Activities
The following announcements of information and activities have been issued by the KU Coordinating Committee (KUCC):
If anyone wants a copy of "What's Happening at KU" to take home to their family and friends, it may be obtained at the Coordinating Committee office in Strong Hall.
- The same rooms and auditoriums are not necessarily available on consecutive days. To schedule rooms and auditoriums for a new workshop or one that already exists, call Bill Black at UN 4-3552.
The report of a rally and demonstration at Sunflower Ordinance Plant, issued by the Communications Center was erroneous. There will not be a demonstration this Thursday.
Civil Disobedience Workshop plans to organize a tax resistance campaign urging concerned citizens to withhold their telephone excise tax as a protest of the war. Louis Wolfe will direct a workshop at 2:30 p.m. Monday at a location to be announced.
Any student attending church in one of the rural communities surrounding Lawrence, please contact Don Pfeffer (843-0571, UN 4-3849 or 3100) who is working on Douglas County Action.
Jack Kreb's pamphlet, "History of the Vietnam War" will be available Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morning. Watch bulletin boards for announcement of when and where it may be obtained. Price is 25 cents.
If anyone (professor, student, non-student) wants to form a group, call KUCC at U 4-3506 or U 4-3552.
The Information Center invites faculty to initiate and participate in any discussion groups or workshops that are of interest to them, or on any issue relating to the week's events. The information center is available for gathering and dispensing information about setting up discussion groups. Facilities are also available for finding meeting places and for coordinating activities.
A Legal Self-Defense has been created as a means of providing interest-free bond for persons in the Douglas County or Lawrence city jails who are without access to bail money. It is hoped enough money will be collected to allow any individual a recourse to spending the night in jail, a spokesman for the Congressional Action Committee said Tuesday.
Contributions may be sent to the Douglas County State Bank in care of the Legal Self-Defense Fund. Any questions may be directed to David Radd at VI 2-7342 or Joan Irvine at VI 2-6842.
A "Talkathon" has been scheduled through Thursday in Dyche Auditorium from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. It will feature speeches of general public interest by prominent personalities in the Lawrence community. An open microphone and question and answer period are available between speeches.
Legality of Vietnam challenged by Velvel
Lawrence Velvet, professor of law, whose law suit challenging the legality of the Vietnam war was dismissed by the Supreme Court last January, told about 50 students in the court room of Green Hall yesterday that the basic reason why the Vietnam war was illegal was that the Senate had not declared a state of war.
The constitution specifically gives the Senate the power to declare war with the intention of limiting the president's military power, Velvel said. "The reason they made the President commander-in-chief of the armed forces was to insure that a civilian be in control of the military, not to give the President the power to overrule Congress," he said.
Velvel said all the government rationalizations to make the war legal have the one important defect of "reading the declaration of war clause out of the constitution and putting it into the executive branch."
In Vietnam, Velvet said we had the right to fire back at torpedo boats in Tonkin Bay but "that it could not be blown up to fight a five or six year war to repel an attack. There has been enough time for Congress to make a declaration of war."
Velvet said there was nothing more fictitious than the argument that we are in Vietnam because of treaties.
Velvel said he also was opposed to the war philosophically. "You can't stop communist infiltration by war," he said.
He added that it was impossible to stop revolutions all over the world. "Of what use is Asia to us?" he said.
Velvel said the thought American troops should be immediately withdrawn from the war. He called an honorable peace in Vietnam the "support our boys on the way to the grave" syndrome "when the country is going to hell in a hand-basket."
May 13
1970 KANSAN 19
He expressed hope that the Massachusetts law forbidding residents of that state from serving in an undeclared war would be adopted by more states creating a greater ferment against the war.
'White racism' disussed
A workshop titled "White Racism" held Tuesday in Blake Hall developed into a discussion about oppressive racism at KU.
The group discussed the BSU's action at the convocation, the "Harambee" and criticized the University Daily Kansan.
Concerning the Kansan, blacks and other group members said the paper had failed to give them adequate space and fair reporting. One student cited an example when Kansan editors refused to accept two pages from the sociology department which were to have been unrunited.
Mike Warner, leader of the workshop, said according to the Kerner Commission report, white racism does exist in the United States.
Several blacks attending the workshop complained because they were not given the microphone at the convocation and criticized the Chancellor's actions.
The two forms of racism are labeled individual and institutional, Warner said. He explained that institutional racism refers to white owned and operated institutions.
"For what Chalmers did he was called a brave man," a black student said.
Another complaint concerned the news content of the Kansan. One student said that the Kansan was not a student newspaper but is run "by a fellow named Murray." James Murray is News Adviser to the Kansan.
A proposal by Walker Hendricks was then heard in support of starting a morning student newspaper.
There is enough money appropriated to KU for students to have one, Hendricks said, it's just that the state says they have to print it through the Kansas Printing Service.
The articles never deal with problems of today, the student said, but are blase articles about items such as the SUA.
Several blacks then requested financial support for the Harambee and started a collection. The blacks said funds collected at the workshop would be used for their newspaper's publication.
Concerning Friday's trial for members of the BSU accused of throwing Kansans into Potter Lake last February, whites were asked to attempt similar action to see if they would receive disciplinary action.
A rumor at the meeting was that blacks accused in the incident would be fined five dollars each.
Students at the workshop were urged to put the Kansan into the hands of students and obtain money for the Harambee.
A suggestion was then made to dump Kansans everyday as a gesture of support for the Harambee.
Another student, however, said he would rather see more constructive forms of action. He suggested that an example would be action taken against the printing service.
"This is capitalists usurping the rights of the press," another student said.
The discussion then changed to the subject of blacks at the University.
One student said blacks represent 2 per cent of the student population at KU and that most are here on athletic scholarships.
Another student described
blacks as being slaves for a white audience.
A student asked why this situation existed and was told that it was for economic reasons.
Recruiters go to the wealthy white areas, they don't go to the lower economic places where the blacks are, a black student explained.
A white student commented on black pride and said that blacks hurt black liberal pride when they group together. A black student then explained that her pride was not hurt just because five or six people group together.
"Available Now"
The Long Awaited Second Album by Crosby, Stills, Nash Young.
reg. 5.98 $388 now
Available NOW on 8 Track Tape at $477
Records & Stereo Malls Shopping Center