Groundswell’s Image

I understand the difficulty in characterizing a party’s position in reporting Groundswell’s motion to terminate court proceedings in the complex Carlin case, which has been pending for 24 years. But the characterization of Groundswell as having been “long opposed (to) the district’s integration efforts” is erroneous and should be corrected.

Groundswell is a group of parents who are opposed to mandatory school assignments based solely upon race whether it be to particular schools, to particular classes or to particular seats in classes--not to truly voluntary assignments for integrative purposes.

In other words, assigning a child anywhere throughout a school system based solely upon race means a lack of consideration of educational factors and the personal views of each child so assigned. Students so assigned just for integrative purposes are thus treated as “elements” rather than “persons” in an integration plan designed to achieve racial balance. While such assignments may achieve “quantity” integration in terms of racial ratios, they will not achieve the “quality” integration which accompanies voluntary participants.

ELMER ENSTROM JR., Attorney for Groundswell