Papers Fly, Ideas Droop at Peace Rally
By JOSEPH ESZTERHAS
The National Conference to End the War ended last night at Case Western Reserve University on the same jumbled notes with which it began: chaos, war whoops, generalities and cacophany.
The only solid agreement
was to concentrate on locally planned antiwar actions the week of April 13 and to attempt to organize nationwide high school and college strikes April 15.
·
The day was another exercise in parliamentary frustration and delegate discord. In their battle for points of order, it seemed at times delegates were
Wanderer
IF THIS FEMALE is not claimed by her owner today at the Cleveland Animal Protective League, 1729 Willey Avenue S.W., she will be offered for adoption tomorrow. Hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Plain Dealer photo
aping their elders' actions at political conventions. On two occasions, questions of procedure turned to fisticuffs. Both questions were resolved and battlers separated.
Somehow, at its conclusion the conference's most important issue the draft
and civil disobedience was whisked off the floor so delegates could attend a rally to "Free Ahmed Evans."
"I'VE COME all the way from New York to see if we could work out a viable position on the draft," one dele-
gate said, "ană discussion is cut off so we can rally to free Ahmed Evans.
"Ahmed Evans is a local issue. The draft affects all of us and we don't have time to talk about it. That's silly."
Evans, convicted of murder in the Glenville disturbance of 1968, is in the Ohio Penitentiary death row.
The conference passed a resolution which did not call for mass civil disobedience but it was doubtful all the delegates understood what they were voting on.
Don Gurewitz, a student mobilization committee na-
tional staff member, kept taking the microphone to say: "Unless we hurry up, there won't be time for the Ahmed Evans demonstration.'
By then, members of the violently militant Weathermen were content to sit in the balcony and shower delegates with paper airplanes, ice, and cries of "YIP YIP, YIPEEE" and "WHOOOO WHOOOO
WHOOOOO WHOOOO WHOOO!" Such issues as women's
liberation, high school rights, GI rights, homosexual equality, and Third World Solidarity were discussed and discussed and discussed.
The resolution passed on the draft was the same compromise resolution mobilization committee members have voted for since 1966. It does not call for "mass civil disobedience" but calls for the "support of mass legal demonstrations and local civilian disobedience where appropriate.”
EVEN AS the resolutions were being passed in another communications breakdown, buses were leaving for Chicago, Miami University, and New York. Delegates dashed from the floor carrying bags and belongings.
In the balcony, a couple huddled behind a curtain. A kid slept on his knapsack kid slept on his knapsack and
snored. Lovers held hands, put their heads together, and listened blissfully to what seemed hours of words about “male chauvin-
ism" and "feminine equality."
Women, mostly overweight, got up to argue for "control of our own bodies,"
"free abortions" and "free child care."
"This whole meeting is chauvinist," one girl said. She suggested that on the issue of women's rights, only the women be permitted to vote. "Any other way would be illegitimate,” she said.
The men voted her down. "Just what I said," the girl said. "Male chauvinism!"
The discussion of women's rights was interrupted by
เ
two members of the Gay Liberation Movement who argued for the right to "do
our
own thing." Members smiled and applauded.
A High School Bill of Rights was passed after one delegate argued: "We want to stop being good little boys and girls. We want to let the cat out of the bag.
35
AS THE CAT was being let out, a kid in the bleachers played a flutophone. Another played a harmonica.
A group of Arab students had a resolution read about solidarity with the Arabs in the Middle East. A group of Isreali students had a resolution read about solidarity with the Israelis in the Middle East. Arabs and Israelis were applauded.
In a discussion about the Third World, adelegate from North Carolina argued the South should be included in the Third World and in the Third World and thanked members for solidarity expressed with the plight of Movement people in the South.
A lot of time was spent on how many students and how
many women would be elected to the Mobilization Committee steering committee. Paper plane flights increased during that time.
"I'M GLAD we're discuss-
ing all these things," one girl said, "because we're finally linking all the bridges of oppression.”
One delegate, 14-year-old Abba Solomon, of Eastern Junior High School in Silver Springs, Md., announced he was severing all connection with the mobilization committee because of the thinking he felt characterized the session.
In a statement, he said: "I am completely discour aged and disheartened by what I have seen and heard. At this gathering there has been a significant trend toward loose, disorganized thinking. Many people in SMC are no longer interested in communicating with the American people, with bringing issues to their attention, with winning people over to our cause with logic and peaceful demonstrations.
19
"They now seem to believe we are in a state of war. They are now taking the stance that the appropriate tactics are disruption and fighting in the streets. This can benefit no one.' The demonstration to free Ahmed Evans was held across the street, at the county coroner's office. It was followed by a demonstration on behalf of the Chicago 7.
Black spokesman Willie Mae Mallory addressed the 200 delegates who stayed for the rally.
"I'm not a pacifist,” she said, “so go out and get middle class power strucsome members of the white
ture."
THE KIDS YELLED: "Right on!" and "Off the pigs!"
A passing police car was pelted with snowballs.
"I've been here three days,” said an Ohio State University student. "I wanted to know what we do from here, where we're going?
"After three days, I'm still looking for an answer.”