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™ - | «STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK . MARITIME COLLEGE Fort SCHUYLER, New York 65,.N. ¥. ’ DEPARTMENT OF HUMANITIES F 7 September 17, 1963 a a apn a re ene a som ee United States Senate Office Building Washington, 0.C. Dear Senator Dirksen: The heartiess murder of four Negro ¢ a Birmincham church, is an act that threatens to leave one speechless, but one mist protest, one must somehow maintain the human identity which we so precariously cling to. In the Monday edition of the New York Times, September 16, I note that the cowardly and inhuman attack unon the 16th Street Baptist Church, is the twenty-first bombing of Negro churches and homes in the vast eipht years. I also note that none of the fifty bombings of Negro property since Worid Var Ii in the same area, has been solved. These facts are a shocking indictment of the atete of law and order.in Birmingham and in Alabama, They are also, however, a pathetic commentary on the competence of the Federal Bureau of Investisation to cope with this serious threat to the richts and the very bodies of American citizens. Either the Federal Bureau of Investigation has been lax in its function, or else it is incapable of functioning in this area. It goes without ssying that our laws need strenrcthening in the area of civil rizhts, and that the a2éninistration's proposed legislation should be vassed by the Congress without delay. But it will also be necessary to assure the adequacy of law enforcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation should be called upon to justify its lack of success and to give evidence of action being taken to rectify its incompetence in the area of civil rights. Respectfully yours, Qoenn >. Goobhna— Oscar Bi Goodman Cheirmn