Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / Aug. 25, 1977, edition 1 / Page 48
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D2 The Daily Tar Heel Thursday, August 25. 1977 Quiet 1970s leave Schwartz without optimism By AMY McRARY 1 SUIT Writer He doesn't look like the man who led 10,000 protesters to the Governor's Mansion in a demonstration against the Vietnam War, But he did. And he certainly doesn't look a man almost set up as a conspirator by the KGB, the Russian equivalent of the CIA. But he says he nearly was. In fact. Professor JoelSchwartz, associate chairperson of the UNC political science department, looks like what he has been for the past twelve years a teacher. A short man with a dark complexion and a receding hairline, Schwartz is a specialist on Soviet government, having received degrees from Harvard and Indiana. But this teacher, a second generation American, was not content to teach and then return to his office in the late 60? when anti war protests were at their peak at UNC and throughout the country. "1 had always believed Vietnam was the worst moral outrage by the United States against anyone, destroying Vietnam and tearing American society apart," Schwaru said. Because of his feelings, he campaigned for Eugene McCarthy in the 1968 presidential election. But he became involved in what he calls "my finest hour," the"Marchon Raleigh" in 1969, by accident. "I was walking to my office one day and there were some radicals agitating near the American flag pole in the Lower Quad. I can't remember the exact day, because those 1 times seem so far away. But I do remember they were saying irrational and violent things like 'Let's take over South Building in protest against the war!' "I took the microphone and told the crowd, which had become pretty lively by then, that if they wanted their opinions heard, taking over the South Building was the wrong way. They would have to take their ideas to prominent people for results, I said. "Well," he continues, "1 guess I asked for it." Soon organizers of a protest came to Schwartz and asked him to lead their rally, which they called the "March on Raleigh (even though everyone actually drove to the capital city). The march was to protest a telegram Gov. Bob Scott had sent President Nixon in behalf of the people of North Carolina. The telegram had congratulated Nixon on the bombing of Cambodia. "I was to give this fire-and-brimstone speech on the lawn of the Governor's Mansion while a delegation of people picked from the protesters went in the mansion to give Scott a petition against his action and the war. "So 1 gave this rabble-rousing sermon for about 20 minutes and suddenly the microphone went dead!" The state police protecting Scott had pulled the microphone cord and whisked the governor out the back before the delegation could see him. - It was a hot day in April and the crowd of protesters from all over the state were already angry. Soon people started talking about seizing the mansion in protest. "It seemed j always had to stop people from taking over buildings!" Schwartz said. "I grabbed a megaphone that was morals of their children!" Though he didn't apologize and he didn't get fired. Schwartz did learn something from the television coverage. "I think you can do anything in North C arolina except take the Lord's name in vain. Here Twas. 1 had worked for McCarthy and fought for union w orkers and black students with no feedback whatsoever, but with one word, I was a corrupting radical!" But if another war like Vietnam occurred. Schwartz says not only would he lead another march to Raleigh, but he would also tell his two sons not to serve in the Army. "1 would tell them, in good conscience, that I would rather them go to prison or leave the country than light in a conflict politicians I just don't have any of that hope or optimism. But I'm not really pessimistic, because I think that maybe, just maybe, American life goes in cycles and the 80s will bring a change. Frankly, I miss the 60s. Nothing exciting has happened since then. Joel Schwartz conveniently nearby and started yelling that we weren't here just to see one man. but to see the people of North Carolina and any violence would discredit us and our cause in their eyes. "It must have worked, because suddenly people calmed down and began to play guitars and banjos and sing peace songs. "In all modesty, I saved the day." But even though there was no violence that day, Schwartz did not look like a hero, but a radical, to the viewers of the evening news on television. "Well, the first sentence of my speech had to get the attention of these 10.000 people waiting for some profound statement. So my first words were 'What is this goddamn war all about?' " And of his 20-minute speech, that was the line the T.V. stations chose to air on their programs. "I came back to UNC feeling like I had done my duty and stopped a riot. You can imagine my surprise when the dean called me to his office and told me people were calling him complaining that I was corrupting the can't explain to the public." Joel Schwartz's involvement in controversy didn't stop with anti-war protests. Outside of the U.S.. he found himself almost involved w nh the communist government in Russia not because ol his politics, but because of his religion and not of his own desire, but of someone else's. Schwartz believes this involvement was a KGB attempt to frame him as a member of the Jewish Resistance in the Soviet Union. While u graduate exchange student studying at Moscow University in 1964, Schwartz heard a knock on his door one March night at midnight. At the door stood a young man. The man said he had been a Jewish student at Moscow University and had been in trouble with the government. He had been placed in an insane asylum, but had escaped. The man now feared recapture and arrest. "We stood in the outer corridor at my boarding house. The man tore pieces of paper from the edge of a newspaper lying on a table and wrote his story on them in Russian. After I read aloud what he wrote. VAi Wii Mi ti ' ' HII ft I tell " ? lTi!l fi J M fr fi-Jf 1 'i"H , ,'! i. (I 1 ,1 1 ' J V , ti I! " "Hfttj ,mm 'i ' 1 1 " y -mir at - : V the man tore the slips up and Hushed them down the toilet." The man wanted Schwartz to take his story to the Western media so there would be widespread publicity if he was arrested. , "The situation with Jews in Russia is a tightrope." Schwartz said. The Exchange Student Committee, which had given Schwartz a grant to study in Russia, had warned him to avoid Russian Jews. But the day the man appeared at his door. Schwartz had accepted an invitation from the Israeli Embassy to observe Passover there. "The man could have been telling the truth, but 1 had no way of knowing. Besides, my wile and I thought it suspicious that he would come to me after I had received a private invitation to observe a Jewish holiday. We wondered how he found out we were Jew ish." v The man returned twice more, the last time the night Schwartz was to attend the Passover service. "I was sitting at the table when the man suddenly appeared at our door. My wile jumped up and pushed him out of the room, locking the door. We(ncver saw him again." Schwartz said he believes this was a KGB agent trying to trap him as a conspirator because ol the suspicious, persistent nature of his v isits, along w ith the fact Schwartz had been a leader in Jew ish Youth Groups. Schwartz has won two Tanner Awards for Distinguished Teaching in six years, once in 1968 and again in 1974. but he doesn't feel . the same peace of mind he had 21 years ago on an Israeli farm. "I never can see evidence of w hat I do in teaching. All 1 am sure of is that I stand up and talk for a number of minutes. It's a job with a lot of built-in frustrations." But Joel Schwartz has been at this frustrating job lor 12 years, all at UNC. . .. . . . :i ::r;-,n Iff IP 1 t. "..- .. . :v t I iv-, vc If Stall photo by Joseph 1 homu Professor Joel Schwartz though he nearly chose Chicago as a place to teach instead. "I went to Chicago for an interview . There was a terrible blizzard and I couldn't get home for a day. "But when I came down here to be interviewed, it was one of those Indian summer days in February. Everyone was walking around in short sleeves. I thought it was a sign from God." 1 n his 1 2 years at UNC. Schwartz has seen a lot of changes in the attitudes on campus as well as around the country. "The 60s were very excit ing times in my life and in the life of the country. Like many others, I naively believed we could totally stop injustice in America. It was a time of hope and optimism for our country as a whole, though the war hurt us. "But now, I just don't have any of that hope or optimism. But I'm not really pessimistic, because I think that maybe, just maybe, American life goes in cycles and the 80s will bring a change. Frankly, I miss the 60s. Nothing exciting has happened since then." He leans back in his chair, hand behind his head. "Call me a liberal, I guess. I'm definitely left of - center where North Carolina values are concerned. But I've never thought of myself as the radical the T.V. cameras portrayed that day in 1968. "No, I'm not a radical. Though Jesse Helms might think I am." He laughs. Joel Schwartz doesn't seem too worried. The "Best" Restaurant in Town! Stfphtn LA Girbtr Ron Hardin Wayna iMthford .' Mint MANAGER We've changed - for the better! We're proud to say that we think we've got the best restaurant in town! But don't just take our word for it come on in and see for yourself. Come meet our management team. 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Avery berry treat. Shoney's famous Fresh Strawberry Pie Big ripe uicy strawberries in a tender flaky crust with rich creamy topping It s a treat to enjoy often for dessert at lunch or dinner, tor an in-between snack bhoney s Fresti Straw berry Pie. Very berry good Try our new, delicious Tar Heel Crispy Chicken Take out in 8, 14 & 20 piece buckets 132 W. Franklin St. Across from Granville Towers Take Out 929-2115 Open Mon. thru Thurs., 6 a.m. - 12 midnight, Fri. and Sat. 7 a.m. - 1 a.m., Sun. 8 a.m. - 12 midnight. Jir. li'.: izfl 'fiMH': 'HFi 'M"I:
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Aug. 25, 1977, edition 1
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