT: We are a legal non-pro-
fit corporation under the laws of
the State of Michigan. We have
lawyers both corporate and civil,
a bank account, and an office in
legal aid at Fourth and Ann street
in Ann Arbor.
FACT: We have nine board
members, seven of whom are ADC
funds. We work for only one pur-
pose - life and survival of our
community. That work is price-
less.
FACT: We are the only inde-
pendently funded organization in
the county which represents the
county.
FACT: We have received sup-
port from David Byrd and Don
Edmonds, both Washtenaw Coun-
ty Commissioners. Mr. Edmonds
is also the head of OEO. Both
are elected offices.
FACT: We have been non-vio-
lent and non-destructive in our
efforts to get monies for child-
rens' clothes and long range pro-
grams. We as a group have been
peaceful in every respect.
FACT: We are not a closed
corporation. If you want to watch
us administer funds so be it. We
have nothing tn hide. You are a
providing jobs, education, a n d
training.
-BEDL and WRO
Love
To the Daily:
IT IS NOW commonly agreed
that the campus violence and un-
rest in America and elsewhere is
a symptom; the cause must be
dealt with "on a local level"
(Kunstler). I would go beyond
that and say the revision must be
done on a personal level. Let us
bring the war home from South-
east Asia. This is where it began,
in me and in you and in us, and
between us and among us. Viet
Nam is everybody's war. We began
to hate each other. We began to
throw stones randomly without
concern for human life. We are to
h11m fnr i..icart fn .Tnam lf
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