University of Virginia Library

Combating 'Destruction'

Wilkinson Battles Repression,
Seeks Law Faculties' Support

By SAM BARNES

"I have seen many
important things destroyed in
my life," constitutional rights
advocate Frank Wilkinson told
a small group yesterday in the
Graduate Student Lounge.

It is this knowledge of the
power of destruction, he said,
that makes him strive to
maintain the constitutional
rights of all people.

Currently executive
director of the National
Committee on Repressive
Legislation, Mr. Wilkinson is
traveling around the nation to
solicit support for the abolition
of the House Un-American
Activities Committee.

His group is also concerned
with a number of legislative
acts which it considers
"repressive" to the civil
liberties of the people.

Mr. Wilkinson said he is
seeking the signatures of
"prominent law school
faculty" to show Congress
"scholarly" support for his
movement.

Among those laws
considered most oppressive,
according to Mr. Wilkinson, are
the Anti-Riot Act and the
Omnibus Crime and Safe
Streets Act of the Johnson
Administration and the
Organized Crime Act of the
Nixon administration.

Mr. Wilkinson cited the
Nixon administration's failure

to curb crime despite the
repressive nature of its
legislative enforcement.

"Murders are up 29 per
cent and rape cases 33 per cent
since the Nixon administration
has taken over," he said.

"In the meantime we have
laws on the hooks that are
repressive, such as
wiretapping."

Mr. Wilkinson noted that
out of 622,000 conversations
that have been tapped by the
government, only 257 have
resulted in convictions.

"Isn't it possible that good
old-fashioned police work
could have accomplished the
same results," he said.

Other repressive actions of