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Show up against the wail , Most not satisfied with candidates By Jeannette Brown "A surprising 57 per cent of the people polled by Louis Harris prefer a presidential alternative other than Nixon, Humphrey or Wallace. Only 49 per cent feel they are being offered a 'fair choice' iri candidates this year, and 46 per cent profess themselves 'disappointed' by the selection before them." Newsweek, quoted above, should not have been surprised by the survey results. As election day draws nearer, it is more apparent that a significant number of Americans are being ignored. Thus far, the three presidential candidates' themes have droned the same emotional line: more "lawnorder" (Newsweeks' spelling). Republican candidate Richard Nixon has channeled the majority of his political speeches around the slogan "law and order." From his nomination-acceptance nomination-acceptance speech when he preached almost a God is Law and Order sermon, the Republican has constantly harped that the only way to end violence is to adopt a hard "you'll-get-yours" line. Last-Ditch Approach Vice President Humphrey, this year's underdog, apparently feels the "law and order" line is one of his last-ditch approaches to victory. He has attacked Mr. Nixon on the grounds that the Republican's answer to "law and order" is more policemen. "I'm not running for sheriff," he scoffs, "I'm running for the President of the United States." Yet, one of his major premises in his Salt Lake address was "extremists of the Right and Left" are out to destroy democracy, and, frightened by his emotional prediction, he suggested only more "law and order." Absurdly, ex. Gov. George Wallace was the only candidate last week really gaining voter ground. He also wants "law and order," and his brand is just plain: "If any demonstrator ever lays down in front of my car, it'd be the last car he'd ever want to lie down in front of." Battle Of Law, Order To use a now trite cliche, the Battle of Chicago was waged on the grounds of "law and order." Just as Mayor Richard Daley envisioned, the three candidates seem to believe that "better-trained and equipped police forces," i.e. "law and order," will end America's protests, demonstrations, ghetto riots and campus sit-ins. These candidates have failed to look at the real issues. The reason for the Newark, Detroit and Watts riots was the ghetto dwellers, mostly black, were tired of living in rat-infested, unsanitary, high-rent slums. They are still tired of the same conditions. They don't think they- ought to "be happy in the ghetto" patrolled heavily by uniformed occupation troops in the guise of peace officers. Education And Employment The blacks still want a good education as opposed to a white education, and they are still determined to obtain decent employment. The riots were caused by anger and frustration at the issues. The angerfrustration and issues will not dissolve by increasing the occupation troops' deadly weapons; they will ferment. Louis Harris reported last week that 47 per cent of all whites harbor some measurable prejudice toward Negroes and are inclined to express it by supporting either Mr. Nixon or Mr. Wallace. Samuel Lubell, an opinion sampler, analyzes, "the 'radical recoil' among whites has become so strong that the November election might be followed by a determined and even violent effort to turn back the racial clock." All this in the name of "law and order." Voters in the last presidential election selected President Lyndon Johnson by a landslide because he promised not to widen the war. Since then, peace marches, the Pentagon demonstration, Dr. Benjamin Spock's trial, Sen. William Fulbright's anti-war investigations and the Democratic National Convention have focused on peace. These protestors have not asked for an "honorable U.S. peace," they asked for peace, meaning no war. Significantly, almost half of the Democratic delegates pushed for a peace plank in their platform. The late Sen. Robert Kennedy, Sen. Eugene McCarthy and Sen. George McGovern campaigned for peace, not "law and order" but real peace, i.e. no war. The two Kennedy senators earlier this year loudly advocated liberalizing the Selective Service procedures. Still, Vice President Humphrey has a revised but unchanged Johnson administration view of the Vietnam war. Mr. Nixon has promised to "end the war," which can and is being interpreted not as peace but ar escalation for an all-out military victory, annihiliation. Mr. Wa- ' who is primarily increasing backlash vote, is also threaten"' "the enemy" with more arms less negotiations. And, accord ' to his vice presidential candid Gen. Curtis LeMay, "a nucJ bomb is just another weapon " The real issue peace, no war also being ignored by ti cnadidates. They think in terms' ' maintaining the "honor" 0f 'f U.S., and absurd concept f;f connection with Vietnam :' Significantly, Hanoi's negotiator asserted months before the Paif '"' talks that negotiations Wou!c '' begin "after a halt to all bombings." They have changed from this position. U.S. team, then, cannot talk unti ; the bombing stops. We are j effect, putting on a show tt ; protect "U.S. honor." Basically, the voter is gjV(. . these alternatives: more poijtt . , continued or all-out war, an ; regressive racial and socii - attitudes. " ,. ,( Ironically, Nixon has promisee 'c to "head the nation's dissenter and strive for a true ferment o! - ideas." Vice President Humphr; takes great pride in reminiscir; ' about his student activist days, i three, by their "law and order" and anti-peace planks, hat: prosecuted, judged, sentenced at: clubbed all forms of protest i; : America. The alternatives offered ,f; voter in November will not ec: violence. Of course, there will ' longer be unorganized outburr major city ghettos. Since all iwf; candidates have escalated tt street war, the "peasants" wij turn to guerrilla warfare. Moif "better-trained and eqnippej troops" will not eliminate tt-f problems which lead to the na:: and a Mr. Nixon or Mr. Walker will increase the tensions in tfcf ghetto. "This thing moves in stages said Ocie Pastard, who won closely with militants as exec.: director of the Mid-Cit Community Congress in St. Lot; Mo. "We're just about at the en of the age of burning cities. Ti next stage is guerrilla warfare '" About 30 sniping incidents sit mid-August in St. Louis at weight to Mr. Pastard's prophet According to Harris' figures,: per cent of the voters are n impressed with the "law ar order" slogan to evade the it issues. But, as one voter said' another, "Well, there's t: choice which one would prefer , have hitting you over the Iff , Alvin?" |