PAGE 2 - N.C. ESSAY
Commentary And Perspective
Panther Busts mjf
(The views and opinions in this
article do not necessarily reflect
those of the editor or the staff of
the Essay).
The Winston-Salem Chapter of
the Black Panthers have been in
the news quite frequently of late,
the object of a series of police-
legal busts. While the position of
the local authorities has been
well stated by the local media,
the Panthers themselves have
had very little to say. Needless to
say, the Panthers’ versions of the
events conflict greatly with that
of the police-media. Because of
the discrepancies involved, we
felt it might be valuable to talk to
the Panthers and let them tell
their side.
I talked with Julius Cornell, a
member of the Panthers, for
about two hours last week. I
found him to be a likeable, ar
ticulate young man, deeply
concerned about what he
characterized as the “police
repression” to which the Pan
thers have been subjected. He
feels that the recent busts have
been a part of a nationwide at
tempt to quell Panther (and
therefore revolutionary) activity.
Sell Defense
We talked about several areas
of Pantherconcem, but mostly
about the situation here in
Winston-Salem. On a national
level, Cornell adamantly
denounced the Nixon-Agnew
administration, said that it was
time for the Mother Country
Revolutionaries (i.e. “the so-
called white radicals’’) to
commit themselves ultimately or
become the enemy and stressed
time and time again that the
Panthers were basically not
violent but that their
aggressiveness was based on
principles of self-defense against
repression. Cornell expressed a
certainess that the revolution-
apocalypse is drawing near and
solidified Panther doctrine that
all men would live in communal
peace and unity when the
necessary violence was over. He
qualified this by saying that “to
stop war, to stop the gun, you
sometimes have to pick up the
gun.” He also stressed the fact
that the Panthers are not com-
cemed about Black Power, but
the weU-being of all men. He
made it quite clear that the
Panthers are indeed prepared to
defend their property and rights
with their lives. “The time has
come,” he said, “to give all
power to the people.”
In relation to the recent events
in Winston-Salem, Cornell of
fered his own version of what'
actually happened. For the sake
of conciseness and clarification,
his remarks have been largely
paraphrased.
The first major incident oc
curred on November 27 when the
Panthers’ headquarters, located
at 14th & Jackson Street, was
destroyed by fire. The fire
happened while the majority of
the Panthers were in
Washington, D.C. attending the
Peoples’ Constitutional Con
vention. During the fire, Panther
records were taken from the
house (by the police, according to
Cornell). The Panthers maintain
that the fire was, in fact, set by
the police or an “establishment
nigger lackey.” When the records
were finally returned after a long
delay, many were missing,
Cornell said.
Strange Theft
The next incident occured on
January 12 and has caused the
most reaction and interest. The
story was well covered by the
local media (and by some
national news services). What
was reported, however, was
false, according to Cornell.
Julius related the story to the
Essay as follows;
A meat truck, being driven by a
white man, was stolen (by an
unidentified black man) from
14th & Jackson and taken to 1627
E. 23rd & Cleveland, then the
temporary home of the Panthers.
Grady Fuller, Officer of the Day
at the house and the only Panther
present, was told that the meat
was being donated to the Pan
thers’ Breakfast Club. Thus,
Fuller, and a 15 year old boy who
often visited the Panther
establishment, began unloading
the truck. (Cornell stated that it
is not unusual for the Panthers to
receive donations). Then, a white
man appeared, claiming that he
was the driver of the truck and
stating that it had been stolen.
Suddenly, the unidentified black
man appeared aiming a rifle at
the white man, who fled. At this
point, Fuller realized that
something was wrong. He and the
15 year old boy began tossing the
meat out of the house and into the
backyard.
Almost immediately, at least
fifty armed policemen appeared
on the scene, plus a WSJS news
team who were filming the event.
(There is confusion about this;
according to some reports the
news team was there when the
white man appeared). By this
time, the unidentified black man
had disappeared. The police
claimed that they were fired upon
from within the house, which
prompted them to unleash a 45
Cent. On Page 3
Draft Repeal
On June 31 the Draft can be
ended. The draft law expires on
ftat day unless Congress extends
it. Whether they do depends on
many factors and one of the most
important is student action.
To end the Draft and curb the
frightening growth of militarism
in this country, members of
Congress must be persuaded to
repeal the Draft. Students have
the power to do that. For those
who have been most exploited -
11.5 million 18, 19, and 20 year-
olds - now have, for the first time
in U.S. history, the political
power to end their exploitation.
But that power must be focused
to be effective.
To focus student power where it
counts most - in Congress - we at
Stanford are participating in a
two-pronged plan of action:
1. Students from across the
nation will converge on
Washington D.C. April 15-April 22
and lay it on the line with their
Representatives and Senators.
April 15-22 has been titled
“National Visitation Week” by
the National Council to Repeal
the Draft which is presently
arranging for student housing.
Funding for the students would
ideally come from their student
bodies. Expenses would be the
price of an airplane ticket.
2. Public education is an ab
solute necessity. The people must
be reached. Students must reach
out to unions, service clubs,
women’s clubs and other types of
organizations. Use of the media is
extremely important in reaching
the unaffiliated public.
Time is critical. Immediate
organization is essential. Draft
Repeal at Stanford can assist the
effort by providing all types of
anti-draft literature. The
following materials are being
readied for mailing:
1. Political profiles,
backgrounds, and voting records
of every Congressman and
Senator in the country.
2. Summaries of the Gates
Commission report - the report of
the Presidential Commission
which urged repeal of the Draft.
3. Fact sheets and position
papers on Draft - related issues.
4. Reading lists of the best
available literature on the Draft.
Any on the above materials will
be mailed upon request. We will
also do specific research on
matters of particular importance
to local groups if they so desire.
Please write whether or not you
need materials. We are com
piling a list of groups and in
dividuals working on the Draft
repeal issue.
End The Draft!
Pete Knutson,
Acting Chairman
Stanford Draft Repeal
Rocknroll
by Tony Angevine
The first “free univer
sity” course to be offered
at NCSA is a non-credit
course called “A Critical
Approach to Music,” to be
coordinated by Diese
Guisinger. It will meet at
10:30 Wednesday mornings
in Room 320 when there is
a guest speaker or in a
nearby faculty home.
The purpose of the course
is to listen to, discuss and
evaluate music which is of
interest to the members of
the group. It should provide
an informal atmosphere in
which students from any
department can increase
their exposure to music of
any style and any period.
Anyone interested need
only show up in^room 320
this Wednesday no later
than 10:30.
Tea For The Tillerman - Cat
Stevens .... By Tony Angevine
Cat Stevens is what Elton John
promised to be,nun us the hype.
His songs are mournful and
eloquent, and he sings with a
desperation that is the product of
earnest passion. He is moved by
what he experiences, and his
effort is to move us, to raise us to
his level of passion. He knows his
medium and he uses it,,
manipulates it to the point of
breaking through and becoming
a religious experience.
Doing his own guitar and
keyboard leads, Stevens is a
strong enough musician, in the
manner of James Taylor or
Donovan, to carry the entire
record himself. But his musicians
boost him to an even more
powerful expression. With all of
them working together, each
song becomes a symphony, a
beginning and an end in and of
itself. Stevens eases into a song
with a quiet guitar or piano in
troduction, begins to pick up
speed and adds a throbbing bass,
swells and swells with a mighty
drum beat, then climaxes in a
burst of emotion as the strings
whine in mournful empathy, and,
finally, lulls you back into silence
like a benediction.
Orchestration
For the most part, or
chestration (arranged by Del
Newman) and drums are used
merely as accent, to emphasize
the urgency of the lyrics, and are
kept effectively under control.
“Sad Lisa,” a strange ballad of
fear and loneliness brings the
strings to a painfully
melo&’amatic piteh, too sugary
for some tastes; but it’s the kind
of song that calls for that sort of
tear-jerking, and can be excused
for the sake of the rest of the
album.
Some credit goes to A & M
Records for their superb, as
always, job of mixing. But it’s
apparent, through the technical
polish of the production, that Cat
Stevens is a fine musician, a
songwriter of quality, and an
intense performer. He plays
piano with a heavy hand, banging
his guts for us to understand; and
his frantic piano keeps pace wito
the intense desperation of his
lyrics.
Book Review
I don’t want to work away, doing
just what they all say, “Work
hard and you’ll find, one day
you’ll have a job like mine.”
Cause I know for sure nobody
should be that poor. To say or
sink low, because you happen to
say so
Work hard and you’ll find, one
day you’ll have a job like mine ..
Be wise, and look ahead, use
your eyes,” he said, “be
straight, think right.”
But I might die tonight!
Ecology
There is the inevitable ecology
song on this albun. but at least
Stevens is sensitive enough and
imaginative enough to sing of the
technological state of affairs
without accusations and without
cliche: now that we have covered
the meadows with highways and
the sky with scrapers and the
seasons have their artificial
opposites in boxes, he merely
wonders,“Where do the children
play?” and asks with a childish
innocence and curiosity. There is,
too, the inevitable song of con
frontation between “Father and
Son,” but, in this case,
beautifully and simply done
without bitterness on either side,
with a vague disquiet marking
the differences, and a gentle
pleading on both sides rather
than the usual raucous dissent.
“On The Road To Find Out” is
exactely what it s ays; the search
for whatever lies beyond the
comfort of home, and the
eventual return home, expressed
with a driving bass signifying the
drive of the searcher.
So, after two unsuccessful
albums, Cat Stevens put out
Mona Bone Jackon, which well
forecasted Tea, but did not assert
itself to such a degree, but in its
more subtle way was just as
good; and then, of course. Tea
For The Tillerman which jolted
the hearts of sensitive listeners
and brought Cat Stevens well-
deserved recognition. One
wonders what his next album will
be. It seems unlikely that he
could continue in the same genre
without running out of material
or repeating what he’s already
done. No doubt, he could do as
well going in a totally different
direction. It will be interesting to
see what happens.
by Alexander N. Marsh
OTHER VOICES, OTHER
, ROOMS by Truman Capote
Vintage Books, $1.65.
Prominent among American
regional writings are those of the
“Southern Gothic” school (i.e.
McCullers, Faulkner, Welty).
The genre usually contains (A.) a
small rural town (B.) a sensitive
child, usually as main character
(C.) peculiar relatives (D.) even
stranger local inhabitants (E.) a
deluge of setting in compone-
roccoco.
This entry includes all of the
above with a generous dash of
homespun drollery, some
precarious philosophical over
tones, and lots of other schtick.
The plot concerns a child “en
tering into maturity” via the
experience route....in other
words, the kid is led to his
universal truths by the wierd
people and settings that confront
him. Capote - a really wasted
writer of obvious talent - tries to
make the growing pangs come
alive but the attempt was so
blatant as to render the intentions
impotent.
All the novel comes down to,
ultimately, is the fancily decked-
out setting, the pot^urri of
strange characters (ob->
stentatiously written) and un
mitigated sentiment. I recom
mend Eudora Welty’s fine works
instead.
N.C.ESSAY STAFF, 1971
Editor
Managing
Copy Editor
Feature Editor
Sports Editor
Photographer
Arts
Reporters
Advisor
Business Manager
Hovering Guru
Publisher
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