University of Virginia Library

Failure Of Student Activism

Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts
and graduate of the School of Law at the
University sees two choices for all students
this fall: "They can choose destructive violence
and physical coercion-rioting, burning,
occupying, bombing and trashing at their
schools and in the community. Or they can
choose concerted and constructive political
action to restructure university governance, to
change laws and policies at every level of
government, to elect progressive officials in
city halls and state houses, in Congress and
the White House."

We are in agreement with Senator Kennedy
when he states that the students who
use unlawful coercion and violence in the
name of idealism must be isolated and subject
to the law of the land. These people, whose
activities have resulted in the deaths and
injuries to innocent bystanders, are pursuing a
course of action repugnant to individual
freedom and libertarian values.

However, there are significant numbers of
students, we would venture to say a solid
majority of the students in the most noted
institutions of higher learning) who recognize
many existing ills in society, who have hoped
for change, and who have become disgusted
and frustrated with the current leadership's
refusal or in capacity to effectively deal with
them. Unfortunately these students have been
coupled with the rhetoric swinging radicals in
the public's consciousness: "Instead of being
the medium for vital message about society's
ills, for ending war, racism, poverty and
repression, the students on the campus are
seen in the public eye as one of the principal
ills in today's society.

"Instead of producing leadership for new
solutions to the nation's problems, campus
activists are producing fear and outrage and
reaction. They are pushing the public in the
opposite political, philosophical and social
direction. For every American who blamed
the National Guard for the killings at Kent
State, there are two who thought the students
were at fault. There are probably another two
for whom the tragedy at Madison was the last
straw."

Anyone who doubts this might take a
glance at the rising popularity in the opinion
polls of Richard Nixon and his colorful
cohorts, Spiro Agnew and John Mitchell.
Perhaps a review of the news films of the
hardhats on Wall Street banging the heads of
peace demonstrator, or a chat with inhabitant
of "Middle America" might be more convincing.

If the image of the student in the American
mind is so unpalatable, will there ever be
a way to convince the Middle American that
the causes on campuses are justifiable and,
indeed, absolutely necessary? Terry Sanford,
President of Duke University and former
Governor of North Carolina, recognizes the
same phenomenon: "Led by some of our
highest government officials, they have
labeled 'campus unrest' as a bigger problem
than any of its causes, thus diverting not only
attention but constructive effort away from
the root problems."

What can students do to change their
public image and thereby win over the most
opponents? What is needed, it seems, is a lot
of public relations work so that the American
off campus does not automatically "turn off
when the student speaks." Senator Kennedy
suggests that we measure our priorities and
that we listen to the frustrations of those
who, to us, appear to be grossly misguided.

The Senator writes that "If you are going
to move out beyond the campus, you have
the choice: You can maintain your life style
and appearance and bear the double burden
of persuading your listeners of the validity of
both the medium and the message — with the
risk that if you fail on the first, you get no
chance on the second."

The trappings which antagonize others
outside the ivy walls of the Grounds or any
other university to the point of violence in
some cases and general repulsion almost
universally may have to be sacrificed for any
success of student beliefs and ideals in the
political and social spheres. Students are going
to have to decide just how important are
solutions to the ending of the war, racism,
pollution, poverty, and repression in this
nation.

"Dissent, like so many things in the
American of 1970, has become too comfortable.
It takes five minutes to draw the letters
on a protest sign, but it takes lifetime of
dedicated service to make a contribution to
society."