ustxtxb_obs_1968_01_12_50_00012-00000_000.pdf

Heart Downtown Dallas 24-HOUR COFFEE SHOP $6.50 up No Charge for Children Under 18 Radio-Television Completely Air Conditioned FREE INSIDE PARKING HOTEL Commerce-Murphy-Main Streets Telephone; Riverside 2-6431 Dallas, Texas 4.`!+”. :4.4″0″”iik..0″.4″.16,,,,”,70″.1.”k4telPte: 34.40.44.,40.v: ate a military-industrial complex unparalleled in the history of the world in its strength and the danger it presents, can foster CIA coups that overthrow democratically-elected governments around the world, and can send “green berets” to train the armies of dictators in South America and elsewhere just because they support the corporate interests of capitalistic America and the local aristocracy. In what I am told is my last Observer, I am able to read of our liberal labor leaders going all the way for LBJ in ’68, all out for a man who has, to my mind, been convicted many times over of almost unparalleled crimes against humanity …. You will tell me that politics is the realm of the possible and that I am an idealist. But I will tell you that your compromises are sealed with the blood of hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese and your liberal future will likely be shadowed by the funeral pyre of millions of South Americans, Asians, and Africans, who died at the beneficent hands of American liberals …. … Thomas Jefferson believed strongly in the right of revolution. He even stated that we should have one every 20 years or so. By my calculations, we are about eight revolutions behind and redemptive action seems quite appropriate. David A. Pratt, 714 W. 221/2, Austin, Tex. 12 The Texas Observer Not Important Who Runs Texas I agree with Jim Simons’ assessment [Obs., Dec. 22] of the failure of liberalism. It has failed . because it accepted realism rather than pursuing idealism. It conducted a continuous search for the lesser evil rather than the greatest good and accepted the premise that a politician must compromise his humanity in order to succeed. The terrifying state of the nation today calls for extreme idealism, which is usually called radicalism. There is little difference between a senator who remains discreetly silent while young Americans die in a vile cause and one who praises the obscenity. Whatever monetary benefits Senator Yarborough may gain for the survivors it can not restore their missing limbs and warped souls or dim the memories of their friends who were less fortunate. .That he did not praise the war may comfort the parents who lose their sons even less than Tower’s assurance of the justness of our cause. If Yarborough’s election to the office of governor of Texas will help to re-elect LBJ, then I would prefer to have Joe Pool in the state capitol, for it is of little importance who runs Texas if LBJ runs the nation. We shall all sink together! Mrs. Lee Dresh, 2200 Midway, Mesquite, Tex. Voting AND Organizing I read Jim Simons’ reflections on the Texas liberal establishment and I can well agree. Damn those Houston fat cat libs, those Dallas sunshine libs, and those San Antonio scotch and water libs! They haven’t kept the faith. They’ve been only parttime liberalswalking in the sunshine. And of course the don’t want to talk l dbout the issues! Doesn’t that make’ sense? Could you just see a bunch of sunshine liberals walking in the rain especially when it is raining napalm, like it does in Vietnam? I’ve got to differ with you though, Jim. I don’t think Don Allford [who is working for Sen. Eugene McCarthy in Texas] * is * See Observer, Oct. 27, 1967 MEETINGS THE THURSDAY CLUB of Dallas meets each the Downtown YMCA, 605 No. Ervay St., Dallas. Good discussion. You’re welcome. Informal, no dues. The TRAVIS COUNTY LIBERAL DEMOCRATS meet at the Spanish Village, 802 Red River, at 8 p.m. on the first Thursday. You’re invited. CENTRAL TEXAS ACLU luncheon meeting. 2nd Friday of every month. El Chico, Hancock Cen ter, Austin. From noon. Informal. All welcome. ITEMS for this feature cost, for the first entry, 7c a word, and for each subsequent entry, 5c a word. We must receive them one week before the date of the issue in which they are to be published. completely crazy to waste so much energy organizing county conventions to buck the power elite on Vietnam. I know it could be done. Bob Rogers, a former vicepresident of the Texas Liberal Democrats, organized and led Kleberg county \(home of the King Ranchthe last of the feudal vention, Austin, 1966. But I. differ with Mr. Allford, too. I think the time has come to stop worrying about the White House and build a better court house. The glow of Henry Wallace has faded from my eyes:. And having met and talked with Eugene McCarthy, I just cannot seem to get rejuvenated. To me, the voting booth is still the only solution. But I am not that naive to think that you could possibly beat LBJ in his own convention. What is the point about complaining about the meringue if you don’t have even a crust for the pie shell? After all, have the white middle class liberals ever effectively organized themselves at the county level? Let’s get down to the bread and butter issues! Once the stomachs of the poor are fed, their minds might better understand the hunger in . Vietnam. I realize . that a farm laborer chicano isn’t going to give a damn about Vietnam, but talk to him about minimum wage, better schools for his children, a safer place to work, and watch his eyes light up. So, Mr. Allford, re-orient your perspective from solving national issues to local problems. But what are your ways of confronting and changing the system, Mr. Simons? You said you weren’t going to throw bombs and you weren’t going to register voters, so what is left? Should we have .a sit-in on J. C. Martin’s, H. B. Zac hary’s, and H. E. Butt’s doorsteps until South Tekas comes into the twentieth century? Should we march from Stonewall to Washington, D.C.? Or do we just retire to Scholz’s and cry about liberalism in Texas? I personally think that if the dissident liberals want to pee into the wind, finelet them. When you get down to the real nittygritty, getting out the vote is still the only solution. But it has to be a political reality with all the minority groups fully participating. The Negro and the Mexican. American must be self-organized so that they no longer pay tribute to one political party. They must be able to determine their own interest. South Texas aches with the pus of over MARTIN ELFANT Sun Life of Canada’ 1001 Century Building Houston, Texas CA 4-0686