University of Virginia Library

SDS Education

The new funds to SDS brought the three
complaining law students back to protest the
allocation. The debate raged anew as Vice
President Kevin Mannix asserted that SDS
"distributed literature on a wide variety of
subjects - including racism, sexism, fascism,
and (therefore) I consider them more as an
educational organization." Further debate by
several Council members reiterated the idea
that SAS was not directly concerned with
electoral politics, and therefore not
politically-oriented.

Opposition to the argument that SDS was
primarily an educational organization came
from both the protesting law students and
Council member Tom Gardner. The students
contended that SDS existed to present a certain
viewpoint concerning social problems and their
solution, and therefore was politically-oriented
even if it did not directly involve itself in
University politics.

Mr. Gardner, who is himself a member of
SDS, seemed to agree that the organization was
political, but not that it concerned itself with
electoral politics. He maintained, though, that
the reason the three law students protested the
allocation was not because SDS is political, but
because its politics disagrees with theirs.

"The issue we're discussion" he said, "is
these guys who are appealing are dealing with
objections to SDS politics. I disagree with the
political views of the Virginia Journal of
International Law, and with the Cavalier Daily,
and with the Virginia Law Review, because
they also represent a particular point of view,
that of maintaining the system. But we give
money to them. The protest is not that SDS is
political, but that its not their politics."

Mr. Mannix had earlier asserted that
literature concerning racism and fascism are
above partisan politics, but Mr. Gardener
disagreed. "When you come to racism and
fascism," he said, "there is no such thing as
non-political."

Mr. Donato, one of the protesting students,
contended that the allocation would be a
violation of his first amendment rights to
"present my own views." He questioned the
right of thy Council to grant student funds to
an organization presenting views that may be
objectionable to other students.

Several Council members disagreed, with
Tom Breslin of the Graduate School of Arts
and Sciences saying that "in a majoritorian
system, everybody cannot agree on all
decisions."