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C00002 00002		The hypothetical self-characterization of Bruce Franklin
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	The hypothetical self-characterization of Bruce Franklin
given in the January 7 Daily editorial does not correspond to his
own self-characterization as a revolutionary communist.

	Do the authors of the editorial understand that the
"tolerance of extreme behavior" to which they refer may include
murder.
  I refer to the conviction for murder of four members of

	Franklin's "personal philosophy leaning toward Maoism or
Marxism/Leninism" had both a theoretical and a practical character.
Here are some items:

	1. He advanced the theory that Marx was wrong in claiming
that the "lumpenproletariat" lacked revolutionary potential.  The
practical consequence of this theory was that his organization
Venceremos had radical students seek out professional violent
criminals.

	2. One specific event led to the conviction of four members of
Franklin's organization.  They were convicted of stopping a car
containing two unarmed prison guards transferring a prisoner.
The two guards were shot and left for dead, but one of them
survived to identify the killers.  When the prisoner was recaptured
he claimed to had telephone conversations with Franklin
about his demands for a better hideout or something.  This wasn't
didn't permit indicting Franklin for murder, since there was only
the word of the prisoner and he couldn't prove that the person who
claimed to be Franklin on the telephone really was.

	The people convicted included the daughter of a Stanford
professor and the actual triggerman, a non-political violent
criminal.

	3. Franklin's theory may well have contributed to the other
combinations of radical students and violent criminals - for example,
the Symbionese Liberation Army that murdered the Oakland school
superintendent and kidnapped an heiress.

	4. The pictures Franklin displayed at his defense table
include not merely Marx, Lenin and Mao but also Stalin.
His suit for reinstatement demands a tolerance that he would not
grant to others.  Not merely does Stalinism involve firing people
who oppose Stalinists, it often involves killing people who
are considered to be potential opponents.

	In my opinion, Franklin is at the moral level of Pol Pot,
did less harm only because the opportunities for it are less than
in Cambodia, and it would be a misfortune if he were to return to
Stanford.