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Communism, Crime and Civil Disobedience, 1965
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4525816
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Communism, Crime and Civil Disobedience, 1965
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Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers
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Civil disobedience
Communism
Crime
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1965-12-31
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The original documents are located in Box D19, folder "Communism, Crime and Civil
Disobedience, 1965" 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States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.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.
Digitized from Box D17 of The Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
provided
Chicago
READING TEXT
Communism, Crime and Civil Disobedience
Today, the heritage of freedom is the target of vicious attacks at
home and abroad. A Communist enemy hacks away at man's choice to be
free in the jungles and rice fields of Southeast Asia. The enemy
talks of peace in Europe and the Far East while clandestinely
plotting against us.
The sinister efforts of Communism spread across the Western Hemisphere
in Central and South America. In Cuba, the arsonist Castro commands
a treacherous headquarters of Communism almost within sight of our
shores.
While the Communists claim to be a legitimate political organization,
they are active tools of the Soviet Union. They cry for withdrawal
of American military support from South Viet Nam. They argue for
noninterference with Communist terrorists in the Domincan Republic.
The allegedly want peace
but a peace with a price tag too great
FORD & LIBRARY GERALD
to pay. They want world-wide domination as quickly as possible.
-mpre-
Communism
-2-
The shocking state of affairs is the existence of politically naive,
misinformed, non-Communist fellow traviers who are used as pawns....
the organized and strong attempts to sell Communist propaganda to
the youth of America and the world.
Recently, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover warned that the Communist
Party has placed "intense emphasis" on a campus speech program.
Of the program, he said, it "has seen skilled hucksters of atheism
and treason appear at scores of colleges and universities from New
York to California, without objection by the authorities of those
institutions of higher learning and often with positive encouragement
by members of the faculities... =
Mr. Hoover pointed out what Communist Party spokesmen are telling our
young people. They demand withdrawal of our troops from Viet Nam...
the describe the United States as the most hated country in the world.
they say the Berlin Wall was built to hold back undesirables from the
West.
GERALD
BRARY
more
Communism
-3-
The Communists are getting aid from far too many intended victims,
as Mr. Hoover revealed. And who are the intended victims of whom he
speaks? the pseudoliberals on the extreme, way-out left
the misguided zealots of the far-right
the Ku Klux Klan...the
merchants and spreaders of hate who follow a doctrine of intolerance,
bigotry
and
intimidation.
the rabble rousers who defy the law
and seek to promote disrespect toward family and all forms of
authority.
Civil disobedience, 8 creeping social cancer in America, is too
often hidden under the phony guise of academic freedom.
Draft
cards are burned, riots rip communities, the Nation's tranquility
is shattered by sit-ins, sit-downs, lie-downs, picketing with
placards bearing disgraceful messages.
Civil disobedience, although the action of very small minorities,
cannot become stronger in our society. As Mr. Hoover has said,
"we must choose between law and anarchy; freedom and chaos."
GERALD LIBRARY
more
Communism
4-
The FBI director reports more than 2,600,000 serious offenses
were reported last year in our country...the largest total on
record. And, the crime rate continues to soar.
In some big cities, the climate of fear has no boundaries. The
victims are rich and poor. They are robbed, beaten, exparts
assaulted and insulted on street-corners in broad-daylight, in
stores, in the center of the city, in their homes.
An assistant district attorney in New York sasy "we're going to
have crime forever but there is a great deal that can be done
to reduce the rate."
"Somebody has to care," he says. "Everybody has to care."
We must strengthen our civic pride, our righteous indignation.
We must change an incredibly indifferent attitude..we must
realistic
have more thought and action.
-more-
FORD is LIBRARY GERALD
Communism
We should heed the words of wisdom spoken 41 years ago by an experienced
attorney and jurist in one of our larger cities.
He warned: "It is not the criminals, actual or potential, that need
a neuropathic hospital. It is the people who slobber over them
in an effort to find excuses for their crime. The demand of the hour
in America, above all countries, is for jurors with conscience,
judges with courage, and prisons which are neither country clubs nor
health resorts.
Today, in too many instances some jurors deliberately turn away
from the evidence. Too many criminals are free on technicalities.
Too often the systems of parole and probation are nothing more
than freeways from prisons to the underworld and into the streets
and into the homes of America.
Our world must be ruled by law. It must be a place of reasons
respect for others, responsibility in changing and turbulent times.
I have spoken with
pessimism. However, I am optimistic
GERALD
LIBRARY
to a large degree.
more
Communism and Crime
-6-
In the fight against Communism, we are following a firm policy
in Viet Nam and elsewhere. President Johnson has my personal
support and that of most Republicans and Democrats in his actions
ordered so far against the enemy. I only question whether we have
done too little, too late in the use of air and sea power.
It is refreshing to see young people banding together in so-called
"movements" supporting our fight against Communist aggression.
A lad in the East lossed many, many pounds by dieting to meet
physical requirements for military service. He reflects the
patriotism of most young Americans.
The Communist enemy begins to feel the sting of American military
support in Viet Nam. I only hope that Peiping and Hanoi do not
miscalculate the intentions of the United States due to irresponsible
actions by some misguided and misdirected young people and
dissenters in our country.
-more-
Communism and Crime
-7-
The type of faith that dominated Independence Hall when the
Constitution was framed is strongly evident in America. National
polls show overwhelming approval of our actions against the Communist
aggressors in Viet Nam.
At home in the fight against crime and civil disobedience, local
authorities in most cities and communities are seeking and finding
solutions to problems of overwhelming magnitudes.
There
is
a
growing civic awareness of the need to
do something positive about halting the spiraling rate of
crime.
The President has signed the Law Enforcement Assistance Act, which
is aimed at strengthening the process of justice. The Congress
should continue to keep this vital matter before it for current
review and upgrading. More should be accomplished in the next S ession.
The Executive branch should devote even more attention to the national
crime problem without assuming federal control over local police
GERAS FORD LIBRARY
governmental agencies.
-more-
Communism and Crime
of
The Administration can expect complete cooperation from our side
of the aisle in the House in seeking ways and means to help
local authorities and officials turn the tide of crime and
lawlessness.
We also pledge to support the President when we think he is right
on matters of foreign policy. By the same token, we reserve the
right to offer constructive criticism when we think it is required
in the national interest.
I believe America will continue to march forward in a golden age of
progress with dignity and freedom if the people continue to
believe in liberty and justice....and God.
Feith is our strongest bulwark against those who would destroy or
rule us, who would turn the tide of civil disobedience into a
raging floodwater of turmoil, who would create a kingdom of crime
in a nation of law-abiding, God-loving, justice-seeking citizens.
Thank you.
GERALD LIBRARY
# # #