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Military Draft
Enslaves Men
A great injustice exists in the draft laws of
this nation. The introduction of the lottery
tystem of selection has helped some, but
many gaps remain unplugged. First of all a
gap exists as to exemptions: woman an not
drafted; most students an exempt; admitted
homosexuals an usually not selected; mligious
exemptions an allowed; and CO's an some
times draft exempt (or combat exempt). All
'of these exemptions make for a very inequit
able system.
Now if you fit the following description,
you may be drafted: 19-26 years old, male,
non-student, sworn hetronxual, In good
health, have no religious objections (some
times allowed), have no moral objections
(sometimes allowed), literate, have no signifi
cant police record, not found to be treason
ous, not mentally ID, etc.
If you fit the description above and if your
lottery number was low, you may soon be
drafted. While others sit back and can live a
relatively free existence, you may have to
sacrifice your freedom and be drafted into
military service to face a bleak future of obey
ing orders, killing, possible death and/or
injury, a loss of the basic freedom of speech,
and other undesirable consequence.
Facing this kind of future is bad enough,
but why must you be drafted if many others
won’t be drafted because of their exemptions?
Many draft exemptions are highly unconstitu
tional under one amendment or another, e.g.,
1st Amendment and 14th Amendment.
by Rogtr Boll
Beil
Yet whatever the inequity there is within
the daft laws themaelves, there exists a
greater injustice with the draft laws just being
on the books.
I challenge anyone to prove to me that our
system of military draft Is not unconstitu
tional under the 13th Amendment to the U.S.
Constitution. The draft is as much a system of
involuntary servitude as the black slavery
which the amendment was ratified to abolish!
It is painful to see the government of this
nation (which is supposedly of, by, and for
the people) to reject the unconstitutionality
of the military draft. To do so only brings on
anarchy, revolution, hatred, violence, and nee
Ing citizens.
Citizens have been demanding an end to
the military draft ever since It first began in
the U.S. over a century ago. Are we to wait
forever? An end must come soon. Slavery
must be dealt a powerful death blow.
Since legal means have not worked in this
regard since the Civil War, the best way at
present to aid in ending the draft system is to
vifourousty resist it: go to jail; leave the
country; go underground; destroy ail draft re
cords possible; refuse registration; desert from
military service, etc.
A strong militant force must be established
to topple the military draft and the govern
ment, if necessary, along with It. Only then
will we be fairly secure from slavery from
within this country. All must unite for free^
dom; slavery must be put to an end.
Carswell Should Be
Nominated Trustee
“G. Harold Carswell. Federal Court Judge;
Tallahasee, Fla., Grad, Class of '48. Walter F.
George School of Law. Rejected for con
firmation as a Supreme Court Justice. Leader
In the opposition movement was the Senator
from Massachusett Edward
“Ted" Kennedy, bolstered by
ft the support of the AFL CIO
and several rights orgam/.a
tions."
raB&gHt The above listing from Who’s
Who can well be envisioned by
those who have followed the
(U-ssf* R criticism of those in opposition
to Mr. Carswell’s character. Let
Wade us look at the loyal opposition.
The primary block to his conformation Is one
Edward Moore Kennedy who has stated that
“there is a question of guilt around Mr.
Carswell.” And this from the same Ted
Kennedy who lingers under the shadow of a
bridge which can not span the credibility gap
between his words and his actions.
But atlll there is a mention of guilt Why?
It all has come about from a statement made
in a 1948 election in which Mr. Carswell
voiced his adherence to the then popular doc
trine of white supremacy. And even if Mr.
Cenweil made the statement. It has not been
proven that he ever wore the robes of the Ku
Klux Klan which one Justice Hugo Black has
been known to wear. In fact, I would state
unequivocally that Mr. Carswell made that
statement in toto and frankly I cannot blame
him for making the statement in the heat of
campaign. He was young, in his Initial cam-
paign, and quite frankly, he wanted to win.
This was Georgia he inhabited In 1948.
Somewhere in our perspective on Carswell,
the time span was lost and people of today
teem to forget that “nigras” used to be
lynched in Cordele and shoved to the back of
buses in Atlanta. But, of course, times have
changed with time, some people have taken a
change for the better. A prime case of this
evolution may be seen in the embryo of a
rednecked segregationist named Herman
Talmadge who matured into a Senator who
today votes regularly with the Americans for
Democratic Action. Mr. Carswell has repudi
ated that statement of 1948 and I can find
nothing in his record from thst time to render
cause to question his integrity.
And yet, there is a second latent factor
prevalent in this case. It csn be seen that the
character of Mr. Carswell is in doubt because
his Ilfs has revolved around Florida and
Georgia. Yes, though man has changed in
these years, there are still those who would
object to his nomination for such a trivial
assumption that your native state can deter
mine your personal characteristics. Con
ristently an attempt is made to eradicate the
by Rocky Wade
hate of a foment one hundred years ago and
yet, there are those who will discriminate
against a man because he is from a certain
state. Yes, there are those who would dis
criminate at Georgia through stereotype
(especially at its Governor) while nullifying in
their mind the fact that it was always the
home of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It makes
one feel sorry for those who hold with such
biased prejudgement.
Personally, I feel that it will be an honor
to Mercer and the integrity of the Law School
to have Mr. Carswell swore into the Supreme
Court. I think his integrity will serve to allevi
ate the stigma which Is somehow attached to
otir stale and the region to which it belongs.
At this time of year when the selection of
Trustees is fast upon the school. I for one
would like to see the name of Mr. G. Harold
Carswell added to those already being con
sidered. No finer nominee could I think be
worthy of the honor.
Who Are The Bad Guys,
Who Are The Good Guys ?
While growing up we didn’t find it hard to
tell who the bad guys were. They were very
evil fellows whore death meant very little. But
now we find ourselves in a world where our
identity is often determined by those things
which we are against and pointing out the bad
guy gets a little ambiguous.
Sure we all sit around our particular aec-
tion of the cafeteria pretty firm in the convic
tion that the rest of the room is full of bad
guys. But who are they?
How many of us don’t many times turn
our backs on our people, our neighbors back
home, our parents, and old friends. We find
ourselves at college becoming enlightened
shunning our people as low class, pious hypo
crites, country club -puppets, Uncle Toms, or
uneducated rednecks. »
How many of us haven’t indicted the
blacks for being ungrateful or Greeks for
being racist or white folks for being hypo
crites. Which ones of us haven’t scoffed at
those “goody-goody” liberals.
Who among us hasn’t broken in line, stolen
an extra piece of pie or dropped a leaflet in
the post office floor.
Do we really know what we’re doing'.' We
often talk of Greek unity, but in rush we cut
each other’s throats and all the time we liter
ally say we hate this group or that and are
finally capable of shaving somebody’s head.
We talk about getting our people together, but
we argue at every turn, and fear each other
throwing “Uncle Tom” back and forth be
cause of its ability to cut.
Just who are the bad guys? The long-haired
weirdos maybe or the ROTC puppet killing
machine. Who do we condemn, the girl who
does it for everybody or the one who doesn’t
at all. We talk about hating those who write
those ignorant articles we disagree with. Some
of us condemn the faculty who have never
been Greek and the rest of us condemn the
others as racist.
Who of us doesn't hate out of pure con
ceit, knowing we are right and that God is on
our side.
Who are we gonna’ point to?
Which of us are willing to take the respon
sibility for the twenty or thirty lives our
groups control, influence, and sometimes mar.
As new students come each year who bears
the responsibility for teaching a faith in God
Student Participation
Supported By Alumni
On January 30 the Mercer Alumni Associa
tion Executive Committee Meeting was held in
the President's Dining Room in the Connell
Student Center. There were three students
present at the meeting, who actually did par
ticipate, being Bobby Potter, Gary Johnson,
and myself. On the business
agenda various committees |
reported, but the business that
concerned the students at
Mercer University came in the
approval of a motion to recom
mend to the trustees that a
student be given status as a
trustee of said University. This
student would be elected from
the student body and have full Childs
voting rights as a trustee. What does this mean
for the students at Mercer University?
This move has two significant meanings for
the Mercer students as I aw it, the first being
that the Mercer students are finally being sug
gested as a factor in the decision making of
the University. Mercer students have for too
long been on the receiving end of financial,
academic, and religious matters at Mercer but
never allowed to participate In the actual deci
sion making. The University is for the student,
as the library and all of the University's facili
ties, therefore what better source for policy
making and priority deriskxu could there be
by Ron Childs
than the students. I feel that the students at
Mercer do not express a desire to be a dicta
tor, only a part of the decisions that are made
that directly affect the students, not the trus
tees or alumni.
The second significant meaning in this deci
sion by the Alumni Executive Committee is
that the time has come for Mercer students to
reappraise themselves. Mercer students for too
long have rejected the opportunity and privi
lege of self-government, classifying themselves
as too immature for the position or not
wanting to get involved in the administration’s
affaire. It took the Alumni Executive Com
mittee, men from ages of 30 to 70 to push
the student into involvement as a trustee, not
the students themaelves who should have been
at the door knocking for entrance long ago.
The students at Mercer University are forever
indebted to this body of Alumni who arc
willing to give Mercer students a voice in their
own affairs, a chance to be in on the decisions
of the University which affect the students.
The students at Mercer have been quiet and
Still on this issue of involvement, but thanks
to groups such as the Alumni I hope and feel
that the students at Mercer Univarsity will
begin to get involved in the affairs of the Uni
versity. To the Alumni Executive Committee,
I for one express extreme gratitude for waking
the students from a long, unproductive sleep.
by Tommy Maddox
that lacks security and wins no approval with
family and friends. Who are we that teach
hate and fear as a part of education at Mercer.
Have we thought of the consequences in
terms of misunderstanding, pain, and ruined
lives when we act out of our own frustration
and demonstrate, gambling with weeks of
dedicated effort. Or when we yell across an
athletic field, just pushing for a fight as if the
sickening crunch of loose teeth and sting of
swollen eyes, the sight of a paralyzed friend
and the agony of a weeping parent were not
part of this game of self-assertion we plav
How many of us do anything other than
hate and reaffirm our neighbors’ convictions
that we are to be feared and mistrusted.
Who among us is right enough to be at
peace with himself when the Cluster headlines
read: 1 Dead 9 Injured.
Greeks will not be stronger, blacks will not
be freer, more people will not believe in God,
the flag will not fly more proudly.
1 Dead 9 Injured and who were the bad
guys? Or isn’t there a better way?
School Has Third
Responsibility
At the time of this writing, it seems that
three ping pong tables will be in the room
next door to the Post Office in the Connell
Student Center. Equipment should be avail
able, complements of a campus service frater
nity, by the time this paper is
distributed.
A representative of the
Housing Office has informed
the CLUSTER that if changes
in the University's regulations
concerning women in public
areas of Men’s dormitories
(such as TV and recreation
rooms) are to be made, stu
dents must demonstrate their
desire to see such a change by either contact
ing the Men’s Housing Office or signing a
petition being circulated by Larry Finkelstein
and Jimmie Samuel. The ADMINISTRATION
appears to be receptive towards the idea, and
is to be complimented on the basis of their
* cautious cooperation.
This school is the home of more than a
thousand young men and women As such, it
has the responsibility of providing food, shel
ter, and recreation to every paying member of
this academic community. The success of the
University in shouldering its first two respon
sibilities to its resident students has been open
to question for some time. In every sector of
the community their are those of us who are
willing to defend or detract from the effec
tiveness of University policy of room and
board. Only in the area of recreation is their
general and complete agreement on the utter
failure of the ADMINISTRATION to provide
facilities comparable to those of any modern
campus across the country
Here the University must be brought to
task; our home — the home provided to
campus residents by the University — must be
provided with a furnished recreation room. At
present, we have neither a room, nor its pro
per furnishings. Colleges and Universities half
our size can boast of buildings brimming with
pool and ping pong tables, co-ed TV rooms,
and fanciful devices that not only contribute
to such schools ability to attract students, but
needed and useful devices that ultimately con
tribute any schools' ability to retain pupils
that must live on the campuses they have
chosen for themselves.
It is time for the University to come awake
to the idea of its third responsibility. . .the
one that has been ignored to date. The people
who live here now are beginning to Insist
upon it. Those who will come will demand it.
Those who leave before graduation will simply
forget about it Something must be done
while most of us remain to complain, lest we
should leave and forget
Finkelstein
THE MERCER CLUSTER • February 10, 1970 • 5