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June 04, 1971 - Image 4

Resource type:
Text
Publication:
Michigan Daily, 1971-06-04

Disclaimer: Computer generated plain text may have errors. Read more about this.

(The - irhigan w- t1.
42 0Maynard Street, Ann Arbor, Mich
Edited and managed by student at the
University of Michigan
Editorial printed in The Michigan Doilyexpros the indi iduai
opinions of the outhor. Ts must be noted intullreprint
Friday, June 4, 1971 News Phone: 764-0552
NIGHT EDITOR: GERI SPRUNG
Justice for John Sinclair
THE SENTENCING of John Sinclair to 9% to 10 years
in prison for possession of 11.5 grains of marijuana
has been revived as an issued by the current campaign
of the Rainbow People's Party to win his release.
In forming an opinion on this case, the highly sus-
picious nature of the events surrounding his trial and
sentencing must be considered
Sinclair's arrest was preceded by months of mas-
sive undercover investigation, all of it essentially aimed
at one man (charges against 43 others caught in the
Jan. 24, 1967 drug raid in which he was arrested were
later dropped).
Evidence which the court dismissed as obtained by
illegal entrapment in his marijuana, sale trial, was
subsequently used to convict him of possession.
When eventually sentenced, Sinclair received 912 to
10 years without the possibility of parole - one of the
longest sentences ever given in the state for possession of
so small an amount of marijuana.
Governor Milliken has labeled current marijuana
laws hypocritical and has called for reduction in the
penalties they prescribe.
Several cities around the nation including Ann. Ar-
bor, have passed ordinances setting reduced penalties for
marijuana possession, accepting the argument that pre-
sent laws are unfairly severe.
Despite these developments, appeals by Sinclair's at-
torneys based on these lines of reasoning have been
repeatedly denied.
This evidence, while not conclusive, hardly tends to
refute his narty's accusation that Sinclair has been the
victim of political persecution.
VIEWING SINCLAIR'S history in both Detroit and
Ann Arbor. one again fails to see any cause, other
than politics, for his further imnrisonment.
He along with his party have done necessary and
commendable work in Detroit and Ann Arbor for several
years.
The establishment of free concerts during the sum-
mer, suport for drug helo programs, and taking on the
monumental task of helping to house and feed the city's
"street community" can all be credited, in whole or in
part to the efforts of John Sinclair and the Rainbow
People's Party.
While society hs traditionally been served by the
removal of criminal elements which endanger its well
being, Sinclair has been more a constructive than a de-
structive force, and his further detention serves no just
purpose.
Despite pious pronouncements from various officials
decrying the unfairness of marijuana laws, John Sin-
clair- will remain in jail for the next eight years unless
something is done.
As John Sinclair has already served eight times the
sentence suggested by the governor as a reasonable maxi-
mum, it would be lonical for him to commute the remain-
der of Sinclair's term.
Failing to do so. he can hardly -exnect the people of
Michigan to believe in his sincerity on the marijuana is-
sue.
Individuals can be must effective in the campaign
to free Sinclair by writing the governor requesting a
commutation of the sentence, and by contributing to
the fund to finance the legal work required to free Sin-
clair.
One excellent way to do this is to attend the benefit
Sunday night at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit. In this
way you can hear some good music (Mitch Ryder) at the
same time contributing to an important cause.
To effect the release of John Sinclair is clearly a
desirable goal both in light of his service to the youth
community, and the deeper issue of justice in America
raised by his case.

AS LONG AS anyone can be arrested and imprisoned in
the manner Sinclair was, none of us are truly free.
-CHRIS PARKS
Summer Efi/orial Staff
STEVE KOPPMAN LARRY LEMPERT
Co-Editor Ce-Editor
ROBERT CONROW ..... ... ................. .. Books Editor
JIM JUDKIS ... .. . . . . . ...... . . Photography Editor
NIGHT EDITORS: Rose Sue Berstein. Mark Dilen, Jonathan Miller, Robert
Schreiner, Geri Sprung
ASSISTANT NIGHT EDITORS: Patricia E. Bauer, Anita Crone, Jim Irwin,
Alan Lenhoff, Chris Parks
Summer Sports Staff
RICK CONFEA.. ........Sports Editor
SANDI GENTS..E,, ........A in.Mociate Spars Editor

Strange interlude with
roupie, Hickey, Teen Angel

Ry MARK IITL.EN
D fUITE t ts is ftictds toinly cci ed to as
lIbir h' ili t staredt ahead. the seuiCs of
ill alter riff borcing olf his mind. Hi' was really
eut ot On the stage i esw group sa setting up.
odjusttig their anps so the people sit'ing around
could fret and hea tltz mellow votnds.
"Far out." Hubie said. turiing to his friend Dick
Hickey. "Therseou all these ie.vy bt.ds nowadays
getltig i the 's hale flftits scene and getting high
ott all the soutids that we grew up to." Mubie ges-
tured stageward, where one dude was greasing down
his hair into a pompadour and rolling a pack of1 ig-
arettt(s into his short sleeve T-shirt.
"Look at that - can you dig it?" Hubie called to
the nattily attired Dick. "That's the same scene we
wvere into - you know, the Cuban heels, the mohair
suits, shri'kskin pants, ducktails . . .Dick dozed,
nodding'initently to the beat of "Teen Angel."
Then. as if suddenly understanding what Hubie
ud lost said. nick responded. "Yeah, it's that whole
iostalgia thing, y'know?" After a silence, Hubie
nodded knowingly. Lately, everything seemed to be
a repetition to both of them. Take Dick's (sometimes
called Sticky Dick in his younger years for his knack
at stealing hub caps off cars in Ike's used car lot by
putting glue on his fingers) friends, for example.
His latest pal Spiffy the Greek reminded him a lot
of his old fellow scrapper, Joe the Sharpie.
Not that it was so different back then. Cruising
Southern California Big Boy stands with Fat Pat,
his best girl, in his '56 Lincoln, street fighting with
your gang down the street, the Gems - it all was
only a few years away though at one point he got
kicked around in a solo rumble and vowed never to
use his knife again.
"Man, I'm glad Pat kept doing her thing right
along with me," mused Dick. "There were times I
thought we'd never get it together but now . . "
There was a pause. Pat and I are really clear-- and
so is the rest of our commune."

ALL ITHIS TIME, Hubie had remained deepi
thought. Then slowly he pulled a pi ce of paper out
of his pocket wlich lie had just received it he ail.
Opening it carefully, he paused thouglitully and
thn began to read it aloud:
"PDat Frietnd:
"What this country needs to get back on its fet
again is a good healthy ex-President like Richard
Nixon. And a good healthy ex-Vice President like
Spiro Agnew wouldn't be bad news either.
"The Nixon re-election campaign is already un-
derway and there is no time to lose. So please send us
your contribution today so that we can get started
too .
HUBIE SHOT A quick glance at Dick whose coun-
tenance began to steadily change. Wordlessly, he
stood up taut, fixing a.knot in the tie that had hung
loosely about his neck, walked briskly toward the
stage acknowledging with n o d s his acquaintences.
"Teen Angel" had long since ceased. Standing before
a microphone, surveying the silenced crowd of stand-
ing people, a hand raised then lowered made the peo-
ple sit. A piece of paper was in his hand.
"My Dear Fellow Americans:
"Why do we need money? As you know, the cru-
cial Presidential Election is coning up in 1972. The
Democrats, as you may have read in the newspapers,
are already busy building an organization to win that
election. To defeat them, we need a powerful organ-
ization of our own - money for campaign managers,
research, publicity, radio and TV spots - and much,
much more. Remember, the elephant remembers."
FINISHED, someone said "thank you" and Hubie
left alone, began crying, to the plaintive beat of a
bass guitar:
Ed Muskie, can you hear me?
Ed Muskie, please be near me
stop talkin' bout ecology
and try again to run with me . .

sex information
The mc

)rning-after pill

(EDITOR'S NOTE: This regular
question-and-answer column on
matters of sexual concern is being
published in co-operation with the
Office of Student Services. Ques-
tions should be sent t noo x5, The
Daily, 420 Maynard, or phoned into
e-GUIDE.)
By ROBERT KOOP
Once again, until you readers
start asking real questions, I'm
stuck with answering phony ones.
But once again, the answers are
real. Read on.
Q What's all t h i s about a
"morning-alter pill"? Does
it exist? Does it work? Where do
I get it?
A. Yes, yes and from a doctor.
It is possible to take emergency
medication to avoid pregnancy if
there was unprotected intercourse
within three to five days. That is,
if your contraceptive method fail-
ed lyon forgot to take a pill; a
condom tore or slipped off) or if
you just plain didn't use one.
The -"morning-after pill" is a
high dose of estrogen taken within
three to five (preferably three)
days of the unprotected coitus.
The prescription can be obtained
and filled at the University Health
Service for about $1.00.
(You should never have to pay
much more than this for t h is
medication - the estrogen deriv-
ative used is very cheap.)
There are sometimes unpleas-
ant side-effects of the morning

after pill including nausea and
vomiting.
You should note that the inci-
dence of these side-effects is as-)
parently not as high as was orig-
inally thought. Most women ex-
perience little or none of them.
Also, even when a woman does
experience the nausea, it is gen-
erally only after taking the first
dose. That is, on subsequent days
she may experience no stdeef-
fects at all.
It is important to get phis med-
ication from a physician, by the
way, as it is not recommended f or
women with hypertension, severe
or persistent migraine, hepatitis,
or blood-clotting tendencies.
It is also important to obtain
the medication as soon as you can
after unprotected intercourse'-
certainly within three days. You
can take it up to five days after.
but the chances of its working are
less. And there's really no excuse
for waiting that long. If you need
it,-you know right away.
Q That sounds easy enough.
Why don't I just take a whole
bunch of regular birth control pills
instead. That would be a h i g h
dosage of estrogen, wouldn't it?
A' No. That is, it would be if yoo
took enough, but to make tne
dosage high enough (a b o u t 50
mg.) would take about 1000 pills.
Also, the estrogen content in dif-
ferent birth control pills ,aries

and is usually not marked on the
package - the progesterone dos-
age is marked. Also, the high dose
of estrogen is taken for five or
more consecutive days.
The following correct letter was
received clarifying a point I made
in last week's column.
To The Daily:
I WAS VERY PLEASED to see
the article discussing the condom
as a family planning method. It
has surely served a much needed
educational function. However,
one additional commentary is
needed. The author states that the
condom has an effectiveness of
"80-90_ per cent." This statement
is misleading and needs interpre-
tation.
When used consistently, and
with precautions, couples relying
upon the condom have a failure
rate of 2 per cent to 5 per cent.
This compares favorably with the
use of the diaphragm or the IULD,
which also have failure rates of 2
per cent to 5 per cent when used
properly. Most pregnancies which
result from condom use are be-
cause of intermittent use - the
couple sorinetimes neglects to use
the condom at all. This is refle-t-
ed in the overall failure rate of
about 20 per cent. Thus, motiva-
tion, not the devfce itself, ia the
most important factor in condom
effectiveness.
-Eugene Weiss
Center for Population Planniog

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