Newspaper Page Text
Page 4
The Red and Black, Thursday, May 7, 1970
Howell Medders
Freedom and dissent
A memorial service was held
last night to mourn the events sur
rounding the death of four students
at Kent State University in Kent,
Ohio Memorials are beautiful
things The only problem with them
is that they are beauty after the
fact The cliches of mourning and
tragedy do nothing to change the
context of intolerance and violence
which spawns such "accidents" in
ever increasing numbers
The Generation Gap will be
called upon frequently in the weeks
to come as the reason for the clash
of student with law enforcement
official, a tableau which is becom
ing the stereotype ol modem high
er education. People are only fool
ing themselves if they blame some
thing as complex and psychologi
cally delicate as The (lap The real
reason behind these tragedies is
pure intolerance and a complete
disregard of the American ideal of
freedom to think and live in the
way which achieves happiness lor
the individual The major limita-
Uon on this American ideal is the
principle that when one man's
striving for happiness infringes on
the rights of another then limits of
freedom have been reached
However, this limitation of free
dom does not extend to the use of
bloodletting as a means ol scaring
a larger number of students into
submission merely because they
fear that continued protest will
leave them critically wounded
through the efforts of the local Na
tional Guard Unit The actions of
the students in pelting the Guards
men with rocks and bits of concrete
cannot be condoned and the assem
blage should have been broken up if
it endangered peace in the area.
However, even in the name ol
civil tranquility, the overreaciion
of Guardsmen which left two men
and two women students dead and
several others critically wounded
cannot be- rationalized or condoned
In this instance, the National
Guard did not protect the civic
peace, it aided the breakdown of
law and order
Kmotionalism on both sides of
this event will obscure any chance
for a fair and accurate recounting
ol the events ot this week at Kent
State University Still the fact
remains that a new context has been
introduced in the evolution oi cam
pus dissent This new context bodes
ill for the future, Communication
cannot be served when both sides
have seen bullets replace verbal
confrontation.
Maybe the memorial services
mourned more than the death of
four students
University need
Yesterday s events in reaction to
the nation wide wave of campus
unrest after the murder of the four
students at Kent State University,
can create a climate charged with
the conflict of pro-Kstablishmenl
and New Left sectors of the Uni
versity campus
We feel that the responsibility
for the maintenance of free, open
dialogue and not violent confronta
tion rests equally with every stu
dent. faculty member and adminis
trator within the University. A
school like Georgia has much more
to lose in a violent upheaval than
many other institutions of higher
learning Each human unit of the
University community will suffer
in an Ohio State type confrontation
Glib statements that "nothing
like that can happen here” are fool
hardy to say the least The violence
at most other universities has been
instigated by a small number of
activists. Georgia is as likely an
area as any for violence to erupt in
a given situation.
We commend Dean William Tate
for his willingness to be where the
need of the moment presented it
self. Dean Tate is seemingly al
ways willing to exert himself in the
best interest of the University. He
is the one link the administration
had during the moments of the sit-
down on Prince avenue His actions
along with the sensitive response of
Vice-President Parthemos in
Wednesday afternoon's demonstra
tion have shown an open-minded
initial reaction by the administra
tion.
It is now that the University
needs an involved administration,
not an aloof bureauracy. If it does
not serve the University now, it can
chalk up its biggest failure.
Bulletin Board
So that the He'd and Black might
be able to print all announcements
of meetings, seminars and other
special program of general campus
interest, the Bulletin Board feature
appearing on page three has been
Wise
The need for campus dialogue
through constructive confrontation
in a casual climate is a commodity
in short order in the colleges and
universities of America Violence
and bloodshed bespeak in more and
more graphic terms the failure of
sectors within the realm of higher
education to communicate what
each is seeking for and through the
other
The University is fortunate to
have a vehicle which can make
some dent in the need for dialogue
among University enclaves. The
most optimistic note struck yet in
the planning (or Dialogue 70 is the
emphasis being placed, this year,
on participant selection to draw-
together a cross-section ol all the
groups and interests of the cam-
instituted
Announcements for this section
must be in by 7 30 on Sunday for
publication the following Tuesday
and by 7 30 p m on Tuesday for
publication in the Thursday paper
move
pus
The main stifling point which
hindered Dialogue '68 and 69. was
the extremely homogeneous nature
of the participants. The point of
campus co-ordination was well
served through the student leader
make-up of the first two confer
ences and we feel that the planning
committee has made a wise move
in striving to make the third con
ference more closely representa
tive of the campus it seeks to
serve.
We look to this third edition of
Dialogue for the final realization of
the conference's purpose-the even
tual birth of a campus which may
not agree within itself but will at
least communicate with the comp-
noents of the whole
Society's watchword
Communication has become one of
the watchwords of our society In this
age of seemingly constant turmoil the
success or lack of it in settleing dis
putes which often reach violent propor-
Uons is usually directly- attributable to
the effectiveness of the lines of com
munication between the two antago
nists
Communication can take on many
forms depending upon the nature of the
message to be transmitted The vote
and letter to the congressman have
traditionally been the accepted means
of expressing one s desire for political
action These liave been and still are
effective media for those who ran
achieve some common frame of refer
ence with their congressman or -vho are
able to identify with the political sys
tem
Speaking of frames of reference —
just what is our policical svstem'’ It is
on this point that communication is
often stifled before it even begins The
"The vole and letter to the con-
ressman have traditionally
een the accepted means of
expressing one's desire for pol
itical action. These are effective
media for those who can
achieve some common frame of
reference with their congress
man or who are able to identi
fy with the political system."
public official will maintain that our
political system is democracy and will
speak of it in terms of fair representa
tion. honor, justice, equality, love,
truth. God. etc Then there is the con
stituent of one of a long list of minority
groups who calls our political svstem
the power structure' or even ruling
class'" ami qualifies his definition with
such terms as racist, militaristic, op
pressive, facist, etc.
These differences are almost always
irreconcilable between two parties in
anv one specific exchange of dialogue
So, lacking a common frame of refer
ence the only way to save the chance
"These differences are almost
always irreconcilable between
two parties in any one specific
exchange of dialogue. So, lack
ing a common frame of refer
ence, the only way to save the
chance to communicate is for
each party to reach an under
standing of the other's basic
orientation and tolerate it."
to communicate is for each party to
reach an understanding of the other's
basic orientation and tolerate it I
emphasise the word tolerance; as
meaning not acceptance but under
standing and respecting
This obligation is dual Both sides
must understand and respect the oth
er's point of view Dissenters are prob
ably- most guilty of causing communi
cation breakdowns at this point for a
very good reasons When thev are
trying to communicate with represent
atives of the political system I power
structure' they are usually seeking
some action by officials However,
they realize that the official has the
power and authority to initiate action
as he sees fit — based upon how he in
terprets the need which is ultimately
based upon his point of view, his
frame of reference For this reason the
dissenters often feel that they are sim
ply wasting words unless they can af
fect the basic nature of the system
This point must be considered and
sympathized with by the authorities
because if it isn't. four students die
in kent state demonstrations ."
Reader Reaction
Writer denounces 'political cancer'
TO THE EDITOR:
We as students of the University
must join together and condemn Presi
dent Nixon on the act of aggression of
extending the United States military
involvement in Southeast Asia to Cam
bodia
I call on the newly elected leaders of
this campus to draw up and pass a re
solution to condemn this act of aggres
sion and to terminate the U S involve
ment in Southeast Asia Campuses
across the nation are signing petitions
by thousands, writing resolutions, and
protesting to let President Nixon know
that his latest act of war is in direct
opposition to his previous policy of
bringing an end to the war and to strive
for a "fair political solution
The renewed bombings of North
Vietnam which Secreatry of State
Rogers refers to as no change in the
present policy, is in extreme violation
of the no-bombing” policy established
in 1968 Informed sources describe this
bombing as no little affair; more than
100 different types of bombers are now
flying missions into North Vietnam
President Nixon is basing the suc
cess of the Cambodia intervenUon on a
quick removal of the enemy and their
established strongholds Here the
American people have been blatantly-
lied to It is eveident that this plan of
aggression will follow the same course
as the previous military manuevers in
Vietnam The Americans will go in and
kill and be killed They will push the
enemy out Then what is the logical
upshot of this boody action unless the
U S maintains control of this land the
enemy will reutm It has happened in
the past, too manv times, it will happen
in Cambodia Why should there be any
difference now' 1
President Nixon has succeeded on
one major point through his actions in
Cambodia He has widened the war
with no end in sight His former poli
cies. such as Vietnamization. are now-
exposed as the lies they have been from
the start All America must take heed
President Nixon has. in ralitv. de
clared war on the nation and people of
Cambodia without the approval of Con
gress A declaration of war. as stated
in the Constitution, without the consent
of Congress is grounds for impeach
ment. Senator J. W Fulbright has
called for a meeting between the Presi
dent and the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee to discuss the constitution
ality of the President's acts Fulbught
noted that Senate rules charge the
committee with interventions abroad
and declarations of war
Presient Nixon perpetuates the mis
take-plagued foreign policies as did
the previous two presidents He contin
ues a losing war He continues and ins
ists on a larger commitment in South
east Asia We have been involved in a
losing policy in Southeast Asia We
have been involved in a losing policy in
Southeast Asia since 1954 Our support
and military backing Saigon's puppet
government and the (act that our in
volvement is not in the best interests of
the Asian people is why we have been
and will continue to lose This fact
makes the entry into Cambodia all the
more odious
The students of this country will not
sit still in the face of such intolerable
aggression Protests have and will con
tinue to grow daily in response to our
condemnation of President Nixon
We, as students, have a responsibili
ty in condemning this act of aggression
because it is the students who will be
sent to further the involvement as the
war expands. We will be the ones sent
to kill more and more Asians as the
war spreads like a political cancer
This insanity must be stopped before
its too late
Again I call on the students of this
campus, especially the Student Gov
ernment. to join with the other stu
dents in America to make ourselves
heard There is no room for a silent
majority in a case as grave as this We
must make it impossible for the Presi
dent to ignore us now
JACK LEIGH
Criticizes Left's intolerance
TO THE EDITOR:
Wednesday afternoon. I attended a
rally held in front of Old College by a
group of students calling for a student
strike to mourn the Kent Four. No one
was more shocked or revulsed at the
incidents at Kent State Monday than I.
and 1 attended the rally with much
sympathy for the idea of memorializ
ing the Four in some way But what
happened there killed my sympathy,
and turned me off in a hurry
The group of students, led by and
composed primarily of the campus
leftists, called Vice I’resident Parthe
mos outside where they had gathered
and demanded that the University be
closed down for a day in memorium to
the dead students But how about this'’
The death of the Four was a personal
tragedy for everyone, and it is up to
everyone to respond to it in his own
wav iSort of Do your own thing." you
know n ) But that was not good enough
for the Left They were not satisfied
that everyone should do his own thing
Realization of injustice
- that the University should be shut
down so that nobody could go to class
and thus all would be forced to observe
the death of the Four.
There is another complaint The
I«ft. in its classic style, has resorted to
sheer negativism, not as a means, but
as an end in itself Instead of doing
something positive, something con
structive to the memory of the Four,
something which will stand and be
remembered as a memorial to them,
they are attempting to shut down the
University This will stand as a memo
rial only to those students who may fail
a course because thev were forced to
miss a day of instruction
TO THE EDITOR:
Last Thursday evening President
Nixon announced his decision to widen
the war by sending U S troops to Cam-
THE COMPARATIVELY few young
people who have abdicated responsibil
ity in favor of anarchy do a disfavor to
the vounger generation seeking to cope
creatively with the inequities and out
rages that confront them
The majority are motivated by an
idealism their elders knew Their dem
onstrations against policies and poli
tics of the nation are remonstrances
against hypocrisy and sham
Threats of new restraints, new laws
new security measures will not lessen
bodia The President's announcement
was greeted by increased campus
liemonstraUons throughout the nation
Last Monday afternoon one of these
ing no line of communication to remain
uncut Both are extremists who polar
ize concerned Americans everywhere
If the generations are to be recon
ciled ' That will be the great objective
of this admimstraUon at the outset."
said Nixon "to bring the American
people together I then the reconcilia
tion must be activated by the adminis
tration and Congress now
Only when it is will a victory prom
ise by a president move toward reality
and away from poliUcal puffery-
demonstrations came to a brutal halt
with the National Gualrd killing of four
student protesters there
The sudden realization of the injus
tice in the Kent State University- inci
dent has forced students across the
nation to reevaluate America's posi
tion in Southeast Asia It has become
evident that a majority of the students
on this campus have become suddenly
aware of the injustices of this war
These students once silent were rude
ly awakened and want to voice their
opinions, but they have not found a suit
able outlet as of yet.
History- proves that the majority
rules The majority of the students on
this campus do not sanction and are
totally opposed to .America's position
in Southeast Asia, their voices must be
heard Their voices will be heard
AMERICANS STUDENTS,
CONCERNED AND ACTIVE
Finally, concerning the nature of the
rally itself. I can only say it was typi
cal It soon degenerated into a "whoop
and holler" session, in which mindless
slogans and meaningless rhetoric were
slung around aimlessly The illustrious
Dale Hardman shoulted something
about "three hundred years of oppres
sion" someone else complained about
the high prices for food, books, clothes,
etc What started out as a strike con
ference soon turned into a bull session
Dr Parthemos asked a few of the lead
ers to confer with him to try to estab
lish a meaningful dialogue but they
would not have it They much pre
ferred to sit on the grass and shout
platitudes
At this time I do not know whether
the administration has agreed to a
strike or not 1 can only say that if it
does, it will have proven itself utterly
spineless in bowing to the "Roudy
Eighty who gathered and sat on the
grass in front of Old College Wednes
day
WILLIAM R MOREDOCK
Another Voice
Reality and political puffery
Thu editorial appeared in the
Tuesday, May i edition of The
Atlanta Journal.
Student defends Africa's professors
the disenchantment of the young nor
will it cause it to abate
A diddervice to the nation is per
formed by a public official—be he gov
ernor or vice president-who adds fuel
to the fire of discontent with either in
tellectual or gutter gibe
They are as implacable as the rest
less voting who burn and bomb, allow-
TOTHE EDITOR:
On the fourth column of the third
page of vour May 5 issue. Dr Robert
West, head of the English department
was quoted as saying that he would
consider naming a visiting professor
from an African University, but was
hardpressed ui judging the competence
of African Scholars
Probably Dr West has not met any
African scholars, which is understand
able But just for the record it should
be noted that over 50 per cent of all
African scholars have attended such
schools as Oxford. 1'mversitv of Lon
don. London School of Economics.
Cambridge. Hrvard. Columbia. Mc
Gill. Dublin Manchester Universi
ties All of ’hese schools are certainly
comparable to Vanderbilt University-.
Nashville
I think that the statement has some
racial over-tones, but if that is not the
case, then its phrasing was unfor-
tuante
JAMES N. CHIGBlNDt