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12-2-1968

Resist Newsletter, Dec. 1968

Resist

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Recommended Citation Resist, "Resist Newsletter, Dec. 1968" (1968). Resist Newsletters. 131. https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/resistnewsletter/131 a call to resist illegitimate authority

2 December 1968 - 763 ue, a-# 4, Cambridge, Mass. - Newsletter #20

12 DAYS OF SANCTUARY AT MIT

"It h'as been made clear to me that by We need money. This fall we ran ads taking sanctuary -I face more time -in in the New Republic and the New ".iQu the stockade than I would if I turned . Review of Books, and we have sent out myself in. To me it is worth it. I a fund-raising letter, and the response feel that if I can convince 100 people has been very disappointing. Many that the war is wrong, that it is an people have told us that they appre­ injustice against. the basic freedoms of ciated the political analysis presented our country, then I will gladly serve in the ad, but our appeal for support the extra time. · The ones that I hope was largely ignored. to bring a better understanding to are those who say that the war and the mil­ Demands on the national RESIST office itary are wrong, but yet are not will­ are increasing. Many established groups ing to do anything about it." still need support from us, and there are also many groups breaking ground in This is an excerpt from the statement new areas of work, especially with sol­ made by Mike O'Conner as he took sanc­ diers and high school students1who need· tuary at MIT on October 29th. By the funds to get started. I suspect two of time he was arrested 12 days later the causes~of the poor response to our Mike had managed to involve more than appeal for money are the President's "peace offensive" and the fact that many 1000 people in his action, 1 and it look­ ed as though for many of them this in­ people have shifted their contributions volvement would become a continuing to local resistance work. personal commitment to active opposi­ tion to the war. President Johnson's April Fool's Eve and Halloween speeches lulled people who Mike, 19, had been AWOL from Fort oppose the war ~nto a false sense of Bragg for 3 weeks when he visited the optimism and a dangerous relaxation. sanctuary for Ray Kroll in Marsh Chapel Optimism is premature and relaxation is at Boston University. Deeply impressed dangerous because of what is happening by what he felt that sanctuary was ac­ in Paris-, Vietnam and America. complishing, he asked to join Ray. However, Ray and those around him felt Item: When American planes stopped the bust would come soon and convinced bombing part of North Vietnam last Mike to wait. (It did come the next spring, they intensified bombing of the morning.) rest -of the North. In fact, American planes dropped more bombs on territory Mike spent the next several weeks below the 19th parallel than they had carefully considering what he wanted been dropping on the whole of _the North to do. He then approached the New Eng­ before. It now appears that after the land Resistance to discuss arranging a · Halloween announcement that bombing of sanctuary. The members of the Resist­ the North would cease altogether, that ance ·discussed with h~m its possible air war in the South and in Laos has detrimental consequences to himself. been rapidly escalated. Thus the war Mike could not be dissuaded; he had is ~not being scaled down, it is being make a firm deci~ion to make his state­ concentrated. We must imagine w~at that ment against the war in this way. means ~or suffering people in the Viet­ namese and Laotian countryside.

Cont. on p. 3 Cont. on p. 2 Page 2 MONEY cont'd.

Item: "Allied forces have surrounded provided emergency grants to tide over 24 square miles of rice paddy land and two GI coffee houses and a GI news­ foothills just west of here in one of the paper. Moreover, local support often most concentrated efforts of the Vietnam comes only after a project is set uo. war to root out enemy troops and Viet­ The national office is one of the few cong agents .••. The primary goal of places to which new projects can turn the operation is the destruction of the for f~nds to open an office and pay an Vietcong organization in the area." organizer $30 a week to start the job. (N.Y. Times, Nov. 23.) This is particularly true of high school projects which we think are Item: The day after the election, extremely important just now. Besides l established projects do come on hard ' the Pentagon announced that draft calls times: bail or fines eat up reserves for January were being increased to . , expansion takes new funds, full-time 26,800, by far the highest total since organizers don't have time to raise last spring. Calls of that size or money. In such emergencies, it is larger are forecast for the rest of the YOUR money, flowing through the RESIST spring on 1969. The college graduates office, which keeps people going. spared in the fall will begin to go in January. At the last Steering Committee Item: Prosecution of war resisters is meeting there were 14 funding requests intensifying. Thirty-six indictments totalling about $15,000. We don't have been brought just in Massachusetts have even a third of that to disburse. in recent weeks, and we have reports that prosecutions are being accelerated else­ If each person who contributes or where, too. Meanwhile, Los Angeles has pledges to RESIST (or to a local group) seen its first five-year sentence for a were to recruit one other person to resister, breaking a long-standing pat­ contribute or pledge, we could help tern of maximum three-year terms. many more of the groups all over tfie country who are now requesting assis­ In the second place, people who have tance from us .• We also nope that previously contributed to RESIDST are now people will review their own financial giving their money to local groups. We commitments and decide if the amount think this development is important and they "tax" themselves for resistance desireable, and we have aided it in every is commensurate with their ability­ way we could, by providing mailing lists and the movement's needs. sending special fund appeals, and so on.' Rochester, Long Island, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, and Baltimore, . among other places, have adopted monthly pledge systems similar to that of -national RESIST. The strength of the resistance movement depends finally upon the HELP! strength of its roots in local communi­ ties. RE~IST .needs help in sending out its Nonetheless, a -sufficient flow of newsletter . Anyone in the Boston area funds to the national office is vital to who ~ould_spend a little time and energy the movement as a whole. New areas of ~orking wi th us to get 6000 newslett ers work are being opened. Many projects, :nto the mail every other week would b e because of their location and nature, Joyously welcomed. Please con t a c t our find it difficult to obtain adequate office at 7 63 Massachusetts Avenue, Rm . local support, especially at first. I n 4, Cambridge, Ma ss . 4 91-8076. the last month, for example, we have Page 3 SANCTUARY AT MIT cont'd .••

Sites for the sanctuary were then the first alarm came. From the securi­ considered, and MIT chosen. With over ty people came word that several police $200 million per year in defense con­ cars had pulled up to the Student Cen­ tracts, it seemed a particularly appro­ ter and were discharging people. priate place to protest U.S. Vietnam People gathered together and surrounded policy and military procedures. A Mike. Mike, visibly nervous, thanked large hall, the Sala de Puerto Rico in everyone for having come to support him the MIT Student Center, was chosen for and said that a part of him would al­ the sanctuary because Mike's was a po­ ways remain with the sanctuary commun­ litical action and it was felt it should ity. As everyone sat quietly awaiting occur in a secular atmosphere. the Feds word came that the police cars had departed and the people left behind At noon on Tuesday, October 29th, MIT had dispersed without entering the faculty, staff, students, employees, Student Center. Everyone calmed their and administration on their way to and nerves and tried to settle down to from lunch were informed that Mike sleep again. The next alarm came O'Conner, with the support of the MIT around 4 AM when everyone was abruptly Resistance, had claimed sanctuary at awakened by an announcement over the MIT. A sheet explaining Mike's stand loud speaker that "This is the police. and that of the MIT Resistance was dis­ Everyone stay where you are and no one tributed as all passers-by were encour­ will be hurt." Everyone immediately aged to support Mike by joining the moved in close to Mike. It was thought sanctuary. Those who did spent the that the police must be in Kresge Audi­ afternoon discussing the tactics to be torium, the building next to the Stu­ used when the federal authorities ar­ dent Center, but the Campus Patrol rived to arrest Mike and finally de­ searched ·it and found nothing. Appar­ cided to non-violently "sit to ob­ ently someone had found a way to tie struct": When the bust came all pre­ into the public address system being sent would surround Mike, sitting as used in the Sala; the turning-on of a close together as pos~ible. The spotlight in a mezzan1ne box in the arresting agents ~·ould then have to Sala was then chosen as a special sig­ remove them to get to Mike. An ex­ nal to identify legitimate alarms. tensive security system and a communi­ People relaxed again and the rest of cations system were also organized. the night was peaceful. Tuesday evening a previously scheduled teach-in was held in the Sala. Mike, Breakfast was served on Wednesday Howard Zinn of BU, Father Bob Cunnane morning, as the second day of the sanc­ of the Milwaukee Fourteen, and others tuary began. (A kitchen had been set spoke to a group of 700. At the con­ up in the Sala and money was collected clusion of the teach-in Mike thanked daily to provide meals for those who · those present for their support and were making the Sala their temporary asked that all who could stay with him home.) People began to bring their throughout the night. classes to the Sala; it is a large room and classes could be conducted As about 200 people spread out their in the back of it while other activi­ blankets, the procedure for greeting ties were going on at the front. Spe­ the Feds was reviewed, safe sitting cial seminars were organized to discuss positions were demonstrated, and the topics such as imperialism, what MIT procedure to follow if arrested was students can do to help end the war, 1 explained. These items were reviewed and faculty and student life at MIT. every night during the Sala phase of the sanctuary. Wednesday evening several rock groups performed and three short movies were At about 2:30 AM Wednesday morning shown (including one on RESIST). The

Cont. on p. 6 Page 4 Milwaukee 14 - What is Support?

All of the men are now out on bail; students, ana otner -means for raising, federal charges have been filed and examining, and publicizing the issues will probably take precedence over the focused by the Catonsyille and state charges on which they were Milwaukee actions. This is all originally held. Their lawyers, "support" as we have known it. William Kunstler and Percy Julian, have accepted a political strategy for the But I believe these actions have trial roughly similar to that used in opened new dimensions· of support to us, Baltimore by the Catonsville Nine. ·we as they have forced many of us to re­ do not yet know when the Milwaukee 14 examine our own analyses and commit­ will come to trial; three or four ments. Florence Howe wrote, in the months is a reasonable guess. That last Newsletter, of how the actions and gives us just sufficient time to the personal- testimony of the Nine mobilize a nationwide campaign of broadened many people's view from the support for them - and to see if the particular vile war in Vietnam to the bombing pause and pre-election longstanding, widespread viciousness optimism bring us anywhere near peace, of American imperialism ~lsewhere in at least in Vietnam. Asia, Latin America, Africa. Many of us· are discomforted by the word But just what is support? That has, "imperialism," but with what are we of course, been a fundamental problem left after Ma~jorie Melville has for us from the beginning. In some described in quiet eloquence the fleet respects it is what we ·conventionally of Guatemalan police cars bought understand it to be: a major effort thr_9ugh U.S.A.I.D., the huge land will be made to bring large numbers of reserves held by U.S. corporations people to Milwaukee during the trial from land-hungry peasants, the and to provide for them the kind of devastating effects of military assis­ experiences that so moved those of us tance on Latin American "democracy~ fortunate enough to be in Baltimore - the use of u.s.-manufactured napalm Oct. 7-10. We will also be urging all in Latin America? This widening of of you to organize local demonstrations perspective is all the more important and other actions at the time of the with a Vietnam peace dangling before trial. our l1ps. Similarly, the· Nine and the Fourteen have challenged our assumptions Prior to that time, we will about nonviolence, about property, develop and circulate relevant about risk and jail. literature, films, discussion guides, and other materials. It will also be We need to confront these challenges, particularly important .to provide to absorb the new ideas they present speaking engagements for the ~ and to translate the~- into action. In Milwaukee 14 (as well as for those of this way, I think, w~ will be moving the Catonsville 9 still out of toward a new dimensio~ of ,rsupport." prison). Elsewhere is this issue •is a list of their names and addresses; At the meeting mentioned above, the speaking requests should be sent group agreed on the importance of directly to them, since that will be of helping stimulate the formation of aid in overcoming legal tangles·, or quite small study-action groups to per­ through Linda Forest, who is form su9h tasks. Below is a descrip­ coordinating speaking ;?chedules-, at the tion of these groups; it is, I think, M-14 Defense Committee office: 2117 a cle~r and compelling presentation. West Vliet, Milwaukee, (414) 933-3228. I would add only a few notes to it. _ I hope .people will pegin plan~ing out First, it would be of special value , I programs of speaking, literature · think, if such groups took as their distribution; s-tirveys of attitudes points of departure the Catonsville Nine toward such actions- among hiqh school

continue(! on page 5 Page 5 and Milwaukee 14 statements, with all destroyed had many meetings before th~ir actions implied. Second, we the ,event at which they probed their have only begun to identify in our consciences, their sense of responsibil­ own communities the institutions ity and responded to their perceptions of militarism, imperialism, and racism, of what it is to be _really human in let alone the great variety of ways in these times. It was out of these which we can resist their continued meet_ings that-. this action emerged with operation. Such resistance may, third, power not,,..,pnly to qestroy draft card prove to be as varied as it is records but also to challenge in a increasingly costly; small groups of creative way the courts, the mass media· people who know and can depend on each and the community as~ whole. other may be better prepared to absorb - these costs and risks and provide Erich Fromm, in hi-s newly published mutual support than our usual loose­ The Revolution of Hope, in- connection knit ·organizations. with his discussion of the role of small groups in moving toward a Here then are the ideas concerning "humani_zed .technology" says: . these study-action groups. "Ideas become powerful only if they appear in the flesh; an ideg which does Explicit resistance to war and to not lead to action by the individual exploitative and dehumanizing social and by groups remains at best a para­ practices may be mounted by persons graph or a footnote ~in a book-­ committed to nonviolence both as to prov~~ed the idea is original and means and to goals. -r~levanb. It is like- a seed stored in a dry place. If the idea is to have For such explicit resistance to occur influence,it must be put into the soil, requires that people whose general and the soil is people and groups of commitment and philosophy requires people. adherence to the goals and disciplines of nonviolence are able to identify Face-to-face groups must approach social needs and action projects problems in a new spirit and with new consistent with such commitment and ideas, but these ideas-·must be culti­ philosophy. It also requires vated and spread _so !hat they influence. considerable personal dedication and these groups." commitment. This is not something - that can be scheduled like another It is therefore suggested that along event on one's calendar. What is with specific projects wfuich ~he CADAR required is ~ery careful consideration might propos~ it should also encourage of the social effedts of one's action local groups of nonviolent activist~ and also of one's readiness to engage - which would: in the action,. meeting whatever it may involve in terms of personal response. 1. Consider the involvement of their To become prepared in this way suggests cQmll\unity in war action (conscription, the need for people of like mind to recruitment, ·· weapons- research; · weapons meet together on a fairly regular production, _organized military propag­ basis to discuss, consider, make · anda and displays_, etc-.) decisions and to act t9gether in bheir own community out of a shared sense of 2. Examine their- responsibilities and o p p o rtunity and responsibili ty . As an opportunities to ~esist by deed. examp le of what is b eing suggested, the peop le who engaged at Catonsville in 3 . Resist ·by deed. _ Maryland when draft records we re /

" JUSTICE lS MERELY INCI DENTAL _TO LAW_ ~R_ ORDER." - -J. Edg~r Hoover Page 6 SANCTUARY AT MIT cont'd ...

crowd of people staying the night was talk oi t ry to sleep (by Thursday there even larger than that of the night be­ were people sleeping in rooms and cor­ fore, and all were pleased to awaken on ridors all over the Student Center). Thursday morning to the realization Within an hour, however, everyone was that no bust had come. jolted awake by an alert. Someone suggested greeting the Feds with music, On Thursday classes and seminars con­ and a vote on the type of music was tinued in and near the Sala. When the taken. Beethoven and hard rock tied, Living Theater performance that . evening and both were played. However, the in Kresge Auditorium was over, many of Feds didn't appear. the members of the audience and of the Living Theater came over to the sanc­ On Friday classes and seminars con­ tuary. Though non-participants and tinued; in the afternoon Harvey Cox curious on-lookers were encouraged to spoke of his recent trip to France and leave, nearly 1000 people were still Sweden to visit American deserters and there at 1 AM and were apparently plan­ of plans for a campaign to obtain am­ ning to spend the night. Someone sug­ nesty for draft resisters. Father gested that, in view of the large num­ Blaise Bonpane spoke of American coun­ ber of newcomers, the group's commit­ ter-revolutionary activities in Guate­ ment to non-violent obstruction should mala. be reviewed. In the discussion that followed the community was forced to On Saturday parents brought their rethink its reasons for choosing non­ children to take part in the sanctuary. violence. At times Mike and his posi­ Often they came up to meet Mike, ex­ tion seemed to be becoming overwhelmed plaining to the children that Mike was by a trend in the crowd toward a more trying to do something to make the direct confrontation. Someone asserted world better for them as well as for that non-violence had not worked in the himself. In the evening the large num­ pas t and that direct action in the ber of people present were invited to str eets was the only answer. Mike re­ form discussion groups. Various topics tort e d that the group need not be gov­ were suggested, and many of those pre­ erne d by the successes or failures of sent took part in the discussions. others when choosing its course of ac­ Reports on the discussions were present­ tion. The voices in favor of violence, ed around midnight and it was agreed of attaining their own ends and forget­ that people interested in pursuing the ting about or merely using Mike, seemed various topics (such as "Who rules MIT?~' to be dominant. Around 3 AM Mike, ex­ investigations of defense contracts held hausted and fearful of the fragmentation by MIT, and looking for ways to end the that seemed to be occurring, finally war) further would meet again on Sunday asked that a vote be· taken. He said evening. Saturday night there was an­ that he would turn himself in if it was other alert, which again turned out to the consensus of the group that it be a false alarm. Since early Sunday wanted a violent confrontation; he morning seemed to be a very likely time would. stay if the grpup was still com­ for the bust, almost 1200 people slept mitted to supporting him in the non­ in the Student Center, ready to greet violent manner agreed upon on Tuesday the Feds on an instant's notice. No afternoon. Faced with this decision, further alert came. dissention seemed to vanish as the group voted almost unanimously to ~on­ Sunday Mike declared victory. For tinue its non-violent support of Mike's six days he had been shielded from ar­ resistance. rest by the large number of supporters always around him. He had thus been Now emotionally as well as · physically able, through radio, television, and exhausted, everyone settled down to newspaper reports and interviews, to Cont. on p. 7 Page 7 SANCTUARY AT MIT cont'd ...

e~p~ain to many, many people his oppo­ tuary community would take part in any sition to the war and to Army practices. demonstrations the following day, which He had debated his position with many was election day. It was finally de­ people in the Sala. The success of the cided not to do so: Mike was extremely sanctuary had far surpassed any hopes exhausted from the previous week and he had had when it began. Now, he de­ his doctor felt he should have as much clared, he felt free to lead his own as rest as possible. Nothing that could life un~il the Feds chose to arrest him, be gained from attending or holding an and he felt his supporters should resume outside demonstration was worth risking their normal lives. He had received Mike's health and safety. many invitations to visit classes at MIT and thought he would begin to do From Tuesday until Sunday morning, so the next day. when Mike was arrested, the people who had formed the sanctuary community went On Monday most members of the sanc­ about their normal routines while Mike tuary community resumed their regular rested as much as possible and attended schedules. Mike did not attend classes. classes. The new sanctuary room re­ A faculty committee objected to his mained open until Friday afternoon and leaving the sanctuary area (i.e., the people were always wandering in and Student Center) and the administration out, although few activities were plan­ recommended that any classes Mike would ned and food and sleeping quarters were be attending be brought to him in the no longer provided. Mike was living in Student Center; the MIT Resistance, the offices of the MIT Social Service hoping to avoid a confrontation, tried Committee (also on the fourth floor of to work out a compromise with the fac­ the Student Center) with those who were ulty and the administration. A meeting closest to him; and it was there, at of the sanctuary community was held in 7 AM on Sunday morning, that he was the Sala Monday evening to decide how arrested by a single military policeman to react to this situation and to con­ accompanied by the chief of the MIT sider moving the sanctuary to another Campus Patrol. He was taken to Fort room in the Student Center (the Junior Devens and is presently awaiting court Prom committee had reserved the Sala martial there. and wanted to begin to decorate it for the Prom). After considerable discus­ In retrospect: By declaring victory sion the group accepted Noam Chomsky's Mike and his supporters moved sanctuary view of the situation - that who de­ in a direction it had not previously cided whether or not Mike could be in­ taken. While they were wise to focus vited into a classroom was tangent to on Mike's success rather than on anti­ the central issues of the sanctuary and cipation of his arrest, some problems that it would be unfortunate if the vic­ did arise from this decision. The tories of the sanctuary were to become moving of the sanctuary to a smaller overshadowed by its involvement in a room with inadequate public address and dispute over academic freedom which was other communications devices (which · not directly related to the war - and might not have been done so readily if decided to accept the administration's victory had not been declared) irrepa- . recommendation that classes Mike would rably damaged the sense of togetherness be attending come to the Studeht Center. enjoyed by the community while in the:··,~:­ They then decided to move .the sanctuary Sala. Mike's exhaustion from the first from the Sala to a room on the fourth week forced him to rest away from the floor of the Student Center. After sanctuary room much of the time he was everything had been moved to the new not attending classes. Members of the room and the Sala cleaned, people MIT Resistance heeded Mike's recommend­ gathered to see two films and to dis­ ati on that everyone resume their normal cuss whether or not Mike and the sane- lives and, when in the Student Center,

Cont. on p. 8 page 8 SANCTUARY AT MIT cont'd ...

were secluded with Mike much of the to provide witness and support for time. For these reasons. people visit­ Mike's pposition to the war. ing the sanctuary room could not find much sign of activity or support. Asked at one point why he did not There were very few activities sched­ just leave the country, Mike replied, uled that week, and it became evident . "This is my country and I love it. If toward the end that something should something is wrong with it, we should have been arranged each day (even if try to change it." During the MIT it were only a dinner together) so sanctuary many of the people who came that people could show their co~tinuing in contact with it were moved to seri­ support for Mike. Those connected with ously dedicate themselves to actively the sanctuary knew that it had entered working for the changes we all desire. a new phase and that Mike's support had not dwindled. However, those looking -Arlene Siegel in on it from the outside and seeing no {Member, RESIST sign of organized activity often con- Newsletter Staff) ...cluded that his supporters had become bored or tired and had deserted him.

Nonetheless, in many ways the MIT sanctuary was an overwhelmi~g success. MILWAUKEE FOURTEEN SPEAKERS Nineteen-year-old Mike O'Conner was an extremely articulate and persuasive person who talked willingly with anyone Members of the Milwaukee Fourteen are who approached him in the Sala and 'with available- for -speaking engagements. quite a few television and newspaper They are: reporters. His sincerity impressed everyone who spoke with him and com­ Don Cotten, SDS, St. Louis University pelled many who came to deride him to st. Louis, Mo. re-evaluate their reasons for opposing Michael Cullen, Packard Manse, his action. When the discussion groups Stoughton, Mass. formed on the first · saturday night James Forest, Catholic Peace Fellow­ turned into research groups that would ship, New York City, New York report within a month to the entire Jerry Gardner, Marquette .University, sanctuary community their proposals for Milwaukee, . Wisc. projects the community could undertake, Robert Graf, co-editor of The the sanctuary community had established, Catholic Radical before the bust occurred, a framework · Fr. James Harney, St. Jerome's for actions to be continued after Mike's Catholic Church, No. Weymouth, Mass. arrest. Throughout the sanctuary -the Rev. John Higgenbotham, The Founding perspectives of the community remained Church of Scientology and The Church oriented in the right direction: It kept of American Science, St. Cloud, Minn. attention focused on Mike's resistance Fr. Alfred Jamicke, priest of the to the war and managed not to get side­ Archdiocese of St. Paul, Minn. tracked into a confrontation with the Douglas Harvey, Navy veteran and faculty and administrati-0n. It ~ept graduate student a concern for Mike as 9 -human being Fr. Anthony Mullaney, St. Anselm's, above the des~re t~ get maximum effec­ Manchester, New Hampshire Fred J. Ojile, draft counselor and tiveness from his presence. When things seemed to begin ·to fall apart church program organizer for the Twin Thursday night the community reali~zed Cities Draft Information Center in time that it was in sanctuary not Brother K. Basil O'Leary, St. Mary's to satisfy its individual needs but · College, Winona, Minn. Fr. Larry_ Rosenbluth, member of the Oblates of ~ary Immaculate, staff of Casa Maria/Milwaukee, Wisc.