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University of Iowa anti-war protests, 1970

1970-04-29 Daily Iowan Article: ""ROTC--the April 18 incident, the April 29 impression"" Page 1

ROTC – the April 18 incident, the April 29 impression
No right to disrupt 
To the Editor:
	The events that took place at the ROTC drill meet in Iowa City last Saturday were truly disgusting. What gives one organization the right to disrupt an activity of another?
	A crowd of about 150 demonstrators disrupted the drill teams with loud noises and eventually entered the roped off drill area while a team was drilling and sat down.
	The vice-provost of the university was there. He talked with the demonstrators and accomplished nothing.
	Campus security was there. One uniformed officer was inside the Rec Center and another sat in his car outside behind a pile of crushed gravel.
	No immediate action was taken to remove the demonstrators from the drill floor and most likely nothing will be done to the now that the incident is over.
	If a sit-in had been attempted at Iowa basketball game you can rest assured the participants would have been removed from the playing floor just as soon as they set foot on it.
	Just because the University doesn’t make much money off student organizations is no reason they shouldn’t be protected from outside interference.
	Students have almost too many freedoms, and in the sheltered life of a university much more can be don’t that is possible (or allowed) in the outside world. Demonstrations are an acctable method of self-expression only if they can be peaceful and don’t interfere with the rights of others. Many of the goals set by SDS are impractical—they look and sound find in theory but can never actually be reached,. Why don’t they support something a little closer to home – environmental pollution, perhaps?
Kenneth Anderson, P2

Principles violated
To the Editor:
	The radical student element at the University has again shown us how little they believe in the principles which they so often mouth.
	While claiming to believe so much in peace and freedom, their actions Saturday afternoon (April 18) at the Pershing Rifle Regimental Drill Meet can only be considered as an attempt to agitate the members of Pershing Rifles into violent action and to prevent these fellow students from continuing with a  peacefully competitive meeting.
	Our Student Body President says, “…the mere presence of ROTC on campus provokes those students who demonstrated last Saturday.” He claims. “…these students had no alternative but to disrupt the proceedings.”
	When we consider that the demonstrators were offered time on the drill floor to demonstrate but preferred to wait until they could surround a competing team and then stage a sit in. I can’t understand how Belter could claim they had no alternatives.
	This action, and attempts to provoke the military students through their insulting uses of our national flag and two heads from freshly butchered hogs that they brought, can hardly be compared with the “mere presence” of the military students at a provocation.
	If we compare the actions and provocations of each group, the only conclusion that can be made is that the demonstrators lack the self-control and maturity usually associated with the members of the University community.
	Belter claims that as the representative of the student body (after receiving support from less than seven per cent of the students when elected!), he is asking that no disciplinary action be taken by the University.
	This, to me, is quite incomprehensible. When we consider that the drill meet was entirely student planned, administrated, and financed (meets of this size cost much more that Student Senate budgeted itself last year!), and that the actions of the demonstrators can only be defined as aggressive and militant, a much more rational attitude for Belter to take would seem to be to press the University for the immediate suspension of the guilty parties.
David A. Akerman, L1
119 Templin Park

‘For this they parade?’
To the Editor:
	Congratulations to those 150 souls who face prosecution for stopping the ROTC drill team meet last Saturday, Right on!
	I have this to say to Dean Hubbard and Colonel Shockey; My God, what do you consider civil rights to be? How can you, in clear conscience, think that little boys parading around in groups with deadly weapons is a good and patriotic thinking?
	War is not neat and clean precision drills – ROTC (and the hypocrisy of drill teams) is a hoaky attempt to put a glamorous and deceiving window dressing on a decaying corpse.
	I have never been a street politician. But since my brother was killed in Vietnam in February in the name of ‘freedom’ I have no other desire than to see the forces of death and destruction – the US military – wiped off the face of the earth.
	It sickens me to think that the Army officers stationed here believe the things they teach and have the academic right to present it – and that they find a receptive audience.
	ROTC does not belong on a university campus, no way, no how. Its goals are the antithesis of liberal education.
	Its presence here is simply not a matter of civil rights. The civil rights’ of such organizations is why we’re now so involved in Southeast Asia that 10,000 more men will be killed until the people rise up to make our politicians disengage ourselves from such futile conflict.,
	And in that 10,000 will be a godly number of Saturday’s ROTC members. For this they parade? Don’t tell me it’s duty and don’t tell me it’s national pride. There are such things as good sense and the preservation of human life.
	I am bitter and incapable of political action. But I thank God there are some Americans – whatever motives are attributed to them – who give enough of a damn at this institution to jeopardize their academic standing and draft status in the effort to bring the truth about ROTC to the public.
	A little bit of a precision drill looks innocuous enough but it’s part of the reason that my brother, SGT. Michael Mullen, age 25, a bio-chemistry graduate student who wanted to feed mankind, not destroy it, lost his life at Chulai in the night by ‘friendly forces’ – and wasn’t even listed as a casualty by the lying army.
	Dean Hubbard, how in God’s name can you justify your actions? The stranglehold of the military has to be broken bit by bit, beginning with ROTC. How can you surround fact with fantasy? Is your – or anybody else’s – job really that important when it comes to saving the lives of the next 40,000 soldiers to be killed?
Patricia Mullen, A4
LaPorte City

Further interference
To the Editor:
	Colonel Blimp finally had it and a great weight lifted from him. The others in the room noticed this, they knew from experience he would not blurt out the answer, but sit for a moment and savor it like he did his dollar cigars before lighting them.
	Finally he took a breath and expelled the entire lungfull floating the words out over his already astounded audience, “University of Iowa,” he said.
	The surrounding officers immediately began to bound about the room putting his plan into action. They had been sitting in that room for hours trying to think of a “safe” place to have the Midwest Pershing Rifles (elite ROTC drill team) conference.
	Saturday afternoon Colonel Blimp had a real bummer as about 150 yippies ended his convention, his regularity, and his high opinion of the University.
	“Yippies in Iowa City?” chocked Colonel Blimp into his walkie-talkie producing some sort of coffee-donut mixture onto the transmitting end of the hand-held communicator.
	The administration of this university should consider very seriously the power of the coalition formed to abolish ROTC of this campus. We demanded the breaking of any connection between this university and the military. We will stop the Pershing Rifles again if they come back May 15 as planned, we will stop any Governor’s day ROTC activities May 1 (gentle Thursday), and we will continue to stop ROTC activities until ROTC packs up its guns and leaves this campus.
	Any attempt to “discipline” any of our Brothers and Sisters will be reacted to accordingly. All the power to the people!
The Conspiracy
Jeff Milbourn, A3
Des Moines

Prompting: the 'long hair' dispute
To the Editor:
   On Sat., April 18, members of The University of Iowa Chapter of the New University Conference participated in the demonstration against ROTC and its affiliated organization, Pershing Rifles. The purpose of the present note is to spell out reasons which impelled NUC
[missing words of article] ing in the course out of curiosity rather than with the intent of pursuing his studies to the point of enlistment, nevertheless he would have to cut his hair to complete the course.
   Some sort of compromise may be worked out in the case of this student, opening the way for others who would [missing words of article]
   During the dispute, while Colonel Shockey was refusing to permit the student to participate in some of the activities of the ROTC class, the student chose to express his disagreement with the political values expressed by ROTC by remaining seated when the national anthem was played.
   University management accorded honor of first use of the STUDENT creation Building. The incidents desc[unreadable] ed above are simply blatant exam[unreadable] of the discrepancy between the value [missing word(s)?] the military and these factions wi[unreadable] the University community allied with [unreadable] on the one hand and the values [missing remainder of article]

Saving...

ROTC – the April 18 incident, the April 29 impression No right to disrupt To the Editor: The events that took place at the ROTC drill meet in Iowa City last Saturday were truly disgusting. What gives one organization the right to disrupt an activity of another? A crowd of about 150 demonstrators disrupted the drill teams with loud noises and eventually entered the roped off drill area while a team was drilling and sat down. The vice-provost of the university was there. He talked with the demonstrators and accomplished nothing. Campus security was there. One uniformed officer was inside the Rec Center and another sat in his car outside behind a pile of crushed gravel. No immediate action was taken to remove the demonstrators from the drill floor and most likely nothing will be done to the now that the incident is over. If a sit-in had been attempted at Iowa basketball game you can rest assured the participants would have been removed from the playing floor just as soon as they set foot on it. Just because the University doesn’t make much money off student organizations is no reason they shouldn’t be protected from outside interference. Students have almost too many freedoms, and in the sheltered life of a university much more can be don’t that is possible (or allowed) in the outside world. Demonstrations are an acctable method of self-expression only if they can be peaceful and don’t interfere with the rights of others. Many of the goals set by SDS are impractical—they look and sound find in theory but can never actually be reached,. Why don’t they support something a little closer to home – environmental pollution, perhaps? Kenneth Anderson, P2 Principles violated To the Editor: The radical student element at the University has again shown us how little they believe in the principles which they so often mouth. While claiming to believe so much in peace and freedom, their actions Saturday afternoon (April 18) at the Pershing Rifle Regimental Drill Meet can only be considered as an attempt to agitate the members of Pershing Rifles into violent action and to prevent these fellow students from continuing with a peacefully competitive meeting. Our Student Body President says, “…the mere presence of ROTC on campus provokes those students who demonstrated last Saturday.” He claims. “…these students had no alternative but to disrupt the proceedings.” When we consider that the demonstrators were offered time on the drill floor to demonstrate but preferred to wait until they could surround a competing team and then stage a sit in. I can’t understand how Belter could claim they had no alternatives. This action, and attempts to provoke the military students through their insulting uses of our national flag and two heads from freshly butchered hogs that they brought, can hardly be compared with the “mere presence” of the military students at a provocation. If we compare the actions and provocations of each group, the only conclusion that can be made is that the demonstrators lack the self-control and maturity usually associated with the members of the University community. Belter claims that as the representative of the student body (after receiving support from less than seven per cent of the students when elected!), he is asking that no disciplinary action be taken by the University. This, to me, is quite incomprehensible. When we consider that the drill meet was entirely student planned, administrated, and financed (meets of this size cost much more that Student Senate budgeted itself last year!), and that the actions of the demonstrators can only be defined as aggressive and militant, a much more rational attitude for Belter to take would seem to be to press the University for the immediate suspension of the guilty parties. David A. Akerman, L1 119 Templin Park ‘For this they parade?’ To the Editor: Congratulations to those 150 souls who face prosecution for stopping the ROTC drill team meet last Saturday, Right on! I have this to say to Dean Hubbard and Colonel Shockey; My God, what do you consider civil rights to be? How can you, in clear conscience, think that little boys parading around in groups with deadly weapons is a good and patriotic thinking? War is not neat and clean precision drills – ROTC (and the hypocrisy of drill teams) is a hoaky attempt to put a glamorous and deceiving window dressing on a decaying corpse. I have never been a street politician. But since my brother was killed in Vietnam in February in the name of ‘freedom’ I have no other desire than to see the forces of death and destruction – the US military – wiped off the face of the earth. It sickens me to think that the Army officers stationed here believe the things they teach and have the academic right to present it – and that they find a receptive audience. ROTC does not belong on a university campus, no way, no how. Its goals are the antithesis of liberal education. Its presence here is simply not a matter of civil rights. The civil rights’ of such organizations is why we’re now so involved in Southeast Asia that 10,000 more men will be killed until the people rise up to make our politicians disengage ourselves from such futile conflict., And in that 10,000 will be a godly number of Saturday’s ROTC members. For this they parade? Don’t tell me it’s duty and don’t tell me it’s national pride. There are such things as good sense and the preservation of human life. I am bitter and incapable of political action. But I thank God there are some Americans – whatever motives are attributed to them – who give enough of a damn at this institution to jeopardize their academic standing and draft status in the effort to bring the truth about ROTC to the public. A little bit of a precision drill looks innocuous enough but it’s part of the reason that my brother, SGT. Michael Mullen, age 25, a bio-chemistry graduate student who wanted to feed mankind, not destroy it, lost his life at Chulai in the night by ‘friendly forces’ – and wasn’t even listed as a casualty by the lying army. Dean Hubbard, how in God’s name can you justify your actions? The stranglehold of the military has to be broken bit by bit, beginning with ROTC. How can you surround fact with fantasy? Is your – or anybody else’s – job really that important when it comes to saving the lives of the next 40,000 soldiers to be killed? Patricia Mullen, A4 LaPorte City Further interference To the Editor: Colonel Blimp finally had it and a great weight lifted from him. The others in the room noticed this, they knew from experience he would not blurt out the answer, but sit for a moment and savor it like he did his dollar cigars before lighting them. Finally he took a breath and expelled the entire lungfull floating the words out over his already astounded audience, “University of Iowa,” he said. The surrounding officers immediately began to bound about the room putting his plan into action. They had been sitting in that room for hours trying to think of a “safe” place to have the Midwest Pershing Rifles (elite ROTC drill team) conference. Saturday afternoon Colonel Blimp had a real bummer as about 150 yippies ended his convention, his regularity, and his high opinion of the University. “Yippies in Iowa City?” chocked Colonel Blimp into his walkie-talkie producing some sort of coffee-donut mixture onto the transmitting end of the hand-held communicator. The administration of this university should consider very seriously the power of the coalition formed to abolish ROTC of this campus. We demanded the breaking of any connection between this university and the military. We will stop the Pershing Rifles again if they come back May 15 as planned, we will stop any Governor’s day ROTC activities May 1 (gentle Thursday), and we will continue to stop ROTC activities until ROTC packs up its guns and leaves this campus. Any attempt to “discipline” any of our Brothers and Sisters will be reacted to accordingly. All the power to the people! The Conspiracy Jeff Milbourn, A3 Des Moines Prompting: the 'long hair' dispute To the Editor: On Sat., April 18, members of The University of Iowa Chapter of the New University Conference participated in the demonstration against ROTC and its affiliated organization, Pershing Rifles. The purpose of the present note is to spell out reasons which impelled NUC [missing words of article] ing in the course out of curiosity rather than with the intent of pursuing his studies to the point of enlistment, nevertheless he would have to cut his hair to complete the course. Some sort of compromise may be worked out in the case of this student, opening the way for others who would [missing words of article] During the dispute, while Colonel Shockey was refusing to permit the student to participate in some of the activities of the ROTC class, the student chose to express his disagreement with the political values expressed by ROTC by remaining seated when the national anthem was played. University management accorded honor of first use of the STUDENT creation Building. The incidents desc[unreadable] ed above are simply blatant exam[unreadable] of the discrepancy between the value [missing word(s)?] the military and these factions wi[unreadable] the University community allied with [unreadable] on the one hand and the values [missing remainder of article]