SCARLET AND BLACK

- Alumna Describes Wisconsin Welfare Incident
A former Editor's teller to the Scarlet & Black

'(The tollowing letter is from
Susan Kaeser, who was editor
of the sen; last semester.
Graduated from Grimell last
spring, she has recently ac-
oepted a position with the
Omaha Sun.

The Rev. James E, Groppi,
referred to in Miss Kaeser’s
gloomy account of the recent
“occupation” of the Wiscon-
sin Assemhly hy welrare re~
cipients, is presently in jail
after heing held in contempt
of the Assembly The Wiscon-
sin Supreme Court last Tues-
day refused Groppi’s request
that he be freed on bond, and
postponed ruling on his col-t-
Iemion that he was jailed il-
legally under the lzlyear-old
state law, which does not pro-
vide for a hearing. —Ed.)

Dear Mike,

l‘m presently as distressed as
I’ve ever felt — i had to do
something about it so decided
to try writing it down. l thought
perhaps you would like to use
part of this as a letter to the
editor or the saga or a disturb-
ed graduate who tinally is get-
ling first hand information on
how the world . . . eats shit.

Word has trickled into Grin-
nell of the recent occupation or
the Capitol in Madison, or the
"confrontation with the legisla-
ture,” or “those lousy students
have to mess it up for every-
one." Things are really bad —
the poor have a valid gripe, the
rich control the poor, the poor

ipe, the rich stomp on them.

ere are several explosive
problems involved, all of which
really hring together just how
rotten everything ls and why.
01d optimistic Susie has had it.
I just don’t know how to func»

tion to fight it so I’ll just write
li. all downl

I feel so frustrated l’d like to
throw a bomb into the Capitol,
but I'll write this letter instead.
You know, the lntellectual’s
way out.

This is the problem) the leg-
islature of Wisconsin cut aid to
welfare recipients. The welfare
recipients are hungry, they are
tired of their degraded situa-
tion of always being at the
hands of the men in the capital
or the welfare office. They got
organized, mustered up some
outside support, and decided to
assert their dignity and take
their case to the legislature.

Some marched 90 miles from
Milwaukee with their children
to demonstrate their situation,
and to take their case to the
lawmakers. Their problem is
clearly detined: they are hun~
EYY: the remedy to that hunger
is clear — to convince the leg.
islators that it is true so they
give the needed tunds for food.
It is a case of conlrontation
but with the goal of communia
cation. Since no one seemed to
listen before, they had to yell
a little louder.

The poor were naive enough
to Ihink that taking their case
to the men making the laws
would help. America is a de-
mocracy. Unfortunately those
people found out it doesn’t work
that way — thanks in emotion-
al hang-ups, the democratic
process has clearly deterior-
ated, and the poor have leani-
ed one more time that people
are unimportant to those mak-
ing laws The real tragedy is
the absolute lack of sensitivity
to a deep problem and an over-
sensilivity to a surface situa-

tion which seems to determine
govemrnent process.

This is what happened when
the people went to the legislav
ture: Monday alter-noon weliare
mothers and recipients from
around the state met for a final
rally on the library mall at
the University of Wisconsin.
This rally gathered support
lrom thousands of students for
the tidal march to the Capitol
where they would take their
cause to the legislators. They
marched directly into the Capi-
to].

l arrived just as o group or
protesters broke down one door
leading to the chambers of the
state legislature, not yet in
session. it was rather an his-
torio moment, people occupy-
ing a big administration build
ing. Sort oi like storming the
basiille. So in we went and sud-
denly the whole chamber was
ilooded with proteslors; the gal<
ieries lilled, the comfortable
chairs occupied by Childr
students, and wellare reel -
ants; and the Commandos,
Brown Borers, welfare mothers,
and Father James Groppi were
in the front of the room.

what a scenel The American
flag on the left, the state flag
on the right, a bald eaglo over
head, and a mammoth mural
depicting justice above that.
Quickly draped under the
eagle by protesters was a ban
ner calling for “Welfare
Rights." Next to the eagle was
propped a sign — “1 may be
on welfare but i’M someone.”

The room silenced as several
Welfare mothers, black, white,
and Spanish speaking, told
their troubles and why they
had made the march. They

 

 

 

 

The Rev. James Groppl (left) led welfare recipients in I pro-
test at the Wisconsin Statehouse. He is now in jail, after law-
makers declared that lie was in contempt of the Assembly.

wanted help. They were tired
of having their children cry
because they were hungry.
Some were tired of trying to
explain why they didn’t have
the things the white kids have.
They were tired of getting up
their hope and having it taken
away. They wanted their chil-
dren to go to school, get the
education necessary to com-

 

pete, but they had no way to
clothe themr They said repeat-
edly that welfare is no vaca—
tion — one doesn’t get rich on
welfare.

The rally continued until 2
pm. when the legislature was
supposed to convene. The legis-
lalorsrdidn’t show up, but plans
were made in preparation lor
their arrival. Strategies were
planned and the mothers cau-
cused to decide what exactly
they were going to say to the
legislators.

The legislature would con-
vene only if the floor were
cleared. Upon request from the
mothers, who wanted a chance
to meet the lawmakers, the
demonstrators cleared the
floor. As they moved, people
cleaned up debris, straightened
the comty chairs, and moved
to new positions in the gal-
leries. An amazing phenome-
non.

The legislators entered and
tilled their seats. The speaker
demanded that people clear the
floor iariher back and that
there be some kind of proper
decorum so that democracy
could function. Jeers from the
crowd, but the mothers once
again came to the microphone
and requested cooperation.
They were cheered and the
Crowd complied with their re
quest.

People moved and the speaka
er gaveied the session into or-
der. For a second there was a
tremendous feeling in that
room. The big powers (the
men with the money) were
there, the crowd was respond
ing to any requests that the
mothers would make. and the