Velvel vs. the hacks
By HOWARD PANCRATZ
—Reynolds Shultz, Sept. 21, 1969
"It is not the function of the state legislature to be a watchdog over college campuses, the Board of Regents carries out that responsibility. I never want to see the state legislature become involved outside their proper sphere. I never want them to dictate to the University."
"Sen. Reynolds Shultz, R-Lawrence, Thursday called for the firing of two Kansas University professors in the wake of a disturbance Tuesday at the Douglas County Courthouse. . . 'It is bad enough when students take part in such demonstrations, but when a member of the faculty participates it can not be tolerated, especially when state monies are involved.'"
Reynolds Shultz quoted in Feb. 20 Lawrence Journal World
A tragedy which is slowly engulfing the entire nation and pitting politician against educator, politician against minority groups and politician against the Bill of Rights, is unfolding on this campus. How much longer this nation can survive before the extremists on the left and right rip your and my country apart is an extremely pertinent question in the light of recent local and national events.
Under brutal attack at KU is law professor Larry Velvel, a man with more guts than many Americans. A foe of the Vietnam war and a man of liberal tendencies, he has been picked out by a number of Kansas legislators as a University professor who deserves to be fired. He should be sacked, they say, because he addressed a group protesting the action against the "Chicago 10" which later destroyed courthouse property in downtown Lawrence. Moreover, though they didn't say it, Shultz—and those naive enough to accept the views of the learned senator from Lawrence—probably remember that it was Velvel who had the gumption to challenge the constitutionality of the Vietnam war. He did this not by taking to the streets with an unruly host, but by spending the time and effort to fight his case from the lower courts to the highest court of the land, the Supreme Court. This, in and of itself, should indicate the caliber of man Larry Velvel is because no other American, patriot, anarchist, flag-waver of flag-burner, took the same time and effort to find out whether our boys (and your and my friends) were being killed constitutionally in that Southeast Asian nation.
The Supreme Court wouldn't touch Velvel's suit with a ten-foot pole. They dismissed the suit without explanation other than saying Associate Justice Douglas supported Velvel. It was, in judicial phraseology, a "political" question and the Court refrains from political involvement. The Vietnam war had become a confrontation of the "politics of the left and the politics of the right," and you and I, the citizens of this nation—being neither overly left nor right—reaped the harsh results of a Court that abdicated its duty on a constitutional question.
Velvel sought clarification of the war's status not only for those who oppose our involvement in Vietnam but for every Kansan and his children and grandchildren who might be fighting in "police actions" or "brush-fire" wars in the next several decades. He tried to do a service for you and I and it is bitterly ironic that Sen. Lester Arvin, R-Rose Hill, should state that it "is a shame that he can come to our state . . . teach our young people law . . . almost incite a riot . . . and draw more salary than our district court judges."
Velvel has been vocal on campus in both his denunciation of the war and Judge Julius Hoffman. But the important thing is that in no way has this constitutionally guaranteed right to speak interfered with Velvel's performance in the classroom. He does not turn his classes into marathon circuses organized around his own political views. Further, in no way has he incited anybody nor has he had reason to believe what he has said would lead to violence.
The results of the Court decision are that no longer will any President feel it necessary to have Congress declare war. He can justify any troop build-ups or commitments simply by saying, as did President Johnson, "We felt that if we made a declaration of war the Chinese would feel they were obligated to come to North Vietnam's aid. So we didn't ask Congress for a declaration of war." Secondly, this means that a soldier can die in a war he can rightfully refuse to serve in—that is, a war that has not been Congressionally approved.
The extremely unfortunate incidents of Tuesday, Feb. 17 at the Douglas County Courthouse are as much a part of Velvel's doing as Reynolds Shultz's part in the rise of Fidel Castro to power in Cuba. What this should emphasize to people who took part in the courthouse episode is that you can get a man, who is basically sympathetic to your cause, in a heck of a lot of trouble by acting in an unlawful manner he does not condone.
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I would suggest that it is people like Velvel—people who are certified lawyers with sound educations and keen minds as well as being patriotic Americans—who should be in the forefront of any criticism directed at the possible unconstitutionality of a war or the possible dereliction of duty by a federal court judge. Simply, they know more about it than anybody else.
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Ben Shraer
It has been increasingly the "in thing" among politicians to lambast the brain-trust of this nation. Ironically, it is this brain-trust of college educators who often know more about a subject because of first-hand knowledge and years of study than the politicians do themselves. Shultz, a man who once told me he wondered if he were fit to represent Lawrence because of his lack of education and who said "it is not the function of state legislators to be a watchdog over college campuses," is hardly the man to judge the moral and judicial aspects of Larry Velvel's involvement in current events. Not only does the man miss the finer points of these matters, but he also has no conception of the way the keystone of our nation—The Bill of Rights—operates.
Member Associated Collegiate Press
"Ren" is a great guy to drink a beer or two with as you shoot the breeze, but his environment and upbringing have so prejudiced his outlook that the only safe place for him, Kansas and the United States is down on the farm in retirement.
hearing voices—
To the editor:
Comment on Bill Hansen's column in the UDK (2/18/70):
Bill Hansen states: "Certainly it should be clear that there are no evil men, just victims. The events of the past weekend, both in Chicago and on this campus are without an author. That is their tragedy."
I wonder if Mr. Hansen really believes what he wrote; if so, the implications are far-reaching: Lyndon Johnson was a victim in 1965 when he began the massive build-up of American troops in Vietnam. Dow Chemicals was a victim when it made the decision to manufacture napalm. Nixon is a victim when he moves the current war into Laos. And I am a victim when I show contempt of Julius Hoffman.
The events on this campus and in Chicago are not without authors. I accept responsibility for my actions and I hold others responsible for theirs. I personally believe that there are "evil" men because decisions (particularly ones like the decision to manufacture napalm), are the creations of men—not just things that happened.
Amarette Callaway Kansas City, Mo., senior
To the editor:
The war in the Middle East does not continue because Israel is a "trigger-happy nation," as Joe Naas seems to feel. The war does not continue because Israel wants to give "Death to Arabs" as Mr. Naas infers. The war continues because the leaders of the Arab world, which stretches from Morroco on the Atlantic Ocean to Yeman on the Indian Ocean, claim that Israel, a country smaller than New Jersey, wants to encircle them.
Mr. Naas says "America passing out money. For planes, guns, bombs, bullets." (His Grammar.) This statement is completely false. All Israeli arms are purchased with hard currency by the Israelis. This money comes from Israeli citrus sales in Europe, tourism and diamond exports to Europe. None of this money comes from the U.S. Government. If Mr. Naas was to read the newspapers closely he would find that Israel is asking to buy U.S. arms, not to get them as a gift.
Mr. Naas states that "Arabs . . . are hate crazy because they were driven from their land." This is historically untrue. In 1948 Palestine was partitioned into two states, one Jewish and one Arab. While the Jews accepted the partition the Arabs did not. In May the neighboring Arab states invaded Palestine. An order came from the Arab Higher Command ordering Arab civilians to evacuate the Jewish areas. The order left no doubt that Arabs who stayed behind would be considered traitors by the Arab Armies. As a result of this Arab order nearly 600,000 Arabs fled from Israel. Luckily all of the Arabs did not flee Israel and Israel now has numerous Arab cities and towns. The most famous of these cities are Nazereth, a large city in eastern Galilee with an Arab mayor, Acco in western Galilee and Um el Faham, the largest Arab city in Israel, located in the Shomron hills.
The total number of Arabs in the State of Israel is now 350,000. They have all citizenship rights, including self government in their villages and the right to send representatives to Israel's parliament, the Knesset, where eight Arabs sit as members. Indeed, the only legal difference between Arab and Jew in the State of Israel is that the Arab does not have to serve for two years in the Israeli Army, although he can sign up if he so wishes.
The question that now arises is what can we do? Frankly I don't know. I lived in the Middle East for a year. I've seen Israel, Jordan and parts of Egypt and Syria. I've talked with Arab and Israeli and worked with both, but I don't know the answer, but this much I do know, writing bombastic, sarcastic and frankly dishonest articles as Joe Naas and his colleagues of the New Left do on this issue, and every other issue that they deem to write about, will not advance the cause of peace one iota and will merely rub salt in open wounds.
Jonathan Jordan Washington, D.C., junior
★★
To the editor:
To those who still believe in how they're selling: In a shop of barber chairs, rubber plants and candles, music leaks out the mail vent. I wander along, stroking and picking at things; this pretty mass-produced, hand-made junk with impressive tags like "made in Berkeley" or "from heads in heaven." I allow a smile to form: 4 quarters it will cost me for a nice krinkly scroll-type copy of Desiderata.
I am caught unsuspecting, but then I ponder, how can it be that people who have liberated themselves from the dreams and tears of money, still act under the same influence, only under a disguise of indifference? Supposedly different from their fathers, attachment to objects still persists. Strange, but then so is the fact that our air stifles our trees, but that's altogether different, isn't it?
So I rummage through some lovelies, which can only be allowed in a wealthy society, and I wonder why I can't afford anything.
Jennifer Henderson Topeka Sophomore