OPINION & EDITORIAL
Protesters must speak up
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by Guest Columnist
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
On Monday, March 5, Tina Richards, the mother of an Iraq veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, entered the halls of Congress looking for answers. What she found was U.S. Rep. Dave Obey, D-Wis.
According to a YouTube video, Ms. Richards, in a chance encounter with Mr. Obey, asked why the Democrats refuse to cut funding for the war. The problem, Mr. Obey explained, is not with Congress but with "idiot liberals." For five minutes, Mr. Obey angrily berated the Marine mom on her lack of understanding of congressional procedure before storming off.
Ms. Richardson, who sold her house to take care of her son, asks a fair question, "If Americans voted the Democrats into power in November to end the war, why do they continue to shell out billions of dollars to pay for it?" Moreover, why would the Democrats grant $5 billion more than President Bush requested for a surge the vast majority of the country is opposed to?
In spite of the apparent divisions between the two parties, Democrats and Republicans agree on some fundamental principle: in this case, that the United States has the right to occupy and terrorize the Middle East and control its oil. The new debate in Congress is not over whether this is right, but how to best achieve it. Close reading of the antiwar proposals coming from the Democrats reveal that what they are actually planning is to continue to dominate the Middle East by shifting forces away from Iraq. For example, it was liberal darling Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., who was one of the first politicians to propose attacking Iran, and presidential hopeful John Edwards has also rattled sabres at Tehran. To both parties, the idea that Iraqis or Iranians have the right to run their own country is unthinkable.
The major divide in U.S. politics right now is not between Democrats and Republicans, but between the American people and their government. In the midterm elections, voters took out their anger regarding the war on the Republicans. Today, only 17 percent of Americans support the surge, but Congress cannot even pass a symbolic resolution opposing it — much less, stop the war. Tina Richards' question remains unanswered. How can we end the war?
You won't find the answer in the luxurious offices of Mr. Obey, but in the history of our own campus. Forty years ago, the University of Wisconsin was an epicenter of the movement that stopped the Vietnam War. Students demonstrated, educated each other about the war and built organizations that challenged U.S. imperialism.
In contrast to the mythology about hippies spitting on veterans, students linked arms with returning Vietnam vets who were turning against the war en masse. In the words of one colonel, "Our army that now remains in Vietnam is in a state approaching collapse, with individual units avoiding or having refused combat, murdering their officers and noncommissioned officers, drug-ridden and dispirited where not near-mutinous." The student antiwar movement supported the soldiers' rebellion and provided a venue for antiwar vets to speak.
The rebellion culminated in violent repression by the state. National Guardsmen massacred students at Kent State, and cops beat demonstrators at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. This campus erupted after Madison police beat and tear-gassed students protesting Dow Chemical recruiters in Ingraham Hall. Between the student rebellion at home and the soldiers' mutiny in Vietnam, the government was losing control of their own people and was forced to back down.
Today, many students look at UW's history like a kind of mystical ether world, a magical era that only comes every time the planets align. A comment I hear about 10 times a day is: "It's not that I don't care about the war, it's just that everyone else seems so apathetic." Well, yes, if you expect Congress or the lapdog media to properly represent the views of this country, it would seem like nobody else cares. To be heard, the antiwar majority needs to organize.
The seeds of this movement have already been planted. Veterans and students are again speaking out against war. On Thursday, the Campus Antiwar Network hosted an event featuring three local members of Iraq Veterans Against the War, which 80 students attended. This weekend, CAN is sponsoring a bus ride to Washington, D.C., for a national march on the Pentagon. Tickets can be purchased at www.revoltingstudents.com. The demonstration will kick off a week of anti-war activity. CAN will be hosting a panel with Iraq Veterans Against the War on Monday at 7 p.m. in 2650 Humanities, and the International Socialist Organization will hold a meeting on the soldiers' revolt in Vietnam on March 21 at 7:30 p.m. Check the TITU board for the location.
There is an anti-war majority on this campus, and it's time to make our voices heard.
Paul Pryse (pryse@wisc.edu) is a member of the International Socialist Organization and a junior majoring in journalism.
Anonymous (March 14, 2007 @ 4:27am):
Our army that now remains in Vietnam is in a state approaching collapse, with individual units avoiding or having refused combat, murdering their officers and noncommissioned officers, drug-ridden and dispirited where not near-mutinous." The student antiwar movement supported the soldiers' rebellion and provided a venue for antiwar vets to speak
Yep a drug ridden, murderous Army is just what America needs asshole, then it would look just like a college campus wouldn't it.
Anonymous (March 14, 2007 @ 7:32am):
Generals gathered in their masses
Just like witches at black masses
Evil minds that plot destruction
Sorcerers of death's construction
In the fields the bodies burning
As the war machine keeps turning
Death and hatred to mankind
Poisoning their brainwashed minds
Oh lord yeah!
Politicians hide themselves away
They only started the war
Why should they go out to fight?
They leave that role to poor
Time will tell on their power minds
Making war just for fun
Treating people just like pawns in chess
Wait 'til their judgement day comes
Yeah!
Now in darkness world stops turning
Ashes where the bodies burning
No more war pigs have the power
Hand of God has struck the hour
Day of judgement, God is calling
On their knees the war pig's crawling
Begging mercy for their sins
Satan laughing spreads his wings
All right now!
Anonymous (March 14, 2007 @ 8:01am):
You aren't just anti-war, you're on the other side.
Except for ending slavery, fascism, nazism and communism -- war has never solved anything.
Anonymous (March 14, 2007 @ 8:51am):
The only reason why Vietnam is like today is because of all you liberal pieces of shit on college campuses that think they know everything but in the real world they know absolutely nothing. Especially those who talk about the military and Army and never were in it and know next to nothing about what's going on. The only things they think they know are from TV that is entirely liberal and spins everythign to make it worse, just like in Vietnam. The downfall of the US will be political correctness and tv (because people who watch it think they know it all).
Anonymous (March 14, 2007 @ 9:29am):
Yes, there were Vietnam veterans who joined in the anti-war protest, thousands of them. To deny the fact that protesters treated Vietnam veterans with respect is a lie. Ask my uncle who got spit on coming through San Francisco International Airport on the way back from Vietnam. Ask any Vietnam veteran, and they will have a story of how he or she was disrespected. Maybe you should take a trip to the Veterans Museum and peruse the Archives to see or go the the local VFW chapters to ask some old crusty war vets about Vietnam. They will probably agree with you about Vietnam and give you a different view of the Vietnam protest era. Idealizing the Vietnam protesters destroyed any chance of me showing up to your event.
Anonymous (March 14, 2007 @ 9:32am):
Uh, 4:27, we're not in Vietnam. We haven't been for 22 years. But it's nice to see that the LSD you took 30 years ago finally wore off.
Anonymous (March 14, 2007 @ 11:11am):
"Democrats and Republicans agree on some fundamental principle: in this case, that the United States has the right to occupy and terrorize the Middle East and control its oil."
Fuck you traitor. So you are calling us terrorists? Why does the Badger Herald continue to print ISO nonsense? How many times do we need to hear this far left hippy crap?
"A comment I hear about 10 times a day is: ""It's not that I don't care about the war, it's just that everyone else seems so apathetic.""
Bullshit you hear that ten times a day. Who are you talking to? Yourself in a mirror? I love that you put that in quotes, like people say that exact phrase, i promise you that you do not hear people say apathetic ten times a day.
I hope your hippy bus crashes or a terrorist blows it up.
Anonymous (March 14, 2007 @ 11:24am):
Dave Obey was right. Mrs. Richards and subsequently Mr. Pryce are both idiots.
It is possible to be against the war and still support the troops. Which is exactly why the Democrats approved the military spending. Regardless of whether you feel they should be there or not those soldiers are still Americans and they still need our support. That means being supplied with the correct weapons and correct armor.
I didn't agree with the war in the first place and I would prefer to see us end this war quickly, but it needs to be done correctly. Ten years from now I don't want the US sending troops there again because we left prematurely. Unfortunately we made a mess when we invaded and now we need to stay there to clean it up. With any luck the Democrats plan to be out by the end of '08 will be successful, but until then we need to make sure that our troops there have our support.
Anonymous (March 14, 2007 @ 11:27am):
"The only reason why Vietnam is like today is because of all you liberal pieces of shit on college campuses that think they know everything but in the real world they know absolutely nothing. Especially those who talk about the military and Army and never were in it and know next to nothing about what's going on. The only things they think they know are from TV that is entirely liberal and spins everythign to make it worse, just like in Vietnam. The downfall of the US will be political correctness and tv (because people who watch it think they know it all)."
Um... sorry for being such a know-it-all. The TV is liberal, for sure, that is they are centered on capitalism and the free market, thus they have to "sell" the news. That's why they focus on horrible hospital conditions, troops coming home with severe mental problems, injured troops being redeployed while physically or mentally unfit for duty, and several thousand troops dying on foreign soil. Even Fox News does this. But consider yourself lucky that the news is merely liberal (aka right of center), and not truly left--then we might start hearing about the really bad stuff going on, the Halliburton scandals, raping and killing of civilians, etc.
Anonymous (March 14, 2007 @ 11:31am):
It's clear that Paul didn't do his homework before writing this column.
Congressman Obey was in Madison during the "mystical ether world" era that Paul so nastolgically talks about, and anyone who pays any attention knows that Obey still fights with that kind of spirit for progressive goals everyday.
Defending Tina Richards for ambushing a Congressman in the hallway and then not liking the answer he gives is simply absurd. We can argue about the time frame for ending the war, but nobody can argue that Obey, Murtha, Pelosi and others are not truly working to end the war.
Anonymous (March 14, 2007 @ 11:31am):
Yes, let's just cut off all the funding to the troops right now. Let's leave them in Iraq as sitting ducks -- another 20,000 dead American soldiers will really help solve the problem. (For any idiots reading this, that's sarcasm.)
Obey is right. There is a right way and a wrong way to go about withdrawing the troops. Leaving our soldiers who are already over there as sitting ducks is the wrong way.
Anonymous (March 14, 2007 @ 11:48am):
The only reason why Vietnam is like Iraq today is that the war can only be lost in the USA - not in Iraq.
The enemy can only win on the streets of Madison, not on the streets of Baghdad.
Anonymous (March 14, 2007 @ 11:56am):
The downfall of America isn't going to be overly-PC television, it's going to be the continued ignorance of BOTH extremes. Calling people "liberal pieces of shit" or "conservative assholes" is petty, juvenile and solves absolutely nothing. Do you really think the talk-radio nutjobs (again, of both sides) really give a crap about improving things for Americans or anyone else? Of course not. How can you sell books demonizing your opposition with completely outrageous, untrue and slanderous diatribe if you don't scare people into hating those who think differently?
Nobody wants to see our soldiers getting killed in Iraq. We may disagree on the best way to get them home, but reactionary ignorance is not going to get any of us closer to a solution.
Anonymous (March 14, 2007 @ 12:09pm):
Correction: we haven't been in Vietnam for 32 years. Sorry.
Anonymous (March 14, 2007 @ 12:35pm):
The ISO is at it again. Trying to trick ignorant students into joining their anti-American group. Wow you are right, every vet that came home from Vietnam received complete respect from the anti-war crowd. I wonder what other fantasy stories you commies will cook up. It is really pathetic that people on the far left really do wish that Iraq will turn into another Vietnam. Instead of actually coming up with ideas to safely bring home our troops without destroying Iraq, you people would rather see thousands more American soldiers die. That is the truth! You don't care about the troops, nor do you care if America was devastated in another terrorist attack. Everyone with half a brain can see through you pathetic attempt to seem compassionate towards our veterans and anyone else who fights bravely for this country.
Anonymous (March 14, 2007 @ 12:37pm):
"It is possible to be against the war and still support the troops. Which is exactly why the Democrats approved the military spending."
This makes no sense to me at all. So, I can be against the war and support the troops who are fighting the war? I have to keep the troops in Iraq, so that they can continue to fight an unnecessary war .
Without a war, in your logic, there is no possible way to support the troops.
What if congress passed a bill to buy every soldier in Iraq a one-way plane ticket to anywhere in the world? Is that supporting the troops?
Dave Obey, you've been around congress too long to play games. Cut off the funding, sans 1 plane ticket for each soldier.
Anonymous (March 14, 2007 @ 12:43pm):
70% of Americans agree that the Iraq War is not worth what we're putting into it. 30% blindly support a failed, miserable policy.
To the 30%, your support is greatly appreciated by the captain of the Titanic. He, too, is confident that the ship will stay afloat. Support the ship's crew; no lifeboats are needed, thank you.
Anonymous (March 14, 2007 @ 2:36pm):
I ordinarily read the Herald's opinions/editorials with varying amounts of interest, but have never been moved to the point where I thought I simply had to reply.
But this piece forces me to comment.
As a UW student in the late 1960's I decided that even though I was personally opposed to the seemingly endless debacle in Vietnam, I had only a few options. (Of course, we could be DRAFTED back in those days which very few of the students on campus today can comprehend.) As a way to potentially dodge "putting boots on the ground" in Vietnam, and maybe building a career, I decided to join the NROTC (that's Naval ROTC for you intellectuals) and become a pilot. I figured I'd rather fly over the ground there than walk across it. And maybe if I was lucky, fly for an airline someday. (it was a great opportunity.)
I remember getting spit at on campus those few days when I had to wear the uniform. (We never walked alone because the peace folks were peaceful to all but us.)
I remember dodging oranges and apples walking past Library Mall. "Anyone with hair that short must be a military stooge." You didn't even have to be in the military - just look like you were. Very open-minded and liberal :)
I remember walking past Sterling Hall to my parttime job the morning after the blast.
I remember the Sunday mornings with the broken windows on State Street.
I remember it all......
We did not start the war but were simply trying to make the best of a bad situation at a bad time. But were treated like garbage by, I believe, well intentioned people who were just angry. And we were just handy.
Here's a little piece that some of you that have been around for a while may remember. It was a tough time.
http://chronicle.com/free/v04/i31/31a00101.htm
Remember those young people who are overseas today would rather be back home also. Having a beer at the local pub. Playing with their children they've left behind for so long. Going to class late in the morning. Going to their jobs with CLEAN socks and air conditioning, and yes writing drivle like this.
We need to bring them back. But we need to support them while they are still in that hellish place. There are no easy fixes, and if you had any real-world experience you'd realize that. You should perhaps expand your horizons and investigate news outlets other than "The Daily Show" and "YouTube".
Bottom line - Obey handled this episode in the appropriate way. I personally wouldn't have been so civil...
Lastly, here's one of my favorite quotes - by
Father Dennis Edward O'Brien;
"It is the Soldier, not the Reporter who has given us the freedom of press.
It is the soldier, not the Poet who has given us the freedom of speech.
It is the Soldier, not the Campus Organizer
who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.
It is the Soldier who salutes the Flag,
who serves beneath the Flag,
and whose coffin is draped by the Flag,
who allows the Protester to burn the Flag."
Anonymous (March 14, 2007 @ 2:41pm):
On Wisconsin!...Beat Texas A & M-CC!
Anonymous (March 14, 2007 @ 3:26pm):
There were soldiers who were spit on as the one comments says. Whether it was pro or anti-war doesn't deny the facts that it happened. I have seen ISO members swear and otherwise harass veterans or guard members who disagree with them. This is the same thing as the spitting which occurred during the Vietnam era. Either you support them no matter what their views are or you don't. Harassment will not help anyone's cause especially yours. When they finally figure out that they were duped into protecting the interests of the rich do you think they will join your anti-war group after the way you treated them? I think not.
Anonymous (March 14, 2007 @ 4:29pm):
liberals support the troops!
do libs support the vast number of troops that have joined since 9/11?
(that joined knowing they were going to go kill radical muslims?)
moreover, do they support the troops that have joined since early 03' when they knew damn well they were going to iraq?
my answer is:
probably not but they just don't want you to know that.
Anonymous (March 14, 2007 @ 5:46pm):
Running out of Somalia with our tail between our legs is what convinced OBL that a good hard knock on 9-11 would make the USA surrender to Islam.
Iraq is just the latest battle in a war that has been going on for over a thousand years.
The USA is the last hope. Europe will soon be Eurabia. The Franks have no Martel and the Gates of Vienna stand no more. Africa will end as one big Darfur, as the Moslem Arabs pillage and rape their way though the entire continent.
Liberalism is a philosophy of consolation for the West as it commits suicide.
Anonymous (March 14, 2007 @ 5:53pm):
Isn't flag worship un-Christian? Isn't it a false idol? Did you pledge allegiance to Jesus every morning in grades 1-12, or only to the red, white and blue?
Anonymous (March 14, 2007 @ 8:44pm):
"Isn't flag worship un-Christian?"
Most of the Founding Fathers were NOT Christian. They may have been Deist, as was Abe Lincoln, but they definitely would be going bananas over what the Christian fundies have been doing.
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is it's natural manure.
Thomas Jefferson, Deist
Anonymous (March 14, 2007 @ 9:40pm):
In Washington DC during the last protest, a group of protesters spraypainted the US Capitol building. Another group confronted counterprotesters and spit at one of them, a returned wounded Iraqi veteran. The left, while publically condeming that behavor, privatly endorces it. If you look at the next upcoming ISO event "From Protest to Resistance", you will see that they condone these tactics. Also, the ANSWER march on the Pentagon on March 17th has the same theme. Hopefully, the protesters will be civil, but I can gurantee that some of the protesters will get violent.
There is going to be a counterprotest in Washington DC, called the Gathering of Eagles, to oppose the ANSWER/UFPJ/World can't wait groups. Veterans groups and concerned citizens will be there to defend the Vietnam Veterans wall, other memorials, and counterprotest the lefties.
To the left... Get a clue. The Al Queidas and other Islamofascist terrorist groups want to kill you too. Let our troops kill them over there so they don't come over here. And, supporting Communism won't make it go away, because Communism was the greatest terror in Human history. Wake up.
Anonymous (March 15, 2007 @ 11:17am):
PTSD is fake.
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