Evening star., 1960-03-02
LETTERS TO THE STAR
Editorial on Sit-Down Tactics Draws Fire

everyone who calls himself a
believer in equality.
Andrew Bennett.
4
The Star editorial Hurt
ing Their Cause" is really the
story of the year. It stated
that there is a right and
wrong approach, and these
sitdown demonstrators are
taking the wrong approach.
The theme of the editorial
was to avoid violence.
No doubt the Boston Tea
Party" was the wrong ap-
proach but it served the pur-
pose of people who resisted
the bondage imposed upon
them. The Minuteman of
Lexington, no doubt, TOOK the
wrong approach but look how
we'll the cause was served.
The War of 1912 was due to
people being oppressed The
Civil War came about due
to oppression within these
United States against Negro
people.
All wars since then occurred
due to denial of human rights.
Certainly these events caused
violence and many deao. All
the crosses in Arlington
Cemetery and around the
world are monuments dedi-
Gated to the desire of full
equality in a democratic ma
ton.
The editorial also condemns
the use of mass action as a
wrong approach. Wherever
freedom is an established
principle, mass action is me
remedy. We, unlike the
Klansmen, are not robed,
masked or a secret sect.
The progress that has been
made in the past year. as
cited in the editorial, is
already so years plus behind.
Why should an American
citizen who has the means to
pay for his food have to stand
up to eat it or carry it out?
II a person has a business
catering to the public, al! the
citizenry should be entitled
to service. Why should a citi-
zen of color be excluded?
George r. Turner, Jr.
A Star editorial February
26 said that Negro sitdown-
ers were hurting their
cause" provoking violence,
and underwriting the posi-
ton of white Southern
"moderates." My first re-
action is to ask why you say
their" cause? Is not the
abolition of all segregation
your cause and mine as well?
Young Americans, mostly
Negro but not entirely. are
engaging in direct, nonviol-
ent action against one of the
most disgraceful features of
American society. Surely we
should be grateful, and not
shaking our heads in dis
approval.
An article in The Sunday
Star made it clear that these
demonstrators we're not the
ones provoking violence:
You have a picture of a
white man preparing to bat
a Negro woman over the
head, and you tell of whites
beating Negroes who did not
respond to insult. When you
advise Negroes to cease their
protest because of this vio-
lence, you are saying that
they should yield to black
mail, and leave the field to
hoodlum elements. Some
how, the message sounds off,
key.
I often wonder who the
"moderates" on matters of
segregation are. You say
that the demonstrations are
putting unfair or undue
pressure on the moderateS,
and that this is deplorable.
But what is a moderate posi-
ton in this case? A moderate
is one who avoids extremes,
and surely segregation is as
extreme as one can get. I
have always liked to think of
myself as moderate in all
things, and my moderate
position OIL segregation is
that it should be abolished,
Immediately. in all phases
of life, for it is an evil thing.
Direct, nonviolent action
aimed at segregation seems
to me to be an epitome of
moderation.
In all seriousness, l would
suggest that the current
wave Of protests is a glow
ing testimonial to the moral
strength and courage of
American youth. If youth