Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-09-16
L0wTence's Views


Supreme Courts 1854 deseg-
regation decision. stating
once again that the court
wrongfully based it's decision
on sociological instead Of
legal grounds. I do not see
how the court could have
done anything else but make
its decision on sociological as
well as legal grounds. and !
think Mr.. Lawrence perfectly
illustrates this point in his
own arguments.
AS he points out. the SUI
preme Court based its deci-
sion on the part Of the Con-
stitution which says that all
citizens shall be given "the
equal protection Of the laws"
Now. to apply this provision
to school laws one must de-
termine whether or not such
laws give equal protection II
the youngsters are segregated
by race even though the
school buildings and equip
ment are equal. / do not see
how this can possibly be an
swered unless 1t is done on
the basis Of studies Of human
behavior and its effects,
which is what both sociology
and psychology are con-
cerned with.
1t looks to me as If Mr..
Lawrence actually agrees
with this. for he himself pro-
ceeds to argue on the basis
Of some homemade sociology
and psychology. He asks
how anyone with pride Of
color" can accept the idea
that mere separation from
a certain school" creates q
feeling Of inferiority. Now,
it Is hardly mere separation
from a certain school" when
school laws require that all
members Of an entire race be
required to attend separate
schools. and when these laws
are based upon the implicit
position that members Of this
race are UNIT to be asso-
ciated with. How can this
fail to create feelings Of re-
sentiment and inferiority?
Mr.. Lawrence objects to the
Supreme Court having cited
sociological studies which
tend to show that this is
the result. Admittedly, these
studies are not perfectly pre-
else and conclusive. But I
know Of no studies which
even tend to show that the
opposite situation is true.
Moreover, the actual re-
search studies to which Mr..
Lawrence objects are GER
tainly more reliable than his
own misleading speculations.
Robert X. Balm.
-
1t is not whether we have
integrated or segregated
schools. but whether we OBJ
serve our regular procedure
for establishing laws. As
Mr.. Lawrence indicated, II
the Supreme Court can prop
erly legislate In the school
issue, 1t can legislate in
other matters such as civil
rights. Congress only re-
Gently devoted considerable
time to the latter subject.
Unfortunately, the Supreme
Court has legislated in q few
cases in the past, but that
is no reason for the court
to continue to legislate.
Under our framework Of
government. the Supreme
Court has no more authority
or right to legislate, as 1t has
in the school issue, than the
Chief Executive. What II
the President, the present or
a future one, should under
take by executive order to
legislate? OF course, there
would be q few to indorse
1t. but where would 1t lead
US?
Only Mr.. Lawrence has
brought out that the Presi-
dent is obligated to preserve
the sovereignty Of the state.
A. u.
The knowledge and wis
dom expressed by David
Lawrence in 1.-THE States and
Federal Authority" should
stir the people to open their
eyes to see what is crushing
us as a Nation-Federal con-
troll and usurped powers be-
longing to the States under
the Constitution.
1t was like eating ice cream
and then q sour pickle to
read next Thomas L. Stokes
School Violence Harms
United States He is to be
pitied. He Is goring his own
OK.
Alice Q. LemmOnd.
The purely legal approach
10 integration taken BY David