Talking politics in the Ballroom

Controversy preceded former Weather Underground member Bill Ayer's visit to campus last Thursday, but the evening went by smoothly as it attempted to foster open discussion on a variety of topics.

Ayers, who was invited by the UND chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), discussed the current campaigns for president in America, his own past as a member of a fringe political group in the 1970s and the role of teaching in his life.

He is currently a Distinguished Professor of Education at the University of Illinois in Chicago.

Crowd conversation

Before Ayers was even introduced, one audience member questioned the intentions of event organizers by having a police presence in and around the Memorial Union.

Several uniformed officers stood by in the back of the Union Ballroom, while another car waited outside in the front parking loop of the building.

The woman, who didn't introduce herself, said it was disappointing to see this at the event. She stated that other controversial presentations at the same venue hadn't required police officers.

"Angela Davis filled this very room years ago," she said.

An organizer helped end the suspicions, explaining that they had worked with the police force to make sure that everyone was safe.

Myth of history

Ayers began by saying "I think everything I do is kind of wrapped up in teaching and learning" before taking on the artificial history of the 1960s in American popular culture.

"The 1960s have been mythologized and turned into a product to sell back to us today," he said. "It's unrecognizable to me. I think it's part of the way we dumb down our own history."

A good portion of the remainder of his presentation dealt with this notion, especially in regards to the belief that war protestors opposing the Vietnam War were the majority and not the minority during the time.

He said his first encounter with legal troubles began after he was inspired by an SDS-led event on his campus in 1965. Ayers quoted the president of the group as saying to the crowd "You must figure out a way to live your life that doesn't make a mockery of your values," something he said stuck with him.

Two days later, he decided to take part in a sit-in that ended up getting 39 people including Ayers arrested. He served 10 days in a county jail for the stunt, and said it showed him how outnumbered his side really was at the time.

"The myth is that everyone knew that the war was wrong," he said. "There were only 39 of us, and maybe a couple hundred at the rally."

He added that the majority of his campus opposed his group's actions against the war.

Most people would now say that the Vietnam War was a mistake, but he said that wasn't the view at the time. He said that there's a parallel between that situation and the current Iraq War, which has dwindled in popularity since beginning over five years ago.

He said much like the criticisms of today against those who promoted slavery in America in the 1800s, more people say they would stand up against the injustice than actually would have happened at the time. Ayers challenged the crowd to "link our consciousness with our conduct."

He said that he is often asked what someone should do to get involved, since they can't do everything alone. "My answer to that is can you do anything, because anything is all that's required," he said. "Where are we in history and what is history demanding of us?"

Audience questions

Many of the audience's questions were about his views on the current list of presidential candidates. Another issue brought up was Ayers' own infamous past in the Weather Underground, including his part in bombings of government buildings by the group.

A question about some of his quotes in newspapers in recent years suggesting that he didn't have remorse for his actions resulted in a quick conversation about his past and how it fits into his life as an activist.

He said he's often asked if he regrets his actions. "My response is you can't be 63 and not have regrets," he replied.

But he also pressed for historical understanding of the group and its work. "The U.S. government was killing 2,000 people a week on a lie," he said. "To call that violence in comparison to 2,000 people a week being murdered strikes me as odd."

Open discussion

Ayers said in an interview with The Dakota Student after the presentation that he was glad that everyone, both supporters and opponent, had decided to come see him that night. "People should disagree. I'm glad the kids came," he said, referring to members of conservative student organizations that were at the event before walking out as he answered an audience question.

"I don't think we can move forward if we don't have dialogue," he added.

Ultimately, Ayers said that he hoped people that saw him speak would walk away with a simple lesson - "Be a moral person."