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Kiwanis Club, Portland, MI, September 1, 1970
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4526309
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Kiwanis Club, Portland, MI, September 1, 1970
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Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers
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Campus violence
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1970
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The original documents are located in Box D30, folder "Kiwanis Club, Portland, MI,
September 1, 1970" of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at
the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The Council donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Ifth District news media only
Office
CONGRESSMAN
NEWS
GERALD R. FORD
HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER
RELEASE
--FOR RELEASE AT 12 NOON--
Tuesday, September 1, 1970
Excerpts from a Speech by Rep. Gerald R. Ford before the Portland, Mich., Kiwanis Clu'
The colleges of America are in crisis. Many of them are torn by disruption
from within and faced with the threat of intervention from without.
One fact looms larger than all the rest. The American public will not be
satisfied until order is maintained on our college campuses.
Order can be maintained on campus-order with justice.
In cases where colelge authorities fail to do the job, outside civil
authorities will move in--and properly SO. Chaos, anarchy and blatant flouting of
the law cannot be permitted on any college campus in this country.
There can be no sensible remedy for the problem without a sense of
perspective, however.
First of all, it is important to recognize that less than 200 of our
institutions of higher learning have been ripped by violence while some 400 others
have suffered through some form of nonviolent disruption. There are, in fact,
nearly 2,600 colleges and universities in America with a total enrollment of more
than seven million students. The vast majority of these students neither take
part in nor sympathize with campus violence.
But we must be deeply concerned with the campus violence that does occur,
since it not only tramples on the rights of non-violent students but results in
property damage and occasionally even the loss of life.
We have become familiar with the confrontation politics of the campus--
non-negotiable demands, strikes and boycotts, arson, wilful destruction of property,
assault and battery, the occupation of buildings, interruption of classes, dis-
ruption of meetings, the barring of entrances to buildings, holding administrators
captive. On a few campuses, it seems clear that revolutionaries seek nothing less
than the destruction of the university.
Of course no university can avoid a confrontation with those who are
determined to engage in revolutionary politics.
It is vital that our colleges and universities function in an orderly way.
America cannot and will not tolerate the campus disruptions that have become a
familiar happening in this country.
(more)
Digitized from Box D30 of The Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
-2-
We will deal with these disruptions and we will maintain order on our
campuses--but we must do so in a manner that does not interfere with the right of
students to freely express their dissent. We must insure freedom of dissent while
preserving order. These two goals are not incompatible--in fact, they must be linked.
Students must be allowed freedom of dissent so long as they do not interfere
with the rights of others. But they must be dealt with firmly if they engage in
wilful defamation, public obscenity, incitments to crime and any other civil or
criminal misconduct.
Institutions of higher learning must enforce reasonable rules to protect
the operation of the university from disruption and protect those using university
facilities from harassment and coercion. Guest speakers who are known to engage in
incitement to riot should not be allowed on campus. Students who sponsor a guest
speaker while knowing he intends to violate the law should be firmly disciplined.
Neither should classroom disruptions be tolerated. A classroom should not
be used as a forum for the politics of violence.
The universities themselves should properly have the primary responsibility
for maintaining order on campus. If they are unable or unwilling to perform that
function, outside intervention becomes not only necessary but mandatory.
The university should employ various disciplinary procedures, supported by
the school's security personnel. After prompt and fair disciplinary hearings,
effective sanctions should be imposed upon students guilty of misconduct. Fairness
is fundamental to the maintenance of order, but in no case should flagrant violations
of the law be condoned. To excuse one crime is to invite the commission of others.
University authorities must recognize that if they do not clean up their
own house someone else will do it for them. If the university does not maintain
order, the civil authorities will inevitably intervene.
There are circumstances in which intervention of the civil authorities may
be required. This intervention may range from issuance of an injunction to
selective arrests, the use of large numbers of police on campus, and civil suits
for damages. The danger in asking the police to enter the campus in large numbers
is that support for the radicals may spread among other students. Yet there are
times when the university finds itself helpless to do otherwise.
There is no general rule for the handling of campus violence. Plans should
be formulated between the university and the civil authorities to deal with it if it
should occur--but the university should strive mightily to prevent such outbreaks.
Not every disruption can be prevented but every disruption can be--and must be dealt
with effectively. The American public will see to it that campus order is maintained
# # #
Distribution : all Fifth District 8/27/70 news media
m
Office
Copy
CONGRESSMAN
NEWS
GERALD R. FORD
HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER
RELEASE
--FOR RELEASE AT 12 NOON--
Tuesday, September 1, 1970
Excerpts from a Speech by Rep. Gerald R. Ford before the Portland, Mich., Kiwanis Clu'
The colleges of America are in crisis. Many of them are torn by disruption
from within and faced with the threat of intervention from without.
One fact looms larger than all the rest. The American public will not be
satisfied until order is maintained on our college campuses.
Order can be maintained on campus--order with justice.
In cases where colelge authorities fail to do the job, outside civil
authorities will move in--and properly SO. Chaos, anarchy and blatant flouting of
the law cannot be permitted on any college campus in this country.
There can be no sensible remedy for the problem without a sense of
perspective, however.
First of all, it is important to recognize that less than 200 of our
institutions of higher learning have been ripped by violence while some 400 others
have suffered through some form of nonviolent disruption. There are, in fact,
nearly 2,600 colleges and universities in America with a total enrollment of more
than seven million students. The vast majority of these students neither take
part in nor sympathize with campus violence.
But we must be deeply concerned with the campus violence that does occur,
since it not only tramples on the rights of non-violent students but results in
property damage and occasionally even the loss of life.
We have become familiar with the confrontation politics of the campus--
non-negotiable demands, strikes and boycotts, arson, wilful destruction of property,
assault and battery, the occupation of buildings, interruption of classes, dis-
ruption of meetings, the barring of entrances to buildings, holding administrators
captive. On a few campuses, it seems clear that revolutionaries seek nothing less
than the destruction of the university.
Of course no university can avoid a confrontation with those who are
determined to engage in revolutionary politics.
It is vital that our colleges and universities function in an orderly way.
America cannot and will not tolerate the campus disruptions that have become a
familiar happening in this country.
(more)
GERALD
-2-
We will deal with these disruptions and we will maintain order on our
campuses--but we must do so in a manner that does not interfere with the right of
students to freely express their dissent. We must insure freedom of dissent while
preserving order. These two goals are not incompatible--in fact, they must be linked.
Students must be allowed freedom of dissent so long as they do not interfere
with the rights of others. But they must be dealt with firmly if they engage in
wilful defamation, public obscenity, incitments to crime and any other civil or
criminal misconduct.
Institutions of higher learning must enforce reasonable rules to protect
the operation of the university from disruption and protect those using university
facilities from harassment and coercion. Guest speakers who are known to engage in
incitement to riot should not be allowed on campus. Students who sponsor a guest
speaker while knowing he intends to violate the law should be firmly disciplined.
Neither should classroom disruptions be tolerated. A classroom should not
be used as a forum for the politics of violence.
The universities themselves should properly have the primary responsibility
for maintaining order on campus. If they are unable or unwilling to perform that
function, outside intervention becomes not only necessary but mandatory.
The university should employ various disciplinary procedures, supported by
the school's security personnel. After prompt and fair disciplinary hearings,
effective sanctions should be imposed upon students guilty of misconduct. Fairness
is fundamental to the maintenance of order, but in no case should flagrant violations
of the law be condoned. To excuse one crime is to invite the commission of others.
University authorities must recognize that if they do not clean up their
own house someone else will do it for them. If the university does not maintain
order, the civil authorities will inevitably intervene.
There are circumstances in which intervention of the civil authorities may
be required. This intervention may range from issuance of an injunction to
selective arrests, the use of large numbers of police on campus, and civil suits
for damages. The danger in asking the police to enter the campus in large numbers
is that support for the radicals may spread among other students. Yet there are
times when the university finds itself helpless to do otherwise.
There is no general rule for the handling of campus violence. Plans should
be formulated between the university and the civil authorities to deal with it if it
should occur--but the university should strive mightily to prevent such outbreaks.
Not every disruption can be prevented but every disruption can be--and must be dealt
with effectively. The American public will see to it that campus order is maintained
# # #