SCARLET AND BLACK “Jubilail'on T.’ Crossed Prof Protects Protester! hole GRINNELL POLICE CHIEF BILL PETERS stomped onto campus April 24 and removed an American flag that had been inverted by anti-war protestors. PETERS: “Don't Tread On Me" ”Don’t tread on me,” Grllinell Police Chief Bill Peters warned six Grinnell stu- dents who went to talk to him last Fri< day morning about the inverted ilag Incident. “When you turn that flag upside down, you’re infringing upon my rights," Pet- ers Said. “You may he in distress, but that doesn‘t mean this country is. who in the hell are you to say it should be flown upside down?” On Thursday Peters came on campus, removed the inverted flag, and took it to the police station. “when i went up there :i wasn’t looking tor the guy who did it," Peters Said. “I couldn't care less who did ii. I was interested in the flag,” “You were looking at me at my aggressive worst,” Peters told the stu- dents. "I’m a human being; I’m no god.” Peters said that he had “no complaints” about student plans to go door-to-door in Grinnell to talk about the war. “i think personally this is a good way to protest,” he said. “You‘re looking at the king oi pro- testers, here,” Peters said. “l just do it diiterently — 1 write letters and go to mnventiolis." "l’m not going to come down and shoot you in the head because the flags up- siderdowli," he explained. l‘I’m just say lug don't turn the llag upsidedown, and don't [read on me," rt: } Discussion (Continued from Page I) carehil tacticaliy about weakening in- stitutions or higher education.” “an!” ejaculated Senior Al Cloudr “It you think that Grinnell is an autono- maus institution -— wow. I'm incredu- ious!” Cloud Continued: “if you think Grin» hell is existing outside the military- industrial complex and business and blah, blah — it's a bunch oi garbage!" At midnight President Leggett came to the Forum to keep it open past clos- ing time. He told the students that “by turning the flag upside down you may be involving the whole community” Leggett characterized typical symbol- ic protest at Grinnell as nonviolent, creative, and not involving innocent hy- standers, Before the discussion ended at 3 o’clock, seniors Dim Cheiietz and Cloud launched into long tirades Ci'iti< sizing various aspects oi Griniicll, In- cluding phystcnl education require- ments, senior comprehensives, iestric- [ions on student use at buildings, B&G wages, and the general attitudes of pro- Iessors and students at the college. ;_._—_—_—:__—z OUTSIDE AGITATOR PACKS PISTOL A man who was allegedly carrying a gun showed up at the ilagpole last Ft‘i- day atternoon and reportedly attempted to provoke a disturbance. Ted Glick said that the man, around 55, took off his glasses and tried to taunt him into a fight because he had in» verted the flag on Thursday, When Grinnell photographer Krystyna Neuman snapped a photograph or him, the man grabbed at her camera and threatened that she had better not pub- lish the picture, Witnesses said. Senior Bruce Armstrong told the 5&3, “I’m pretty sure he had a revolver and I could smell whiskey on his breath.” Armstrong said that the man let him {eel a bulge under his shoulder (the gun supposedly.) Armstrong quoted the man as saying, "Nobody will get to the flag— at least the first six won’t.” President Leggett said that he phoned Chief Peters when junior Tom Thomas called him and told him about the inci- dent, and told Thomas to have students stay away from the man. Leggett heat Peters to the scene. He said he introduced himself to the man and asked him it he was carrying a gun. Leggebt said that the man replied that he was, but that he also had registration papers ior it. “I told him that wasn’t the point and asked him to leave,” Leggett said. The man then walked all, according to Log gett. Miss Neuman told the 5&3 that she has talked with Peters and Poweshiek County attorney Michael Enich about the incident, and that she is Considering pressing charges about the flag iiicidehi at a meet South Lounge last Thursday n: Leggeit kept the Forum open until 3 A. . to allow the discussion to CD“- tihue past closing time By A STAFF WRITER Following a brief series of antirwar speeches last Friday afternoon, a pig eon sitting atop the titty-loot flagpole on central campus would have seen tour students and a single professor crowding the narrow concrete base. The base or the pole is three test in diameter and projects two feet all the ground. On it were Al cloud and Bon— riie Tinker — two seniors who were waifing to invert the llag after fresh- man Steve Mannhelmer and senior Bruce Armstrong, standing next to them, had straightened it up and ilown it right. Also on base was Associate Professor John M Crossett, Jr.. Clas- sics. _ Cloud and Miss Tinker. however, never did reverse the ting. They descended {mm the base and joined the estimated 25!] onlookers. So did Armstrong and Mannheimer. But when the pigeon looked back down he saw that John Crossett, alone, had become the Jubilation T. Compune of Grinnell, The Classics professor stood his narrow ground and took hold of the flags halyards. He was to remain on the base for over two hours, to be replaced in his Vigil later by students Asked nu< merous times it he was guarding the flag from those who would turn it up- sidedown, Crossett would make no state- mentat all. Students changed guard in shirts over the flag until it was taken down at sum set by 3&0 men. Saturday at 5:45 hm. Crossett returned to the flagpole, presumably to check on the state of the ilag. l'le lound, he said, that the halyards had been Cut during the night and the {as- tenings removed so that the flag could not be raised. Crossctt repaired the rope and again put the ilag rightrside< up and at hail-mast Max Jones, general Ioreman of the physical plant, said Wednesday that the ropes had been cut on two sepa- rate occasions since Friday. He said it costs $7.50 to repair the ropes each time they are severed. Tuesday morning early risers could tee a red-white-andrblue brassiere flap- ping in the breeze. It was taken down, as a navy blue sweatshirt had been the preVioiis Thursday. In tiie ailer- noon, Crossett sat on the base talking with students. 1 Crossett, who by this time had become a campus landmark, would make no statement concerning the flag incident itself, but he would talk about. other things, He told the 5&3 he had served for a short time with the US, Cavalry dur- ing the second world war; he was at Fort Riley, Kant “When I received my honorable dis- charge,” he mused, “the Army told me not to come back even it we were in- vaded.” In 1945 Crossett served as the editor- lnchief of the Columbia University newspaper, The Spectator He was also co-edltor of the Columbia Jester Re- a I JOHN Mr CROSSE'IT, JR. View with Allan Ginsberg until, Cros- sett said he ousted the beat poet “be cause he never did a damn thing and 1 was tired of keeping his name on the masthead.” Wednesday morning, according to foreman Jones, BXLG tried tying the ropes about ten ieet up on the flagpole in hopes that no one would be able to alter, maim, reverse, or turtliei- change the flag. This would also, Jones said, prevent other things from ilying _. possibly pigeons and brassicres. The result: an lialian national flag raised by Ron Stantord flew over the Grinncll campus Wednesday night. BULLETIN! Someone greased the flag pole Thursday! Glitk Comments By TED GLICK If one wishes to understand Why i in- verted the American flag and flew it upside down — an international Sign of distress 7 I would suggest he follow these steps: (1)Lie down an the green grass in the center of the campus with a group or iriends on a beautitul spring day. (2) Imagine iragnieiitation bombs and napalm raining down on the people walking around the campus from a seemingly invisible source — perhaps irom experience you would know that the source is an American plane ilying 30,000 (set above you. (3) Think oi your iriends lying dead, mutilated, or covered with napalm, screaming in painiul and ten-trying agony — then ask why this could ever be justified, especially at the hands ol' a “Civil nil" nzitiolir (4) And if this is lint enough, think of the many other institutionalized agonics heaped upon millions oi people around the world by this ”civilized" nation in on Flog Action the name oi democracy, justice, and rreedom. If you follow these steps you may come to realize the emotional torment r wils undergoing at the time or my ac- tion, an emotional torment brought about by the intellectual and rational Search tor the truth about this cmintn' I have been engaged in for nearly two years. i took this action only after real- izing the true distress this nafion is in when it tor-gets the principles upon which it was founded and for which the iiag should stand. I hope that those who were, under. standably, turned on by my action have begun to come to some realization ot the reasons for the action I cannot argue the wisdom of an end to the War in this article, but I can ask that those who ieel some anger inward i-ne ior my action will altempt l0 loolt more closely into the conditions in this country which made such an action, 1 reel, necessary. ii only that comes out or the “flagpole incident,” I Will be satisfied and gl’fltiiied.