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"Georgia's Station of the Year" P 0 . Box 4207 At lanta, Ga. 30302 waga-tv H .W.RAY GENE RAL MANAGE R PAUL RAYMON DALE CLARK STATION MANAGER DIREC TOR OF PUBLI C AFFAIRS ROUTE TO: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Monday, September 12, 1966 Indignation over the meaningless murder of a teenage youth this weekend is not a reaction just of the Negro residents of Atlanta •. It is shared by thousands, by the great majority of people whose feelings reflect the real character of the City. Public indignation and condolence must be expressed. As one public voice, Channel 5 expresses it. We support the Mayor's pledge to bring those responsible to justice. Anyone who has any information regarding this crime has the moral obligation to report it to the authorities . Because of this shocking murder of an innocent youth, shot from a passing car, the weekend disorders may have been an understandable reaction of frustrated people, trapped in conditions they cannot change, faced with problems they cannot solve alone. But disorder and violence in the street solve nothing. Those so-called "leaders" who whip up the emotions of these people have a record of zero on the scoreboard. Atlanta's poverty people need schools, jobs, decent places to live. There is no magic wand t o wave to get these things . But throwing rocks and firebombs won't get them either. They aren't going to help anybody with anything. The public policy must be to contain them and restrict them, using whatever police power is necessary. WAGA -TV offers a re asonable oppo rtu nity t o reply to the v iews expressed in the ed itor ia l to a responsible person or group representing a significant opposing viewpo int, prov ided request for rep ly t ime is subm itted to WAGA -TV with in one week of th is te lecast . �WAGA-TV Editorial (Continued) Monday, September 12, 1966 Page 2 Let us as a Community, regardless of race or creed , stand behind this policy. Let us stand behind it not in anger or resentment, but simply because no other policy can serve the public interest. The public we mean takes in everybody, those in the riot neighborhoods and everybody else . For his own safety and his value to the City, we ask Mayor Allen to get out of the streets. He has demonstrated this City's concern, and publicly delivered this city's pledge to move against the problems of slums and poverty and delinquency. He has shown tremendous leadership . Further partici pat i on in any riot scenes won't convi n c e anybody of anything. We urge him to stick to the conf erence table, wi th true representatives of the majority of Atlanta's Negro citizens. The loud mouths and wild proposals of the would-be leaders are great for stirring up disorde r and vi olence, but they don't put any points on the scoreboard. Channel 5 calls upon the Ci ty's prominent Negro citizens to unite--now-in a strong leadership force that can speak out for the maj ority, and get some results. The only answer to the irres pons i ble a ction o f recent days is responsible a ction by respons i ble forc es. WAGA-TV Editorial is presented weekdays: 7:25 a. m. 7 : 10 p.m. in EARLY PANORAMA 11:20 p.m . in LATE PANORAMA �