Page 2
The Daily Nebraskan
Tuesday, September 24, 1968
nomv ioience
g en
th
d
of
'gory:
hough it is no easier to get
EfjaS folks to agree on a particu-
'political issue than it is to pro
flXtcfc like consensus in the black
community, white America is gen
EEBIy united in deploring the vio
lence of the black ghetto. Black
tJSHtants are seen to be the enemies
of-wholesome race relations in this
'JSSllCly rebuked by the mass
media. But white America fails to
Understand that its own rejection
of-the philosophy of non-violence
Eu. produced Stokely Carmichael
end Rap Brown.
tlMany people in this country
fopet, or perhaps never knew, that
iCwas Rap Brown, Stokely
Carmichael and other members of
tJte Student Nonvio lent
wrtJinating Committee (SNCC)
-Cl''wiL 1 11 1,1 1 -' m :3
k . 'WW'? . ' VJL' 71 g:i
I Hi . tfyJJk
f. w. . - .m i
ii, '-ew,. f k r"TN-"
'If
r
r . .
-'"'
.h. i
Tir in 1 11 j.iJ
who taught nonviolence in the early
days of the civil rights movement.
If white America could have really
seen what those kids went through
then, it could better understand and
appreciate what they are saying
now.
EVERY WHITE American
should have been with Stokely and
Rap In Greenwood, Mississippi,
when they tried to integrate the
schools. All during the summer
months, while most Americans
were enjoying their vacations,
SNCC members were canvassing
the black community. They had to
convince poor sharecroppers that
their kids were needed to test the
Supreme Court decision on school
desegregation.
SNCC did a good job that sum
mer. They got twelve families to
permit their children to be used
in the integration effort. At least
they thought they had twelve when
they went to bed the night before
opening day of school. The next
morning only eight reported four
had copped out. Just try to imagine
what it feels like to go to a five-year-old
kid's house to pick him
up for the first day of school. He
is all smiles and excitedly happy.
And you place his little black hand
in yours and wonder why someone
hasn't had the courage to tell him
that he might be going to die.
When you come to the school
building, you see the cops bar
ricading it and the sheriff says,
"Where are you going, nigger?"
And you answer, "I'm going to
school." The little kid looks up in
nocently and says, "Mornin',
mister." And the sheriff snaps,
"Well, you can't bring that car in
here." So you park the car and
get out cautiously. You tightly grip
that little black hand again and
the inside of your hand is soaking
wet with sweat. Not the kid's
sweat, but your own.
As you approach the school
building, you see a sight that
makes you know that somebody is
going to die. You see the mob and
the police. When you hit the school
steps, you know you weren't wrong.
You are not only attacked by the
mob, but by the sheriff and the
police. The next thing you know
you are flat on your back in the
gutter with that sheriff's foot on
your chest and a double-barreled
shotgun in your throat. You hear
a voice snarl, "MOVE, NIGGER,
AND I'LL BLOW YOUR BRAINS
OUT." You're terrified but you
think how ironic It is that the only
time white folks will admit you
have brains is when they are talk
ing about what they are going to
do to them.
Then the most horrible thing
happens that has ever happened
to you in your life. You suddenly
realize that the little black hand
is not there. And you turn around
to look for that little five-year-old
kid. You spot him just in time to
see a brick hit him right in the
mouth. That just doesn't read right
for some reason. You have to ac
tually see a brick hit a five-year-old
kid in the mouth, regardless of
what color the kid is. Only then
can you realize the depths of blind
and insane hate.
Now you have to take that bruis
ed and bleeding little kid, whose
early-morning smile has been
pulverized and perhaps erased
forever, back home to his parents
who trusted you. You have to try
to explain what happened. You
have to hope you will have their
support when you have the stomach
to try again. And your own words
choke you and anything you are
able to say sounds so unconvincing.
YOU MAY never be able to
justify Stokely and Rap, but when
you know what they have been
through, you may be able to un
derstand them. If all white
Americans went through the same
treatment those SNCC kids went
through, half of them would have
committed suicide and the other
half would be burning this country
to the ground.
: Dick Gregory
'
.!
Revolution
Mat Wasn't
' """"
T-tell the cops I'm wounded, I
cani fun. So they told Bobby
"KiS" and Pmhed him' Bobby
wasjtumbling from the shove, up
tight, stumbling tloicn this walk.
And they just shot him down."
'ZZ. Eldridge Cleaver in Evergreen
Reality, a popular lapel button tells us,
is a crutch. Whoever coined that particular
bit tffop wisdom may have had a point,
but it seems there are a few people around
who could still use a crutch.
Take Nebraska Students for Peace and
Freedom. Put together from the tatters of
SDS and the old Movement, this group pro
mised us revolution. What we are getting
is a good dose of the ridiculous.
THIS GROUP of dissident anarchy
mongers fished around for an issue Monday
night. That fact alone should bring snickers
to the lace of every self-respecting radical.
Horn we are. not three weeks into the
semester that started in Chicago, and the
Peace and Freedom group is fishing for an
issue. What happened to Vietnam? Racism?
The Malone Center?
But never fear. Good yeomen all, the boys
came with an issue. Why write a constitu
tion in order to be recognized as a campus
organization? Why not just demand that the
group be given a Union room to meet in?
With visions of Paris dancing in their
heads, otr willy-nilly radicals decided to do
just that; Make an issue of getting a room
in the Union. Now let's see . . . the laborers
should support us, the blacks will probably
take over, eight or nine buildings, the 101st
Airborne will make parachute landings . .
Meanwhile, back in reality there is
Eldridge Cleaver. Why not rap with Eldridge
a while, boys. Talk to him about rats in
houses and about brutality and about all those
funny-looking people who don't have enough
to eat. ,
Rap about revolution a while, boys.
Revolution with a capital R. Revolution that
means change. Revolution that means dignity
for those who don't have it. Have we become
so affluent and lazy that even our radicals
can't think of anything bigger than trying
to get a room in the Union?
.Unless our P and F members wake up,
Eldridge Cleaver and the men who stand for
something would do well to disown them. Since
Chicago, the battlelines are clearly drawn.
The changes that are needed are clear, the
necefsitsCfor those who oppose the system
to gt3sep and be counted ii obvjous.
TbCZr powerful issues floating around,
if tfces-wjp would just take a httle time
to Iov'Sjb over. The way it is now, they're
iml -4M4n that Nebraska can't do anything
right!
IZZZZ ' Jack Todd
DAILY
NEBRASKAN
ditonals
Coinminmeintery
And
0
by Wayne Stoeber
A Current Member of
The Innocents Society
(Each May a select number
of male University of
Nebraska students receives
letters from the Innocents
society, the campus honorary
which chooses its members
for their "scholarship,,
service, and participation in
University activities," ac
cording to the NU Campus
handbook. Mr. Stoeber re
ceived his letter in May,
1968.)
Now, upon receiving my
application to the Introversion
Society, overcome by joy, I
immediately, uncontroll ably
and irrevocably commenced
to laugh, cry, throw up and
make other contradictory
reactions that any other
member of various campus
ethnic groups would have
done in my situation. I then
asked my room-mate what it
was. She didn't know. So I
walked down to the library
(knowing full-well anything
worth laughing, crying and
belching forth about must be
in Love.) Anyway, I did want
to see if anything now had
been written on the can doors.
Well, I got there sat down
and found one bound copy of
last year's Cornhusker year
book, and, after thumb
ing through one hundred
pages about Selleck's pros-in-residence,
I finally reached
a section on the Introversions,
only to find that year's fairy
princesses instead. I was
corrected by a member of
some breeding stock seated
next to me, and some 23
others, (reacting in harmony
to his words) each wearing
an identical beanie labeled
"1968 SDS or Sigma Delta
Sigma, the campus Number
One Greeks" on their heads.
They have large heads. He
explained to me that the In
troversions looked like fairy
princesses because they
always wore the fabled
chartreuse robes and hoods
which symbolized the yellow
jaundice epidemic put down
some fifty years ago when 17
Regents left the state, which
explains why there are
always just 13 Introversions.
I thanked bim and startel to
' read the sentence on their
accomplishments of the year:
It stems they made quite a
haul on the frosh hop and also
on the sale of beanies (it then
occured to me why the other
23 were wearng identical
then
ere were twelve
000
beanies labeled "1968 S.D.S.
or Sigma Delta Sigma, the
Campus Number One
Greeks.") So, I filled out the
application, ran home, and
closed the book (in reverse
order) fully assured that I
could sell beanies just as good
as anyone. And I signed up
for a crash course at Arthur
Murray's for some dance
lessons, to be ready for the
frosh hop, just in case I was
elected to the Introversions.
(Ivy Day is the University
of Nebraska's most tradit
ional tradition the day
when Sheldon Art Gallery's
west lawn is the site of many
age-old festivities: The
singing fest, the planting of
the ivy, the crowning of the
May Queen. It is also the day
on which new Innocents are
tackled. Mr. Stoeber, an NU
music major, is not an on
campus resident. He
portrayed Tony in the Kosmct
Klub spring production of
West Side Story" and Is a
member of a campus folk
singing group. He was tackled
in May, 1968.)
Now came the period known
as the bugging, when all of
the candidates try avoiding to
be avoided by the In
troversions, which wasn't
hard for me because I spent
most of my time taking dance
lessons and wasn't home.
Anyway, the Introversions
seldom go off Greek Row, but
I had been a big hit in this
year's Cosmo Club with my
dancing donkey disguised as
Terri Carpenter. I thought I
had a pretty good thing going.
That day of reflection,
selection, rejection and elec
tion finally happened and
everyone was out in style for
it. The grandstands were fill
ed with every kind of student
imaginable. There were
Greeks, and there were . . .
and yeh, even some . . .
un huh. The counterpart of
the Introversions were there
also, those being the Mortar
Drawers. Governor Taxem
and Chancellor Hardly also
participated in the festivities.
The most memorable event,
of course, was the group
singing. Once again the Betas
edged the Mormon
Tabernacle Choir with their
rendition of "She Got Her Key
on ' Monday: We'll Have a
Shotgun Wedding Someday
Soon, Helen." Somebody next
to me said: "Now it's time
for the Mortar Drawers tap
ping!!" I said, "Make mine
a Bud," but it wasn't that
kind, so I passed. Then all
at once I'm being herded out
into the middle of this field
with all of the rest of breeding
stock and people are pushing
and yelling . . . and yelling
. . . and sweating . . . (and
being cool) . . . and these
Introversions are running
around, knocking guys over.
And then cheers go up.
Why, its sadistic, that's what
it is. And they keep knocking
down people (it's kind of like
open registration) now, all at
once, I'm tackled and land
right on my billfold. Well, I
can't tell you how relieved!
I was knowing my dance
lessons hadn't been a waste.
I was seated with the rest
of the new members
handshaked and picturetaked.
I was told to come to a party
which ended up with the old
Introversions running around
the banquet table shouting
profanities. We had our first
meeting the next week where
I learned, that to make a long
distance telephone call, all
you have to do is dial 112 and
then the proper digits which
isn't very likely when remind
ed of the facts ... but then
again . . . that style of plaid
conflicts with the trousers . . .
The story you have just
read is underestimated.
The names have been
changed to protect the Inno
cent.
Reprinted from
Summer Nebraskan
Larry Grossman . . .
Three roads diverged in a yellow wood . . .
When a young man in the
United States graduates or
leaves school today he is
faced with three alternatives.
A. Enter the military service
B. Fight the draft and face
federal prosecution C. Go into
a Canadian or other foreign
exile.
The course of least
resistance is to enter the
military service. One runs the
risk of being sent to Viet
Nam, but statistically you are
more likely to spend your
term of duty typing out lunch
menus on an Army base in
Ohio.
WHEN YOU complete your
service, you will have
satisfied the demands of your
government and society. You
are free to earn your fortune
in the United States.
Some will argue that this
course is immoral as the
military service itself is im-
Oaily Nehraskan
Sccor.rt-cl-: postAue pain ai Lincoln leh
TKLEPIIONKS Editor 472-2rj). Newa 72-2589. Boinel 72-25S0
Suhscriplicin rate art $4 -i wrmtn or 16 or the academic year.
Published Monday WednMdav rhnradav Mri Vrtdat dunni Um achool var
wrept lurint vaoaiiniw and exam orioa by th tudits M ih linlvertity
of Nebraska unrt-i br HiriMjIrtion of ih Faculty Suhcommltu-, jo student
Puhiireiinn Publication hall bf in (mm censorship by the Subeummltte
or any prw out.irt- the llnivrnit Member n Uie Nehrukan m xaponaihia
tot what the cau-elo be printed.
Hemhet .mnnaie rolieciaie P-e. National educational 4dvtrt!tlnt Service .
Editorial Staff
Editor Jack Todd: Managing Editor Gd leenoglet Newt Editor Lvon Gotlachatk;
Nit hi Newa Editor Kent lock son. Editorial Pae Attiatant Melly Murrelt; Aesit.tant
Nitht aewa editor Phil Medcalfi Sport Editor Mark Gordon, tsiaunt Sport Editor
Raiidv Vork; Senior Start Writer John Dvorak. Larry Eclkbolt, Corie Kautmao,
Julie Morris Jim Pederaen. Junior Sufi Writem Ban Oenou, Terry Crobe. Holly
Roaenberfer. Bill Swltherman. Connie Winkler. Senior Copy Editor Joan Waneoneri
Copy Editor Phyllla Adklsnon. Dave Ftlipi. June Waggonei, 4tndrea Wood: Photo
(rapt) Chief Dan ltdely; Pnotofrapasr Jim bhaw: Axii! Brett Skinaer aad Gail
Pleumaa
Business Staff
Buttinc'Hg Manager J. L. Schmidt! Bookkeeper Rotfer Boye; Production Manager
John Fleming ; Nation! Ad Manager fritz Shoemaker; Buaineaa Secretary and
( last-ilied Ad Mnda t Inch: SubHcnption Manager Jan Boatman: Circulation Man
aitera Ron Pa'elka. Rick lioran: Saleamen Meg Brown, Joel Davia. Glenn Friemlt,
Nancy (iuilliatt, Dan Looker. Todd Slaunhler.
moral. Not so. The existence
of the military is necessary
and justifiable. One's talents
and time are generally
misused or wasted while in
the service but as a citizen
one has to meet the obliga
tions set for him by the gov
ernment. If one is convinced that
these obligations are im
moral, he can choose to fight
or flee. Those who stay and
fight are the most
courageous. The prospect of
going to prison for five or
mors years for a belief would
shake the resolve of all but
the most sincere.
Going to prison may satisfy
the demands of one's cons
cience but the act will have
little effect on the society as
a whole. You will be reviled
by some, praised by others,
and remain alone in your cell
for five years.
Canada js the last choice.
Leaving this nation under
pressure from ' the draft
means sentencing oneself to
a permanent exile. It means
leaving family, friends, and
one's culture behind.
Canada is similar to the
United States in standard of
living, but the economic
future for an American exile
there is limited. Eighty per
cent of Canadian industry is
United States controlled. Ex
ecutives travel frequently to
the home offices in the United
States. An exile could not ob
tain such a position.
FOR THOSE in the
academic world, there are
similar problems. The best
research facilities in the
world exist in the United
States. Conferences of in
ternational importance are
held each year on American
campuses. The academic ex
ile is cut off from the action.
Most people who flee the
United States for foreign ex
iles do not consider the
alternatives or the conse
quences of their act until it
is too late.
The three choices open to
a young maa are al) difficult.
One must base his decision
on his own values and decide
in terms of what his action
will mean for his future. In
the end, each man must be
able to live with himself.