University of Virginia Library

I have no great love for pseudo conservatives
like Wallace and
Maddox, but here are a few
thoughts after reading your Feb. 10
editorial "Southern Tragedy":

You note the supposed hypocrisy
of those calling for defiance of
certain federal integration actions.
The truth is that the government
has blatantly violated the law.
Section 409 of the current HEW
appropriations act states plainly:

"No part of the funds contained
in this Act may be used to force
busing of students, abolishment of
any school, or to force any student
attending any elementary or
secondary school to attend any
particular school against the choice
of his or her parents or parent in
order to overcome racial imbalance."

And yet, black schools are
ordered closed (often with protests
by the students and their parents).
Busing and school district "gerrymanderings"
are ordered. Incredible
cases such as that of Ray York
occur - this Oklahoma City 8th
grader was ordered to switch junior
highs (to a school farther away) to
please a federal court; when he
refused in accordance with the
wishes of his parents, he was barred
from his old school and taken into
custody of federal marshals.

Hypocrisy? What about such
"civil rights" lovers as George
McGovern, who lives in D.C. and
sends his kids to a private school in
Maryland? Where are the little
darlings of Kennedy, Bayh, McCarthy,
Percy, and Goodell? In
integrated public schools? Of
course not.

What about the fact that while
zealous federal action is taken
against Southern, no such action is
taken against frequently more blatant
examples in the North? What
about other federal racial policies
(like Nixon's "Philadelphia plan")
which constitute reverse racism?

Many Americans in and outside
the South are fed up with this sort
of thing and are no longer willing to
just sit back and take it. The recent
statements by governors McKeithen,
Williams, Brewer and Maddox
largely reflect this growing and
quite justifiable protest.