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Student protests, May-December 1971
1971-05-07 Iowa City Press-Citizen Deitorial: ""Up to Students""
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IOWA CITY PRESS-CITIZEN Editorial Page Friday, May 7, 1971 Up to Students Wednesday night's rain-dampened outburst demonstrated once again that it doesn't take much to draw a crowd in Iowa City. It proved, too, that protected by the anonymity of a crowd, a few people will act in such a way as to damage others, not only businessmen but also the university and fellow students. If it were needed, the events of Thursday night offered further proof that crowds will gather. And the anonymity of the crowd not only culminated in what Mayor Loren L. Hickerson called the "madness" of bombing the Civic Center but also the attacks by sheriff's special deputies on at least three photographers doing their jobs. More positively, the incidents showed that dozens of students are willing to take the role of monitors, seeking to prevent both damage to others and injury to demonstrators despite obloquy directed at them and personal risk. As it was a year ago, the white armband was a badge of honor. The demonstration showed too, that the vast majority of students theotehr night found disruption and damage of no value as a means of expression. If as many as 500 took part, even as spectators, the number adds up to only 2 1/2 per cent of the University of Iowa student body, assuming all were students, a doubtful position at best. And the number throwing rocks to break windows was a tiny percentage of those milling about the downtown area, according to most observers. Another thing that was proven, again, was that senseless actions provoke further thoughtless responses and the risks of serious consequences rise in geometric progression. Wisdom, plus a respect for others hence demands a caution and restraint beyond that normally expected of public officers and private citizens. But this has to be the problem here in the days ahead. The demonstrations proved once more that the most effective control of a crowd comes from within, that law enforcement officers, even in large numbers, face immense difficulties in doing much more than reinforcing the inner control. This suggests, too, that the most effective way of dealing with the entire matter of student disruption lies with students. In other words, the responsibility exercised by students will determine to a large degree whether more destructive outbursts will occur or whether protest will be restrained within peaceful, non-violent channels. Only the days ahead will tell.
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IOWA CITY PRESS-CITIZEN Editorial Page Friday, May 7, 1971 Up to Students Wednesday night's rain-dampened outburst demonstrated once again that it doesn't take much to draw a crowd in Iowa City. It proved, too, that protected by the anonymity of a crowd, a few people will act in such a way as to damage others, not only businessmen but also the university and fellow students. If it were needed, the events of Thursday night offered further proof that crowds will gather. And the anonymity of the crowd not only culminated in what Mayor Loren L. Hickerson called the "madness" of bombing the Civic Center but also the attacks by sheriff's special deputies on at least three photographers doing their jobs. More positively, the incidents showed that dozens of students are willing to take the role of monitors, seeking to prevent both damage to others and injury to demonstrators despite obloquy directed at them and personal risk. As it was a year ago, the white armband was a badge of honor. The demonstration showed too, that the vast majority of students theotehr night found disruption and damage of no value as a means of expression. If as many as 500 took part, even as spectators, the number adds up to only 2 1/2 per cent of the University of Iowa student body, assuming all were students, a doubtful position at best. And the number throwing rocks to break windows was a tiny percentage of those milling about the downtown area, according to most observers. Another thing that was proven, again, was that senseless actions provoke further thoughtless responses and the risks of serious consequences rise in geometric progression. Wisdom, plus a respect for others hence demands a caution and restraint beyond that normally expected of public officers and private citizens. But this has to be the problem here in the days ahead. The demonstrations proved once more that the most effective control of a crowd comes from within, that law enforcement officers, even in large numbers, face immense difficulties in doing much more than reinforcing the inner control. This suggests, too, that the most effective way of dealing with the entire matter of student disruption lies with students. In other words, the responsibility exercised by students will determine to a large degree whether more destructive outbursts will occur or whether protest will be restrained within peaceful, non-violent channels. Only the days ahead will tell.
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