This is a reformulation of our viewpoint. Wee see things this way.
- ISSUE: The U.S. is involved in an illegal war. The President has chosen to conduct the war without advice or consent of congress. He has unilaterally widened the war in Cambodia. Yet, he has begun to hear our voices by withdrawing the first units from Cambodia during the middle of this week (so he says). This is even more reason to make our voices heard louder still.
Demand: The U.S. get out of Indochina now. The MSU administration voice its distate for the killing in Indochina and demand U.S. withdrawal. MSU discontinue all contracts and programs which contribue to this illegal war, or which contributes to American imperialism, specifically the research grants/programs with D.O.D-Army, Navy and Air Force.
- ISSUE: The killing, wounding and dismembering of the students at Kent State
University and Orangeburg, S.C. was unnecessary and avoidable. We must express our solidarity with our brothers and sisters at these universities, and prevent an occurrence of such incidents on the MSU campus.
DEMAND: Under no circumstances will firearms be allowed on the MSU campus.
- ISSUE: University priorities are out of whack. We have diverted funds and resources to activities which are of little value to the broad interests of the public. ROTC is on activity of the military establishment of the U.S. and therefore it should be treated as such.
DEMAND: ROTC will not be paid for in any way or granted academic credit by MSU.
- ISSUE: Repression of disent in America. Bobby Seale is Chairman of the Black Panther Party. Mr. Seale was denied a postponement of his trial in Chicago ( the so- called Chicago conspiracy trial) by Judge Hoffman. Mr. Seale requested the delay
while his attorney recovered from an operation. Judge Hoffman had in the past granted a postponement to a lawyer so that he could take a 7 week vacation in the
Bahamas. Mr. Seale then requested that he be allowed to speak on his own behalf.
His efforts to speak were countered with a 4 year contempt sentence, which usually
requires a trial by jury. Bobby Seale is presently being held for conspiracy to
commit murder. Kingman Browster, President of Yale, pointed out that it was
difficult for any black man, much less Bobby Seale, to get a fair trial in the United
States.
DEMAND: Free Bobby Seale. The university should bring political pressure to bear wherever possible to insure the right to political dissent for very American.
- ISSUES: MSU needs to meet the needs of the citizens of this state. The percentage of Blacks, Chicanos and Native Americans in the state of Michigan is between 16-18% of the taxpaying population. The population of the students at MSU should reflect this distribution.
DEMAND: Enroll in MSU by Fall of 1970 2,000 additional Blacks, Chicanos and Native Americans and provide supportive services for these students. The recruitment and qualifications of those students will be handled by the respective community groups-Detroit Geographical Expedition, BLFI, MECHA, for example.
- ISSUE: The University should divest itself of institutional racism. Blacks and other minority students are "weeded out" through the University College courses at more than twice the rate than that of white students. It is time to look to practices of the University College which are monolithic in cultural outlook and destructive to the cultural and value orientation of Blacks, Chicanos and Native Americans.
DEMAND: The University College Requirements which are racist be abolished. Other units and departments scrutinize their curricula and requirements for signs of cultural bias and racism.
- ISSUE: Alternative methods of learning and the right to protest. This strike is a
learning experience and a contribution to the academic milieu of the university.
DEMAND: Those people expressing their conscience in the form of dissent and strike from 'business as usual' will not be penalized in any way by any unit of the university.