J. Edgar Hoover’s Guide to Etiquette

Contributed by Josh Hager

In 1970, campus demonstrations against the Vietnam War had become a constant site of conflict between students, police, and the National Guard, often deployed to keep the students under control. One of the most extreme examples of student protests gone horribly wrong occurred on May 4, 1970, when four students at Kent State University died after National Guard troops fired on assembled students. By the fall of 1970, top government officials feared that the next violent outburst could occur on any college campus. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover attempted to contain these incidents through more direct contact with students.

In a letter sent to all college newspapers through United Press International (UPI), and published in The Technician, Hoover entreated students to avoid using violence as a protest strategy, even while pointing out that student dissent is an important aspect of free speech. His stated concern was that extremists, who had “lost faith” in the United States, would continue to incite violence. Specifically, Hoover warned that several organizations were trying to entice students into their supposedly insidious memberships, including: Students for a Democratic Society (SDS); the Young Socialist Alliance (YSA); the Trotskyist Youth Liberation League; and the Student Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam, a “Trotskyist dominated anti-war group.” In this tumultuous political atmosphere, Hoover had an urgent question: How could students exercise their opinions without becoming unwitting extremists?

Fortunately, Hoover himself had the answer: Citing his FBI experience, Hoover provided eight signs to students to help them determine if they are being “lured by extremists.” In the interests of historical knowledge and etiquette in the face of political violence, Historically Stated offers these paraphrased versions of Hoover’s eight tips. We leave it to the reader to decide if emulating J. Edgar Hoover is truly a wise idea.

1. Do not disrespect your elders. Extremists have no respect for the older generation and will try to make you lose your respect as well. You can disagree with your elders but you must respect their hard work and sacrifices.
2. Do not buy into the idea that your college is “a tool of the establishment” or “irrelevant.”
3. Do not abandon common sense in favor of slogans and irrational debate.
4. Do not become pessimistic and emphasize only the negative of life. The New Left and the SDS fail to see anything positive or constructive, yet America’s strength is in its optimism.
5. Do not disrespect law enforcement; a police officer is your friend and needs your support.
6. Do not fall into the trap of justifying any action, even criminal ones, under the guises of honorableness, sincerity, or idealism. An arsonist who justifies his crime through political ideology is still an arsonist.
7. Do not believe that you, as a student, are powerless to change the United States through its democratic means. The American system is designed so that all citizens can exercise political authority.
8. Do not demonstrate a lack of intelligence by “throwing bricks” at ideological opponents instead of engaging them in rational debate.