The Omaha guide., 1946-04-13
OUR
GUEST
| Column
Edited by Verna P. Harris
A BLOOD BANK HERO
BY OLIVER w. HARRINGTON

% year old Milton Kramer, No.
2787-TH, is merely a number in
various Government files. His
prison sentence would have been
up quite a while ago-if he had
'conformed. But he is still forced
to idle away his time in Terre
cause he handed a protest against
the Jim Crow blood bank to a Red
Cross doctor before donatins his
blood. Don't jump to conclusions;
Milton is not a Negro. He is a Jew
Behind prison bars, with Several
years of his life at stake, he hit
a firmer blow for democracy than
nave many of us On the outside
who are free.
The treatment of Milton Kra-
mer, a member of more than one
minority, points up a number OF
features of u decaying society.
L already said he belonged to the
Jewish minority. That's enough
by far for any one Individual in
a day when anti Semitism and
other forms of bigotry threaten
to destroy America. ut for phil
osophical and political reasons,
Milton chose to join the minority
OF conscientious objectors-and
o this he was sentenced, along
with two Negro comrades to five
long years. And when he and his
comrades, encountered segregation
5 and Jim Crow at Milan mich
Correctional InStitution-where
they were first incarnated-Mil-
ton found himself a member of a
prison minority that was fighting
o the rights of another minori-
ty. That today is his crime in the
eyes of the Federal Bureau of
Prisons; his parole is being with
held because he lost a years good
time, since handing his blood bank
protest to the Red Cross doctor
was considered an attept to smu-
ggle out a letter.
For one to feel called upon to
object to the carnae of war in an
era when war is obloete is itself
a commentary OH the present
state of mankind. For one to en-
counter racist practices in a Gov
eminent rehabilitation institution
points to the hypocracy of the
OFFICIALS in charge. And for a man
to be penalized for a bona fide.
protest against the vicious blood
bank policy is the height of auth
oritarianism in a country that
waves the four freedoms at the
slightest provocation.
Before Milton was transferred
to Terre Haute he helped lead a
successful fight at Milan against
segregated dormitories and dining
room. But the blood band incident
two years ago was too much for
the warden at Milan. Millions
good time q forfeited. If he
had given his blood in silence and
made no protest, he would TODAY
be free on parole.
Milton Kramer is no MARTYR in
search of publicity. He writes his
friends and family that he wants
to get out of prison. But Warden
Shuttleworth at Milan who origi-
nally made the smuggling charge
now claims that Milton is no lon
ger under his jurisdiction. There
IS nothing that L can do, says ne.
Warden Overlade at Terre Haute
passes the buck right back to his
colleague Shuttleworth by refus-
ing to review the smuggling act
when replying to inquiries about
Millions parole. Their cordial form
letters to friends of Milton virtu-
ally drip with crocodile tears.
Even if we would grant the
truth of Warden Shuttleworth's
presence that a written commun-
lcatlon handed to a Red Cross
doctor in the Warden'S is consi-
sdered smuggling would reflect on
the PRISONS unreasonable rules
and regulations. and not on Mil
ton. According to what law on the
soatute book does a prisoner for
felt his right of Petition and his
rlght of free speech? Petitions for
Wrlts OF habeas corpue have Of
ten been 'smuggled' out of pri-
sons and chain gangs.
AS a Jew who knows no color
line, Milton Kramer is a symbol
OF the growing ties between min
critics. AS a conscientious obiec-
tor ne epitomizes the wide and
healthy differences of viewpoint
within each minority. AS a man
who defied bureaucratic regim-
entatlon and stood steadfast on
ms principles, he belongs with
n shocA troops on the ramparts
of democracy.
AS soon as I heard about this
sordlo case, 1 wrote Immediately
TO James V. Bennett, the director
of the Federal Bureau of Prisons