As one who is violently opposed
to the Indochina War, and the
racism, sexism, and oppression
which has unhappily come to
characterize our government's
policies, I find myself in an
awkward position. I urge my fellow
students to vote against a May
student strike.
I will be in Washington in May
regardless of the consequences to
my academic record. I can do no
less. I also recognize that there
exists a faculty group here which,
oblivious to Jefferson's ideals and
rapped in closed minds, will
penalize unjustly those who feel
morally obligated to participate in
the May Day action. These men will
abuse again, as they have in the
past, their positions in an attempt
to enforce their own political views
on their students. They will do this
in the name of academic freedom,
while it is, in reality, one of the
most insidious forms of academic
un-freedom imaginable. It is a
witness to their moral bankruptcy
and their academic senility.
These men exist; we know who
many of them are. That is one of
the unfortunate facts of this
University. However, the answer to
these men is not to vote for a
student strike but rather to
organize and participate in direct
actions against their abuses or
power and position. An affirmative
strike vote would free some
individuals to go to Washington,
yes. Unfortunately, however, that
would not be its predominate
consequence. Rather, the strike
would become for most another
holiday ... U.Va. would have
another big week-end.
Tragically, what was conceived
of as an anti-war action would have
the opposite effect. People would
come to see the "strike" as a
sufficient protest against the war.
We know that it is not. It would
mis-direct attention away from the
issues and necessary tactics of
implementation that have been
organized. It would perpetuate the
mistakes of last May.
Yes, last May was groovy. But it
didn't end the war. Let us learn
from past mistakes. Go to
Washington. Join us in blocking
Key Bridge, and other anti-war
appropriate and useful tactic. But
vote against the strike. Concentrate
on realizing and implementing our
principles by all means necessary,
rather than seeking traditional, safe,
and proven impotent courses of
action. We know that the war won't
end thru such passive,
non-sacrificial, democratic means.
That fact is indeed tragic, but it is a
reality.
