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PAGE 16 GOLD BUG NOVEMBER 2, 1970 ---------'--The ScrantonReport------- Several weegs ago the President's Commission on commit. that we are the first nation with sufficient resources Campus Unrest presented the results of its three month We find ominous and shocking reports that to create not only decent lives for some. but a study to the President. Since then there has been much students are laying in supplies of weapons, and that decent society for all and that we are failing to do discussion and analysis of the "Scranton Report," : others are preparing to take the law into their so. They feel they must remake America in its own named after the commission's chairman, Gov. Wm. hands against protesters and minorities they image Scranton of Penn. ; dislike. There can be no place in our society for But among the members of this new student We reprint here one part of the report,~the Address t~ vigilantes, night-riders, or militants who would culture, there is a growing lack of tolerance, .a the American People. The complete report can be found: bring destruction and death upon their opponents. growing insistence that their own views must in the Chronicle of Higher Education. . No one serves the law by breaking it. govern, an impatience with the slow procedures of Violence must stop because it is wrong: It liberal democracy, a growing denial of the To the American People , effort. It undermines the foundations of a just social humanity and good will of those who urge patience destroys human life and the products of human order. No progress is possible in a society where and restraint, and particularly of those whose duty it is to enforce the law. A small number of students The crisis on American campuses has no parallel lawlessness prevails. have turned to violence: an increasing number, not in the history of the nation. This crisis has roots in Violence must stop because the sounds of terrorists themselves, would not turn even ar- divisions of American society as deep as any since violence drown out all words of reason. When sonists and bombers over to law enforcement of- the Civil War. The divisions are reflected in violent students and officials resort to force and violence, ficials acts and harsh rhetoric, and in the enmity of those no one can hear and the nation is denied a vital call At the same time, many Americans have reacted Americans who see tbemselves as occupying op- to conscience. It must stop because no nation will to this emerging culture with an intolerance of their posing camps. Campus unrest reflects and in- long tolerateviolencs, without repression. History own. They reject not only that which is impatient, creases a more profound crisis in the nation as a oilers gnm proof that repression once started is unrestrained. and intolerant in the new culture of whole almost impossible to contain the young, but even that which is good. Worse, they This crisis has two components: a crisis of reject the individual members of the student violence and a crisis of understanding. We fear new Crisis of understanding culture themselves. Distinctive dress alone is violence and growing enmity. enough to draw insult and abuse. Increasing numbers of citizens believe that students who Campus protest has been focused on three major who Crisis of violence questions: war. racial injustice. and the university dissent or protest. even those harshly. protest peacefully, deserve to be treated Some itsou even say that when dissenters are killed, they have On the nation's campuses, and in their neigh: . The first issue is the unfulfilled promise of full brought death upon themselves. Less and less do bol"in~communities. the level of viole.nce has be.en justice and dignity for blacks and other minorities. students and the larger community seek to un- Blacks. like many others of different races and steadily rising. Students have been killed and 111- ethnic origins. are demanding today that the derstand or respect the viewpoint and motivations lured: civil autboruies have been killed and in- pledges of the Declaration of Independence and the of the other. Jured: bystanders have been killed and injured If this trend continues. if this crisis of un- Valuable public and private and SCholarly products Emancipation Proclamation be fulfilled now. Full derstanding endures. the very survival of the nation social justice and dignity - an end to racism. in all han? been burned. Its human. social and cultural forms - is a central will be threatened. A nation driven to use the Too many Americans have begun to Justify students. black. brown. and weapons of war upon its youth, is a nation on the violence as a means of effecting change or demand of tcdavs edge of chaos. A nation that has lost the allegiance white. of part of its youth, is a nation that has lost part of safeguarding traditions. Too many have forgott~n i\ I4reat majority of students and a majority of its future. A nation whose young have become in- the values and sense of shared humanity that unnc their oppose the Indochina war. l\lan:,> us. Campus violence reflects this national con- elders tolerant of diversity. intolerant of the rest of its believe it entirely immoral. And if the war is wrong, (lition students insist. Ihen so are all policies and practices citizenry. and intolerant of all traditional values, xtuch of the nation is so polarized that on many that support it. tromthe draft to military research, simply because they are traditional. has no campuses a major domestic conflict or a~ u'n- fr(1111I{()T(' 10recruiting for defense industry. This generation worthy or capable of assuming popular initiutive in foreign policy could tn'gg_er opposition has led to an ever-Widening wave of leadership in the years to come. furl her violent protest and. in its wake.. coun- We urgently call for reconciliation. Tolerance tcrviolencc and repression student protests and understanding on all sides must re-emerge The Constttuuon protects the freedom of all citizens to dissent and to engage ~in non-violent protest. Dissent is a healthy sign of freedom and a We urgently call for reconciliation. We must protection against stagnation. But the right to dissent is not the right to resort to violence regain our compassion for one another Repression is unwise and. our mutual respect. Equally. 10 respond to peaceful protest with', repression and brutal tactics is dangerously un- ,\ third target 01' student protest is the short- from the fundamental decency of Americans. from wise. It makes extremists of moderates. deepens. comings of the American universuv. The goals, our shared aspirations as Americans, from our the divisions in the nation. and increases the \ values. administration. and curriculum have been traditional tolerance of diversity. and from our chances that future protest will be violent ' sharply criticized bv many students. Students common Immanitv. We must regain our com- we believe it urgent that Americans of <111C011" complain that their studies. are irrelevant to the passion for one aliother and our mutual respect. vlcuons draw back from the brink. We must social problems thai concern them. They want 10 There is a deep continuity between all recognize even our bitter opponents as fellow shape their 0\\"11 personal and common lives; but Americans. young and old. a continuity that is human beings whom we must not club. stone. shoot. find the universitv restrictive. Thev seek a com- being obscured in our growing polarization. Most or bomb. munity of compail ions and scholar·s. but find an dissenting youth are striving toward the ultimate \Veutterly condemn violence. Students who bomb impersonal muuiversuv. And they denounce the values and dreams of their elders and their and burn are criminals. All who applaud these untvcrsirv's relationship to the war and to forefathers. In all Americans there has always criminal acts share in their eviL We must declare a diseriminator~' racial practices. been latent respect for the idealism of the young. national cease-fire. B('hind the student protest on thl:'se issul:'s and the The whole object of a free government is to allow There can be no more ··trashing." no more rock crisis of violence to which they have contributed the nation to redefine its purposes in the light of new throwing. no more arson, no more bombing b~< lies the 1110rebasic crisis of understanding needs without sacrificing the accumulated wisdom protesters. No grievance, philosophy, or political .\n1(>rieans 11<1\'ene\'er shared a single culture. a of its living traditions. We cannot do this without idea can justify the destruction and killing we have single philosophy, or a single religion. But in most each other witnessed. There can be no sanctuary or immunit~' pt'riods in Ollr history. we ha\"E~shared many from prosecution on the campus. If our society is to l'ommon values, common sympathies, and a Despite the differences among us, powerful survive. criminal acts bv students must be treated < comlllon dedication to a system of gO\'ernment values and sympathies unite us. The very motto of as such wherever they 'occur and whatever their which protects our diversity. our nation calls for both unity and diversity: from purpose. We' arc no\\" in gra\'e danger of losing what is many. one. Crimes committed by one do not justify crimel' C0111monamong us through growing intolerance of Out of Ollr divisions. \\'e must now recreate un- commited by another. We condemn brutality an,d opposing dews on issues and of diwrsity itself. derstanding and respect for those different from excessi~e force by officers and troops called (0 .\ "lIt'\\"" l'ulllll"(," is ('merging primarily among ourselves. maintain order. The use of force by police is studl:'nts. l\Iembership is often manifested by dif- \"iolence must end. sometimes necessary and legal, but every un- ferences in dress and life stvle. i\lost of its members Understanding must be rene\\·ed. necessary resort to violence is wrong, criminaL and Im\'e high ideals and greai fears. They stress the .-\11Americans must come to see each other not as feeds the hostility of the disaffected. need for humanity. equality. and the sacredness of symbols or stereotypes but as human beings. Our universitites as centers of free inquiry are life. The\' fear that nuclear war will make them the Reconciliation must begin. particularly vulnerable to violence. We condemn last generation in history. They see their elders as We share the impatience of those who call for those groups which are openly seeking to destro.y I entrapped by materialism and competition. and change. We belie\'e there is still time and op- them prisoners of out-dated social forms. They believe p:lrtunity to achieve change. We beUe\'e we can still We especially condemn bombing and political their own country has lost its sense of human fulfill our shared national commitment to peace. terrorism. The full resources of society must be purpose. They see the Indochina war as an on- justice. decency. equality. and the celebration of employed to bring to justice those who commit . slaught by a technological giant upon the peas.ant human life terroristic acts. Anyone who aids or protect,s people of a small. harmless and backward nat JOn We must start. All of us terrorists, on or off campus, must share the moral The war is seen as draining resources from the Our recommendations are directed toward this and legal responsibilities for the crimes they urgent needs of social and racial justice. They argue end.