Anti-Anti-war Activity Op/Ed In Ft. Bragg Hometown Newspaper Sunday...

[Hissyspit]

Sorry, no link for the editorial. It's not online as far as I can tell.

Channeling The '60s

Tim White
Editorial Page Editor, The Fayetteville Observer
July 16, 2006

I know I'm setting myself up for a stern lecture from a peace protester or two, but someone has to tell them - the '60s are long gone. Dead and buried.

- snip -

Some baby boomers still sit back and sigh - ah, those were the days. but nostalgia aside, those aren't the days anymore. This country is deeply divided about another war, among other things. But not the way we were in 1968. There isn't the same young vs. old divide. There isn't a rebellious new counterculture exploding into our lives. The first boomers will start collecting Social Security in two years, but their kids aren't rebelling against them or their values. Most of their kids are simply trying to make a living. They may be the first American generation in two centuries that hasn't been more prosperous than their parents.

Against this backdrop, we have a core of dedicated local peace activists who lately have been talking about more aggressive war protests. As Observer report Matt Leclercq wrote in Thursday's Page 1 story, the local anti-war folks (centering on Quaker House), are beginning to discuss more aggressive, albeit nonviolent bolding is Hissyspit's, disruptions to make their point. They're talking about the kinds of actions where people get arrested and then get themselves publicity that goes way farther afield then The Fayetteville Observer.

The locals met Tuesday with Clare Bayard, a San Francisco activist who travels around the country helping peace groups organize. She talked about a 2003 rally in her hometown that shut down the financial district. Only in California. But what changed as a result? Nothing.

- snip -

We need more discussion not more aggressive demonstrations. People are weary of the war. A large majority of Americans want it to end. They'll put more pressure on the politicians, but not if they are repulsed by old-timey demonstrations. The '60s are gone. So is the draft. They're not coming back in our lifetime. Get over it.

Some intellectual points from me:

1. Not the '60s? Iraq looks a HELL OF A LOT like Vietnam. The only reason there aren't more American deaths is because of the change in the nature of the combat that has resulted in more maiming injuries, such as lost limbs and head/brain injuries.
2. This editorial seems very defensive. Why?
3. The war is STILL going on.
4. Are people/boomer's really sitting back and sighing Ah, The Good Old Days? Or are they horrified by the corruption of American principles, the disingenuousness of our leaders, and the ignorance and complacency of the populous?
5. The paper's pronounced lack of coverage of anti-war sentiment of the military and their behavior among active duty members of the military and returning Iraq vets.
6. The paper's lack of coverage of the mass (hundreds of thousands) protest in Washington last September (the AP story was clearly cut and run on page 7, if I remember correctly. At any rate, it was most certainly not run on Page 1.). An equal amount of inches were run concerning the counter (a thousand, maybe) protest by war supporters.
7. One lone protester arrested can be right and everyone else wrong and can make a difference.
8. The Fayetteville Observer can't run hardly anything critical of the war due to the company's contract to print The Paraglide, the community newspaper of Ft. Bragg?
9. The selling of this war was a scam. Americans should be furious.
10. The protestor is trying to get coverage beyond the Observer? No kidding!
11. A little too much belittling of the '60s, a time when people did what they could because they didn't know what to do, but had to do something.
12. Is this country REALLY "deeply divided"?
13. Get over it??

[mmonk]

1. Someone needs to tell him

it isn't the 30's either.

[Hissyspit]

2. Another good point. n/t

[RufusEarl]

3. I remember the 60's, i protested i marched, i raised hell.

I believe it done some good, after all we did leave Viet Nam. I also believe one reason we don't have young people in the streets, would be we don't have a draft.

Trust me if people were being forced to go to Iraq/Afghanistan and fight, they would be in the street screaming their heads off. And college campuses would be buzzing with young people having rallies, and screaming their heads off.

I also believe an all volunteer army is by design, not just for quality control. But to keep young people from taking to the streets.

I notice over 1 million people protesting in Mexico this past weekend, and it made me think if only we could get the citizens here to do the same thing, like we did in the 60's. It might wake some people up.

Peace!

[acmejack]

4. From what I hear they have abandoned "quality control"

They are taking more marginal recruits than ever before to make quota. In this high tech era that can't be a good thing. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see a draft reinitiated after the elections. They desperately need to repair the force, I fail to see how they can effect this fix otherwise.

[TreasonousBastard]

5. What else would you expect from a Fayetteville paper?

Fayetteville is Bragg's camp town, and and every motel, clothes store, lunch counter, general contractor, and whorehouse owes its living to the fort, not to Quaker House.