14V Airt in RUHR 420 Maynard Street, Ann Arbor, Mich. Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan Editorials orinted in The Michicon Doilv exoress the individual opinions of the author. This must be noted in all reorints. FLEMING RESPONDS Gay conference would h funds Friddy, June 12, 1970 THE MICHIGAN DAILY Friday, June 12, 1970 THE MICHIGAN DAILY -zzj le *FIIEtr RENT A TV or AIR CONDITIONER Special Student Rates Short or Long Term HI FI STUDIO 121 W. Washinqton 668-7942 I r-- FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 1970 News Phone: 764-0552 Who's worried about '72, Wallace is a problem now WHILE MANY of the nation's commentators were busy analyzing the effect of George Wallace's victory in Alabama on President Nixon's southern strategy, they overlooked perhaps the most important aspect of that election - the effect of the election on Alabama's black population. It was Wallace who stood in the doorstep of the Uni- versity of Alabama in 1963 and refused to admit a black student. It was Wallace who made the phrase "law and order" popular and turned it into an effective political weapon. It was Wallace who said that he would run a demon- strator over with his car if he had the chance. And it was Wallace, who said in his recent campaign, "if the bloc vote controls the June 2 election, it will con- trol the politics of Alabama for the next 50 years." If one excuses Wallace's southern drawl, "bloc vote" might be mistaken for black vote. WALLACE'S REPUTATION varies around the country. But, whatever his reputation may be, he has clearly shown by his words and by his actions that he has no in- tention of helping blacks. Wallace will be the governor next November. The Re- publicans didn't even nominate a candidate for governor. The tragedy of the situation is that Wallace will have a carte blanche to handle state affairs in Alabama. The Legislature virtually idolizes him and it is doubtful that it will not pass any legislation that Wallace requests. The black population of Alabama has had Wallace and his wife before. The trend will continue until action of some sort is taken to upset it. What that action is to be remains up to the people who engineer it. So far "working through the system" has failed in Alabama and what al- ternatives remain should be investigated. Too many people are worrying about the effect that Wallace will have on the election in 1972. They seem to forget the present state of affairs. Wallace will be the governor of Alabama for the next four years and for the moment, that is the big problem. By now it can be assumed that the black population in Alabama has had enough of Wallace type government. In the past, Wallace was sometimes checked by the fed- eral government. But with Nixon in the White House and Wallace in the Statehouse again, no one knows what's coming next. -EDWARD ZIMMERMAN (EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is a copy of a letter sent by President Flem- ing to Student Government Council and Gay Liberation Front in response to their request that he reconsider his decision to refuse to allow gay libera- tion to hold a Midwest conference on homosexuality.) T HAVE YOUR LETTER of June 8 with respect to the proposed Gay Liberation Front conference of Midwest homosexuals. No one denies that homosexuals are human beings with rights and privileges in the society: There are, however, some very practical considerations which bear on the GLF proposal for a midwest con- ference of homosexuals at the University. On balance I believe the considerations against such a conference outweigh those in fa- vor of it. A number of the con- siderations which I have in mind are: 1. While a conference of homo- sexuals is not illegal, and if you will read my original letter care- fully you will find that I never said it was, there are strict Penal Code penalties with respect to the act of homosexuality. A sizeable gathering of midwest homosexuals will inevitably be associated in the public mind with the act, and one m u s t therefore accept the fact that such a conference will be accompanied by strong public dis- approval. 2. At the present time State ap- propriations account for 70 per cent of the direct cost of educa- tion for in-state students and 25 per cent of the cost of out-state students. Unless one wishes to to- tally alienate public support he cannot ignore public reaction to events at the University. 3. We are recently embarked upon a major new p'ogram for in- creased admission of disadvan- taged students. That program cannot succeed without substan- tial public financial support. Un- less we wish to jeopardize that program we cannot needlessly alienate the public., 4. Because of violence and de- struction on campuses, t h e r e is now a great public hostility to- ward campuses. Tuition costs are steadily rising and this in turn makes it more difficult for the student of limited means to at- tend universities. In authorizing this conference, which is of ar- guable benefit to a small number of our students, we run the risk of an adverse affect on m u c h larger numbers. You asked a limited question, i.e., for approval of the use of uni- versity facilities f o r a midwest conference of homosexuals. No one has said that the local group cannot carry on an educational program. There are adequate op- portunities for a midwest confer- ence elsewhere. On balance, it does not seem wise to me to jeopardize m u c h needed public support for the University by holding a confer- ence of this kind. Letters to the Editor School policy ? To the Editor: A FRIEND OF mine and I were discussing of all things our aca- demic records kept in the vaults of the Junior-Senior Counseling Office. Just for the heck of it, I went to the office and asked if I could see them. The lady at the desk was shock- ed. She informed me that they contained "personal" information, and they never let 'students see them. I replied, "Personal-about me, right?" "Yes, but you still can't see them." I am graduating in August, and I asked if I could see them after I graduate. Again -"NO!" Now I'm interested- they keep saying no, so I call Dean Hayes' office. The secretary said that it must be policy and that I should talk to someone in Dean Shaw's office. I called there. Same routine. "We never let students see their records." When I finally got around to asking why, I got the real reason - "school policy." Frankly, I think they should have a better reason than that. It makes meawonder what dark secrets of falsehoods are kept there. -Bill Martin. '70 June 11 Letters to the Editor should be mailed to the Editorial Di- rector or delivered to Mary Rafferty in the Student Pub- lications business office in the Michigan Daily building. Let- ters should be typed, double- spaced and normally should not exceed 250 words. The Editorial Directors reserve the right to edit all letters submitted. .. e "There's one small rock for President Mar- cos ... and one giant boulder for"Chiang Kai-shek. ... There's one small rock ...,, NIGHT EDITOR: MARTIN HIRSCHMAN He 1rminds By ERIC SIEGEL protesting BRIAN J. McDONNELL, 27, talks very the govern slow now, and it takes a great effort social pro for him to move even a few steps. In a his work. In a subs short while, a day or two, perhaps, or maybe a week, he will probably collapse. and the we McDonnell, who is a social worker from from starvE Philadlephia, has been fasting ever since as many p Pres. Nixon announced that U.S. troops away from would move into Cambodia. He says he tion's misg will continue his fast until the troops Vietnamese leave that country, or until he drops. vation beca For four weeks now, he has taken noth- fields all to ing but water. He was never what you'd It is iro call robust; now, sitting across from the visibly dis White House in Lafayette Park, main- from touri taining his symbolic protest against U.S. who sit in involvement in Cambodia and all of faster's lox Southeast Asia, he resembles a living speech an skeleton. signs the A couple of weeks ago, he and the small They starte group of followers who sit with him but but the po do not fast with him walked to the Cap- law, so th itol. They attracted the interest of some around the tourists and a couple of Congressmen Therein. expressed concern for McDonnell's health. of what Br Then the small group treked back to La- do. His act fayette Park to continue their vigil. ties, to the official resj McDONNELL SAYS HE is protesting a his friends lot of things with his fast. He says he is signs on st us that symbolism is futile We'd like you to help elect Governor Milliken. Why should you help the Governor? It's a good question and we'll answer it in several ways. For one thing, Governor Milliken listens to students, whether they're protesting in a Moratorium Day rally, or marching on the state capitol. More tangibly, the Governor has demonstrated his faith in young people by appointing one of the youngest staffs of any governor's office in the country. By naming young people to governing boards of colleges and universities and other state boards. And by advocating the 18-year-old vote. On the philo- sophical side, too, Governor Milliken is more than in tune with the times. In a recent speech at the Conference of Student Leader- ship, he had this to say: "I believe that we must begin now'to live not for things alone, but for each other. We must produce less and enjoy more. We must abandon quantity in favor of quality. We must live for values that exist outside the realm of material things." This is the kind of man who should be governor of our state. A free thinker. A progressive thinker. A man who can let the sunshine in. We need him. And we need your help to elect him. Don't wait until fall to get involved. Send in this coupon and dedicate this summer to your future. r--------------------------------------------------------- I I I Yes, I would like to work for Governor Milliken this summer. I I I I NAME I 1 I ADDRESSw__.____ _ ZIP _. I I 1 PHONE .-CHOOl 1 I 1 Mail to Michigan for Milliken Committee, 1507 Industrial I 1 Bldg., Detroit, Mich. 48225, or phone 964-6870 in Detroit. j L----------------------------_......__._.-----------------: the killing, and the failure of ment to deal with the pressing blems he knows so well from tle kind of way, he is also rep- he relationship between hunger ar. McDonnell is wasting away ation because of the war, much people in America are wasting starvation because of this na- guided priorities, much as the e are wasting away from star- ause this nation is bombing its o hell. nic that the only thing that tinguishes McDonnell's group ists and government workers the park-apart from the ng, hollow face and his slow d feelble movements-is the group wears around its neck. ed out carrying signs on sticks, lice said that was against the ey took to stringing the signs. ir necks. lies a large part of the tragedy rian J. McDonnell is trying to tion is directed to the author- people in power; yet, the only ponse has been to tell him and that they must not carry their icks. , Indeed, McDonnell sits across from the White House every day to dramatize that the man at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue could stop the killing if he.wanted to. But Nixon probably doesn't even look out his front window; he has his yes-men come to his office, or he speaks at a revival meeting in Tennessee, but he never looks, or maybe he looks but doesn't care, at what the people who want peace are doing. A short time ago, while McDonnell was fasting in Washington, a slow procession was moving 200 miles through Georgia to prdtest murder by gunfire and star- vation in the South. The official reaction to that symbolic action was to line shot- gun-toting State Police along the march route. ALL THIS ONLY serves to point up the futility of symbolism in America to- day. A symbolic act, such as a fast or a march, assumes some kind of sensitivity on the part of the people it is directed against. That sensitivity may have existed at one time; it exists no longer. The peo- ple who need to be made aware of what the symbolism is all about-the Nixons and Mitchells and Lairds and maybe even the Great Silent Majority-are either too insensitive, or too far removed, to under- stand it. Brian McDonnell's fast, and other ac- tions, are wonderful gestures-but today they will never be more than that. The people in power today understand power, not symbols. That is why they measure their success by the number of weapons they capture, and hold dinners to reassure businessmen that even though more peo- ple are getting killed than ever before, this is America and it'll all be all right. But perhaps one or two Brian McDon- nell's are good for us. Perhaps we need to be constantly reminded of the futility of symbolism in America. Perhaps. But the rest of us should not be deluded into thinking that quiet and peaceful fasts are the way to achieve anything in America today. One cannot help but admire this man for what he is trying to do, for his courage and strength and fortitude in pursuit of an ideal this country seems to be moving further away from every year. Still, one cannot help but think that perhaps his time and energy would be better spent lobbying in the halls of Con- gress, or sitting in and blocking traffic on the access road to the Pentagon. And in a short while, the doctors say, Brian J. McDonnell will collapse. MichiganorMillien Advertisement paid for by Mt( ,a for Mill ken Comm itte, Jo ,n S afhlin ,T e rer 150 d.,str ai Buildig, etroit