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Student protests, May-December 1971

1971-05-13 Des Moines Register Editorial: ""Dangerous Madness""

16 Thurs, May 13, 1971

The Des Moines Register 
An Independent Newspaper

GARDNER COWLES Chairman of the Board 

DAVID KRUIDENIER President and Publisher
KENNETH MacDONALD Editor
A. EDWARD HEINS Managing Editor
LAUREN SOTH Editorial Page Editor
LOUIS H. NORRIS Business Manager

Dangerous Madness

There are demonstrations and there are demonstrations, and too often the distinctions are lost in the turmoil of the times. That's what happened at Iowa City, where an outburst of spring rowdyism suddenly escalated into a dangerous game between students and police. 
The night-time melees this week near the University of Iowa's complex of men's dormitories came in the aftermath of last week's anti-war demonstrations in Washington and the bombing of the Iowa City Civic Center. There was tension in the air, and a group of militant students took advantage of the situation, provoking a skirmish with city police. 
That brought out more students, many of them curious onlookers and others looking for an excuse for a spring frolic. The police, though, were in no mood for fun and games. Sheriff's deputies called in as reinforcements fired tear gas in the dormitories where students were studying or sleeping. That provocative and irresponsible act made a bad situation worse. 
Many of the students were ready to retaliate and they did the next night. By then Gov. Robert Ray had called in the Highway Patrol to help city police restore order, with the sheriff's deputies kept at a distance By then militant students also had marshalled support from many others who had been trying to avoid the flareups between opposing forces. 
To many observers both in Iowa City and elsewhere, the situation had the ingredients of another Kent State. As might be expected, there were hotheads  on both the police and student sides who appeared eager for blood-letting. 
Ray showed wise restraint by ignoring panicky appeals to send the National Guard to Iowa City.That would surely have provoked the Iowa students, as it did those at Kent State a year ago. The Highway Patrol has the maturity and training to deal with the situation. The Patrol did a commendable job last year during the Iowa City demonstrations that followed Kent State and the military invasion of Cambodia. 
The disturbances this week bore little resemblance to the protests last year. There was no unifying motive, no collective resentment, as there was last year in the indignation over extension of the war and the killing of students at Kent State. Instead, a lot of rash behavior combined to make an ugly situation. 
Students have been rash many times before, and so have police. But in these tense times, many people, including many police officials, see any student demonstration as a potential menace to society that must be met with force. 
And to many students, egged on by radical sloganeering, any show of force by the police must be countered with steady harassment, some of it violent and lawless. 
A combination of restraint and reason is usually a good remedy for the kind of outbursts that troubled Iowa City. Top leaders of both the city and the university, along with Governor Ray, have sought to restore order without succumbing to irrational, oppressive tactics that would only incite more madness.

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16 Thurs, May 13, 1971 The Des Moines Register An Independent Newspaper GARDNER COWLES Chairman of the Board DAVID KRUIDENIER President and Publisher KENNETH MacDONALD Editor A. EDWARD HEINS Managing Editor LAUREN SOTH Editorial Page Editor LOUIS H. NORRIS Business Manager Dangerous Madness There are demonstrations and there are demonstrations, and too often the distinctions are lost in the turmoil of the times. That's what happened at Iowa City, where an outburst of spring rowdyism suddenly escalated into a dangerous game between students and police. The night-time melees this week near the University of Iowa's complex of men's dormitories came in the aftermath of last week's anti-war demonstrations in Washington and the bombing of the Iowa City Civic Center. There was tension in the air, and a group of militant students took advantage of the situation, provoking a skirmish with city police. That brought out more students, many of them curious onlookers and others looking for an excuse for a spring frolic. The police, though, were in no mood for fun and games. Sheriff's deputies called in as reinforcements fired tear gas in the dormitories where students were studying or sleeping. That provocative and irresponsible act made a bad situation worse. Many of the students were ready to retaliate and they did the next night. By then Gov. Robert Ray had called in the Highway Patrol to help city police restore order, with the sheriff's deputies kept at a distance By then militant students also had marshalled support from many others who had been trying to avoid the flareups between opposing forces. To many observers both in Iowa City and elsewhere, the situation had the ingredients of another Kent State. As might be expected, there were hotheads on both the police and student sides who appeared eager for blood-letting. Ray showed wise restraint by ignoring panicky appeals to send the National Guard to Iowa City.That would surely have provoked the Iowa students, as it did those at Kent State a year ago. The Highway Patrol has the maturity and training to deal with the situation. The Patrol did a commendable job last year during the Iowa City demonstrations that followed Kent State and the military invasion of Cambodia. The disturbances this week bore little resemblance to the protests last year. There was no unifying motive, no collective resentment, as there was last year in the indignation over extension of the war and the killing of students at Kent State. Instead, a lot of rash behavior combined to make an ugly situation. Students have been rash many times before, and so have police. But in these tense times, many people, including many police officials, see any student demonstration as a potential menace to society that must be met with force. And to many students, egged on by radical sloganeering, any show of force by the police must be countered with steady harassment, some of it violent and lawless. A combination of restraint and reason is usually a good remedy for the kind of outbursts that troubled Iowa City. Top leaders of both the city and the university, along with Governor Ray, have sought to restore order without succumbing to irrational, oppressive tactics that would only incite more madness.