ustxtxb_obs_1970_05_01_50_00014-00000_000.pdf

1 Good Job, Sen. Yarborough BUMPERSTRIPS: 4 for 50c, 15 for $1, 100 for $3, 500 for $14, 1,000 for $25. Send check and Zip Code; we pay postage and tax. IL IFFUTURA PRESS i.c Phone 512/442-7836 1714 SOUTH CONGRESS P.O. BOX 3485 AUSTIN, TEXAS MARTIN ELFANT Sun Life of Canada 1001 Century Building Houston, Texas CA 4-0686 #ripit z’ Since 1866 The Place in Austin GOOD FOOD GOOD BEER 1607 San Jacinto OR 7-4171 CLASSIFIED BOOKPLATES. Free catalog. Many beautiful designs. Special designing too. Address: BOOKPLATES, P.O. Box 28-I, Yellow Springs, Ohio 45387. ANNE’S TYPING SERVICE \(Marjorie Anne Binding, Mailing, Public Notary. Twenty years experience. Call 442-7008 or 442-0170, Austin. WANTED: Adoptive homes for mixed race and handicapped children. If you have room for another child in your heart and home call Mrs. Anderson at Travis County Child Welfare, 444-0511 ATHENA MONTESSORI SCHOOL Leo Nitch, Director NEW NORTHWEST LOCATION 7500 Woodrow Phone 454-4239 in federal district court, have been reinstated on appeal to the U.S. Fifth Circuit. Initially challenged by the San Antonio chapter and subsequently handled by the T.C.L.U., the Texas vagrancy statute has been declared unconstitutional in a San Antonio federal court. Appealed by the attorney general, the case will be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court later this month. The Texas obscenity statute, challenged jointly by the Dallas chapter and the T.C.L.U., was stricken by a Dallas federal court. Appealed by Texas, this case also will be argued before the U.S. Supreme Court this month. The Fort Worth chapter has sued that city’s police department and other city officials for acts of alleged brutality. The Houston chapter has successfully challenged San Jacinto College’s suspension of a bearded student. Although the college has appealed to the delight of the chapter the student is presently reinstated. The San Antonio chapter brought suit against the Alamo Heights Independent School District for disciplinary action against long-haired male students. Although denied relief in a San Antonio federal court, the chapter plans to appeal to the U.S. Fifth Circuit. The Houston chapter won a suit against the Houston Independent School District for the suspension of two students responsible for printing and disseminating an unauthorized newspaper. T.C.L.U. appeares as amicus curiae \(a resulted in the demise of the Texas sodomy statute. The Central Texas chapter and T.C.L.U. successfully appealed before a three-judge federal court the constitutionality of the Texas disturbing the peace statute. The challenge grew out of the arrest of peace demonstrators at Central Texas College while Lyndon Johnson, then president, was delivering a dedicatory address. T.C.L.U. and each chapter are currently studying county jail conditions for the purpose of forcing the responsible state agency to enforce the provisions of a 1957 law which defines minimum standards of treatment, sanitation, and diet in county jails. IN EVERY instance mentioned above, the attorney or attorneys handling the case did so completely without charge. In no case are C.L.U. cooperating attorneys paid a legal fee for their time and services. While this brief sketch cannot include all of what is going on in Texas, perhaps it will provide a better understanding of what the C.L.U. does. No one would argue that this is enough. Indeed, we all wish we could do vastly more, but for the financial reasons mentioned above we have to be selective and too often must painfully say no due to a lack of funds. Martin’s criticism of my comments on the issue of abolishing the Texas Rangers is misleading. According to his report, I sort of indifferently endorse the Rangers. I see no reason to amplify greatly my original remarks in clarification, an exercise that would not be necessary had Martin chosen to quote me in greater detail. I did state that I did not care whether the Rangers were abolished or not. However, I said in addition: “It is their conduct that’s deplorable…. [The objections to the Rangers stem from] the abuse of their power as a result of the image the Rangers have projected through the generations. If they do try to live up to the image that’s been handed down to us, it’s not relevant to our present-day society… .” \(Daily Texan, . I don’t care whether the Texas Rangers are abolished or not. I do favor abolishing their selective and discriminatory brand of law enforcement. I also favor abolishing the anachronistic image they seem to cherish, including their frontier orientation. But I don’t believe conditions would significantly improve in their absence. Would we be any better off if another special force replaced the Rangers? Would law enforcement really improve if the D.P.S. assumed the functions now performed by the Rangers? If your answer is “yes” then you have more confidence in the professed fairness and objectivity of the general law enforcement officer and law enforcement hierarchy than I have. “In my opinion, the Rangers’ peculiar method of enforcing the law is more likely to be the rule of law enforcement in Texas rather than the exception. I don’t believe we cure the underlying pathology by providing temporary symptomatic relief. “Finally, I have seen no evidence that the Rangers are less efficient, or, if you prefer, more incompetent, than other law enforcement agencies in the state.” \(Daily Texan, In other words, I don’t believe abolishing the Rangers will abolish any of the reprehensible habits of Texas law enforcement officers, including strikebreaking and intimidating minority groups. LET ME conclude by re-emphasizing an earlier point. The Civil Liberties Union does not identify with or promote the principles of any particular organization political, religious, or otherwise. We attempt to preserve the Bill of Rights and the individual freedoms expressed therein. We believe the Bill of Rights is intended to apply to all, whether they be radicals, fascists, communists, establishmentarians, long-hair types, short-hair types, hippies, policemen, atheists, or protestant preachers. We try not to let their appearance or persuasion becloud our judgment.