Fifth Estate 127, March 18-31, 1971 Add to the Bookbuilder

The Detroit Board of Education recently found itself in the midst of one of its perennial battles for money and power. At stake this time around are the board’s power and the people’s education. The students and their parents are being used as pawns in a game with the state.

Troubles began when the board suddenly discovered that it was broke and had to make some budget cuts. It first planned to lay off 258 non-contract teachers but finally laid off only 192. The cutbacks infuriated students, parents and teachers. The Detroit Board of Education found itself in the middle of a school crisis larger than a mere budget deficit.

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STAFF COLLECTIVE: Millard Berry, Barbara Carson, Cindy Felong, Bob Hippler, David Riddle, Bill Rowe, Len Schafer, Marilyn Werbe, Peter Werbe, Cathy West,

FRIENDS & COMRADES: Keep On Truckin’ Co-op (KOTC), Resa Jannett, Julie Medvecky, Nick Medvecky, Sanjuro Streetfighter, Tramp, Bruce Montrose, Frank Joyce

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The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), prompted by a 58-year-old commissioner who is a former FBI agent, issued a policy statement on March 6 warning radio stations against broadcasting song lyrics “tending to promote or glorify the use of illegal drugs.”

The dictum—based on an unspecified number of complaints the FCC said it has received about several songs—has angered and bewildered Detroit area FM and AM rock stations.

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Monday, March 8 was International Women’s Day. Women around the city organized and participated in activities to celebrate that event.

On the previous Saturday women from Youth Against War and Fascism had a literature table at the Lincoln Park Sears industries...

Available from Wayne State Women’s Liberation: the first issue of their magazine Moving Out. Also, a chapbook—a collection of stories, poems, graphics called Free Women: call 577–3409 for info....

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A massive split formed in the Black Panther Party in recent weeks, as the party’s Algiers International Section—including Eldridge Cleaver—and the New York City branch announced their opposition to the California-based leadership of Huey P. Newton, Minister of Defense.

Newton’s faction has expelled Cleaver and the entire Algiers faction from the party. In addition, his faction has expelled the 13 New York “bombing conspiracy” defendants, two because they skipped bail and the rest because they criticized his leadership in a public letter to the Weatherman underground.

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“One and a half, two and a half, three and a half, four. You can’t control our bodies anymore!”

“Free our bodies—Free ourselves!” “Hey, Male Chauvinists, you better start shakin’. Today’s Pig is tomorrow’s Bacon!” “Sisterhood is powerful! Sisters Unite!”

Over 2,000 people, mostly women, marched and chanted from Durant Park to the state capitol in Lansing on Saturday, March 13, to demand a change in the state’s abortion laws. Spirits were high and it was clear that for most women there the march was as much a demonstration for women’s liberation as it was for a specific change in the law.

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American Civil Liberties Union 961–4662

Ad Hoc Action Group 923–0610

(Police Brutality Complaints)

Center House Switchboard 399–9090

Community Reporter 833–5085

Detroit Anti-war Coalition 874–4410

Draft Counseling 961–0983

Fifth Estate Office 831–6800

Distribution Centers (KOTC)831–1574

Gay Liberation 923–7749

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Two days after the appearance of the Fifth Estate’s special women’s issue it was completely sold out, necessitating the printing of another 5,000 for a total press run of 19,000. The reprint is without the regular calendar, classifieds and is undated, so it is a permanent pamphlet. Bulk copies are still available from our office at 10 cents a piece (mail orders accepted) or a single copy for a quarter...

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March 24—Black Moratorium Committee will hold all-day teach-in at Highland Park Community College, theme “Black America and the War in Southeast Asia” 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Emphasis on the War and its effects on black community and planning for April 3 March.

March 27—People’s Anti-War conference Learn In, all day, University of Detroit. Workshops on Imperialism, Peace Treaty, repression, racism, youth, women, GIs and veterans, and planning for April 30 Warren Tank Plant March. Sponsored by May Day Coalition and People’s Peace Treaty. (See Back Page for full details.)

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“Junk yields a basic formula of ‘evil’ virus: The Algebra of Need. The face of ‘evil’ is always the face of total need. A dope fiend is a man in total need of dope. Beyond a certain frequency need knows absolutely no limit or control. In the words of total need: ‘Wouldn’t you?’ Yes you would. You would lie, cheat, inform on your friends, steal, do anything to satisfy total need. Because you would be in a state of total sickness, total possession, and not in a position to act in any other way. Dope fiends are sick people who cannot act other than they do. A rabid dog cannot choose but bite. Assuming a self-righteous position is nothing to the purpose unless your purpose be to keep the junk virus in operation. And junk is a big industry... I lived in one room in the Native Quarter of Tangier. I had not taken a bath in a year nor changed my clothes or removed them except to stick a needle every hour in the fibrous grey wooden flesh of terminal addiction. I never cleaned or dusted the room. Empty ampule boxes and garbage piled to the ceiling. Light and water long since turned off for non-payment. I did absolutely nothing. I could look at the end of my shoe for eight hours. I was only roused to action when the hourglass of junk ran out. If a friend came to visit—and they rarely did since who or what was left to visit—I sat there not caring that he had entered my field of vision—a grey screen always blanker and fainter—and not caring when he walked out of it. If he had died on the spot I would have sat there looking at my shoe waiting to go through his pockets. Wouldn’t you? Because I never had enough junk—no one does.”

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Motor City Labor News is a regular feature of the Fifth Estate. In this column we want to provide a space for people from different parts of the Detroit labor scene to exchange their experiences—experiences of the struggle to gain control over the rate and conditions of work as well as experiences of the fight to regain control over their unions, where these have gotten bogged down in bureaucracy.

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This news short comes from Grosse Pointe South High School—A former student by the name of Mick was hired by the administration to patrol the johns and report people who were smoking. After being employed for quite a while he got busted for dealing dope to the students, and was caught in possession of one pound of hash.

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The Anti-war Learn-in Conference on March 27 held by the May Day Coalition will have a special caucus for youth. This caucus will be centered on getting ideas and resources together to educate and organize high school and junior high students. If there is a large number of community college students and young people in organizations for community service, then possibly the group may want to subdivide.

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With the weather warming up, people will be into all kinds of radical activity and crazy shit. If you are into it or see it happening, give us a call at 831–6800 or send it in to us at 4403 Second, Detroit, 48201.

As we go to press, the news just came in that black students at the Orchard Ridge campus of Oakland Community College held a sit-in, trash-in today at the school.

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Recorder’s Court Judge Robert DeMascio is a vicious man who wields a heavy hand against poor and black defendants that have the misfortune to enter “his” courtroom. He is almost as hard on youth dope offenders that come before him.

Recently though, two freaks had the last laugh when they ripped off the Judge’s gavel from his bench after he had just arraigned them on a charge of possession of marijuana.

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Directed by: David Maysles, Albert Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin. Starring: The Rolling Stones, Hells Angels and a cast of thousands.

“Ooo, the storm is threatening my very life today... But it’s all right, man, in fact, it’s a gas. It’s all right, I’m...an under-assistant, West Coast Promo Man...”

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The following excerpts are taken from John Sinclair’s statement on the Court of Appeals decision, Feb. 17, 1971:

“Michigan Court of Appeals has denied my appeal in the marijuana case. The appeal, challenging the constitutionality of the marijuana laws, particularly that the 9-1/2 to 10-year sentence I received for possessing 2 marijuana cigarettes is cruel and unusual punishment, in violation of the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

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At 4:00 am Sunday morning, February 21, Michael Fylstra of the Detroit Gay Liberation Front was busted for “accosting and soliciting” at the corner of Woodward and the Fisher Freeway. The cops mixed up the situation, however, because it was they who had accosted Michael.

“I was taking a walk late at night,” relates Michael, “when a car pulled up, and a passenger called me over. I went to the car and we started to rap.

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MADISON, Wisc.—A Federal Grand Jury here has indicted three army enlisted men on charges that they dynamited installations at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin last July 26^th, the anniversary of Fidel Castro’s attack on the Moncada Barracks.

All three GIs are members of the American Servicemen’s Union.

Damage to the camp’s central telephone exchange, a Western Electric transformer and the base’s waterworks was estimated at $100,000 by United States Attorney John Olsen. Destruction at the two old WWII buildings housing the telephone exchange was almost total, putting the phone service out of operation for almost a month.

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VENEREAL DISEASE is a general name given to diseases caused by germs that are passed from one person to another by skin-to-skin contact—usually by intimate sexual contact. The two most common venereal diseases are SYPHILIS and GONORRHEA. These two serious and dangerous diseases strike people of all races, classes and ages, in all areas of the country. Teenagers and young adults are attacked at the rate of 1,500 a day! In Michigan alone, it costs the taxpayers about $1.5 million to maintain in state institutions persons afflicted with syphilitic psychosis.

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On a recent Monday evening, a Detroit Police Department patrol wagon, license number X25061, blocked the alley next to the Forest-Third Market, better known as Sharkey’s, for well over an hour.

At five minutes past nine, two uniformed sergeants hurriedly made their way from the market to the illegally parked wagon. They backed onto Third and drove off, followed by a curious member of the community.

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Fourteen members of the National Committee to Combat Fascism, accused of murder and conspiracy to murder in the killing of a Detroit patrolman at 14^th and Myrtle last October, are set to go on trial May 10^th. The NCCF is the organizing arm of the Black Panther Party.

Police had originally charged 15 members of the group with the shooting, but have since dropped charges against one defendant under mysterious circumstances

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While Cleaver and Newton punched it out for the white media—to the confusion of black and white alike, Mohammad Ali and Joe Frazier did it for the white bankers, and the entertainment of black and white alike.

Mohammad Ali wore red trunks. Joe Frazier wore green. For forty-five full minutes, the Red and Black and Green slugged it out in front of $20 million dollars worth of fans.

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(Taurus/Detroit)

“dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in...

...detroit, michigan/home of the “motown sound”/g.m./ford motor/chrysler/rats in the kitchen and roaches in the bathroom/ no heat in winter & nothing cool when the summer comes/pistons pounding out a DRUM beat...do you take...to love & cherish... woodward ave./junkies/whores/& little kids on the way up to take their places/a dime bag to get the day over with...and do you take to have and to hold...the day shift, afternoon shift, midnights—at least 8 hrs w/the devil in hell/rouge, chevy, fisherbody (makes dead bodies), budd, eldon gear & axle, dodge main, jefferson, iron foundries & specialty forge foundries/monsters that eat alive & spit out bloody hands/feet & pieces of skin & bone/ & w/ regularity—a DEAD BODY...friday nite...get that check/carry it on home to the crib (w/wife & kids)/then get out on the street/get fucked up/(reefer, jones, coke, ups & downs, johnnie walker black & red)/try to freeze yr head/can’t think about the shit starting all over again on mon./”...and now a message from our sponsor” ...watch t.v./listen to the radio/read papers/they all say: “buy this, do that & u can be a success.”/damn brothers/sisters/a success in this motorized/concrete/iron & steel jungle is just staying alive!!!

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The demonstration in Kalamazoo that resulted in a police riot on Feb. 17 has given rise to a full-scale witch hunt in the city. The local citizens grand jury has turned in indictments against members of the United Front, a local community organization, which is a coalition of black, brown and student groups.

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Remember Bob Denver? He played on TV for years as Dobie Gillis’ best friend Maynard G. Krebs. Maynard always wore a sweatshirt, had a goatee and sideburns, and freaked out whenever anyone mentioned work. Well, on February 8, Bob Denver was busted by cops in a little California town for possession of grass. Bob told the police he was on his way to Oregon.

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Worried about the drug problem? How about the chemical problem? Do you know how many you had for lunch?

Considering the amount of preservatives added to keep foods on the shelf longer (calcium silicate, propyl gallate, propylenglycol), the amount of fillers (like water and cereals) used to pad the contents and boost profits, and the process themselves, food becomes a very important problem. In a profit-oriented society the quality of food and its usefulness to the body become secondary to its salability.

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Within the broad spectrum of real and non-real cultural/political revolution, many diverse and contradictory tendencies exist side-by-side. The sensitive “spiritual” types deplore the nihilism and violence of the revolutionaries with righteous indignation. The wilted flower children pack their bags and split to the country where ““the vibes are mellow.”

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Is there a blood test which can conclusively determine paternity? If not, is there another test or are there other tests being developed to determine exactly who the father is?

Dr. Eugene Schoenfeld speaking at Community Arts Auditorium, May 28, 1969 at a benefit for Open City. Photo: Alan Gotkin.

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Subject: “Abortion Must Be...... “ [FE #126, March 4–17, 1971]: Working women often fear that demanding free abortions means we want more money out of their paychecks.” Just who are you if you are not a part of the masses of working women?

You have revealed in this statement a very interesting and damning consciousness of division between yourselves and those of us who must work for our paychecks.

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Compiled by Resa Jannett in cooperation with Detroit Adventure

Wed. March 17

GRANDE BALLROOM, Fifth Estate Benefit to help support the Youth New Coalition, 7 til 11 pm. Adm. $2.50. Lots of music and even films, light show too. Y’all come!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BARBARA!

Thurs. March 18

VAL GRAY WARD, a nationally acclaimed dramatist will appear with her Kuumba workshop in a program of dance, music and poetry. Union Ballroom, Ann Arbor, 8 pm. $2 adm.

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