University of Virginia Library

Colloquium

Progressive Zumwalt To Face 'Resistance'

By JERRY M. HARRIS

(Mr. Harris is a fifth-year
student in the School of
Engineering and a
representative to the Student
Council. - Ed.)

I would like to take this
opportunity to address the
University community in
response to the letter yesterday
written by Mr. Charlie Finn of
the Charlottesville Resistance
concerning the visit tonight by
Admiral Elmo Zumwalt,
U.S.N., Chief of Naval
Operations.

I was met on the Lawn
Wednesday by a large banner
welcoming the Admiral in the
name of U. Va. as "War
Criminal." Mr. Finn and his
allies of the "Resistance" are
calling for students to assemble
at Cabell Hall with flashlights
and blockade Cabell Hall in an
effort to protest this man's
involvement through his
position with the war in
Indochina. They ask students
to join their "people's
blockade to sink Admiral
Zumwalt."

I would like to ask Mr. Finn
just what he intends to
accomplish through such an
action and in whose name?
True, Admiral Zumwalt is the
Chief of Naval Operations and
does direct our Navy. But who
are these people attacking–the
man or his office? Have they
taken the time to realize just
who this man is and what he
had done since assuming
command two years ago? His
job has involved much more
than supervising military
campaigns, for in two years
this man has fought hard and
long to improve the rights and
working conditions of the
average enlisted man and
young officer in our Navy. His
now famous "Z-grams" (to the
uninformed these are directives
from his office affecting all
Naval commands) have taken
great strides to eliminate many
of the senseless rules and
regulations that have long
existed as thorns in the sides of
Naval personnel.

He has crusaded to break
down the barriers of sexism
and racism in the Navy, to
provide adequate housing for
all Navy families, to implement
drug and alcohol
rehabilitation programs and to
improve pay scales of all men
under his command. Grooming
standards and dress codes have
been changed to bring them
more nearly into line with
modern civilian styles.

Admiral Zumwalt has
traveled throughout the world,
to every fleet, in an effort to
listen personally to the
enlisted man in an attempt to
give him a fair shake. The
underlying purpose in Admiral
Zumwalt's efforts has been to
improve working and living
standards of personnel in the
Navy and work toward the goal
of an all volunteer Naval
service.

Admiral Zumwalt has done
all this at a time when budget
cuts and the rising threat of the
Soviet Navy increase yearly. He
has done it against the will of
many admirals senior in service
time to him–he has accepted a
fantastic challenge and had the
courage to go against the
traditions of the service in
order to make the Navy more
vable for the average sailor.

His liberalization of Navy
life and justice has done much
to improve the moral of sailors
at home and abroad. Granted,
we do have a continuing
conflict in Indochina but I ask
you all to look at this man's
record. Again I ask Mr.
Finn–are you attacking the
man or his office?

This now brings me to my
second point and that is in
whose name does Mr. Finn
organize this protest. Admiral
Zumwalt has been invited here
by the Student Legal Forum–a

student group. Students have
invited him to come to speak
on the grounds to the
University community.

In making a few short calls
to the registrar and student
information today I could find
no Charlie or Charles Finn
registered this semester in the
University. If you will take the
time to look further, many of
the "Charlottesville
Resistance" are not students of
this University.

Why should a student
organization and other
students who want to hear this
man speak in Cabell Hall
tonight be denied that right by
a non-student led organization?
I recognize the right of Mr.
Finn as an American to be
present, to hold up a sign if he
wishes but what gives him or
others like him the right to
disrupt this man's speech to
valid members of the
University and its faculty?

I'm growing tired after
being at the University 5 years
of seeing non-student groups
denying the "other side" the
opportunity to be heard when
it has been invited in the first
place by students. To me the
"Resistance" is following the
old cliche of demonstrating its
disagreement and frustration in
an immature and childish
manner. Indeed, if they
continue why should any
with a viewpoint disagreeing
from that of the "Resistance"
even bother coming to the
grounds?

I believe it is time for the
students of this University to
recognize non-student
involvement on our Grounds
for what it is. I do not condone
the Vietnam War but I do not
support the denial of Admiral
Zumwalt's right to speak to the
University community or my
right to go and listen to the
uninterrupted talk of a man
who has come to speak to
me – a student of the
University.

To Mr. Finn and his
supporters–I think the only
thing you will sink tonight
with your flashlights and
chants will be my faith and the
faith of other students in the
ideals of this University and
this country.