I was marginalized for the first time last October. As I was on Library Mall handing out flyers for an anti–war event, a passing student (having arrived at a safe distance away from me) looked back and in a loud, abrasive voice called me a hippie.
Hippie. I am not going to get into the semantics of that word, but we all know the connotations: aloof, long hair, beads, sandals, etc. I have short hair, a neatly trimmed goatee, tattoos, and I wear black. But I was put into a category because of my beliefs. This student assumed that I, being an anti–war activist, was only trying to relive the ’60s and the glory of the “golden age” of protesting, because no one could possibly be against a war that the president says is just and right for America for any other reason. It is a common argument, and but one example of how activists here and elsewhere are unfairly marginalized and discredited.
First of all, if I wanted to relive the ’60s (which is odd, considering that I’m 20 years old), I’d smoke some weed and listen to Creedence. The people who are part of this movement want nothing more than to prevent an immoral, unjustifiable war that will cost billions of dollars and potentially millions of lives, both Iraqi and American. No one cares about reliving the ’60s or about how cool their armband looks. This “giant activist ego” argument is just a cheap shot with little basis in reality, and the people that use it are simply trying to discredit those whom they disagree with rather than refuting the actual arguments.
Similarly, the painting of protesters as “Communists, Trotskyists and Maoists” who “hate individual liberties” is utterly absurd. The far left has a place in the movement, but so does any other group who is willing to work for the cause. Diversity, along with a multiplicity of viewpoints, can only make the movement stronger. I am a proud socialist, and my analysis of the war and its causes may differ in some respects from the analyses of my fellow activists, but we have a very important common goal, and that is enough to maintain a strong sense of unity.
The fact is the overwhelming majority of protesters are not socialists or revolutionaries or even pacifists; they are average citizens who simply understand the hypocrisy and immorality of a war with Iraq. Many hold no political associations whatsoever, some are thoroughly pro–American and some are in the armed forces themselves. Saying that the thousands who showed up for last Saturday’s rally here in Madison, the half–million who protested in Washington D.C. last month and the millions of protesters across Europe and the rest of the world are nothing but political outcasts and out–of–touch crazies bashing America for their own agendas is laughable.
Protesters attend rallies for various reasons. My reasons, which may differ from the reasons of others, are as follows. You do not bomb someone in order to liberate them. Iraq did not attack us on Sept. 11, 2001 (or ever), and the organization that did is still at large. A preemptive strike violates international law, and it is unacceptable to kill innocent civilians in order to depose a tyrant and institute a government from the outside. Attacking Iraq will only breed more anti–American sentiment among any potential terrorists, further destabilizing an already delicate region. Furthermore, current plans for war with Iraq call for more than $100 billion, money that is desperately needed to help our schools, our impoverished and our sick, especially in this time of economic uncertainty. Finally, I don’t trust our government.
In my eyes, this war is about oil, politics and power, not human rights. If the United States cares about human rights, why did they refuse to act in Rwanda? If they really care about Iraq’s Kurdish population, why do they continue to supply arms to Turkey — a country that has killed tens of thousands of Kurds? Why did they refuse to support the Kurdish uprising that took place during the 1991 Gulf War? Why did they back Saddam Hussein throughout most of the 1980s, despite his horrific human–rights record? Why do our leaders continue to support a hereditary monarchy in Saudi Arabia and a military dictatorship in Pakistan?
Is all of that so radical, so hard to believe? Do you have to be a hippie or a socialist or a hater of America to see that something is wrong here?
I contemplated running after that cat who called me a hippie and asking him what his thoughts were on the war, but he got away. Those who name–call seldom wish to debate. It is easier to think of the protesters as self–righteous, ignorant hippie–commies than it is to do the actual research and develop an informed opinion about a very serious issue. I will respect anyone who wishes to argue or disagree with me, but when you start attacking my identity and boxing me into categories, in my eyes, that is when you lose credibility.
Kyle Myrhe ([email protected]) is a sophomore majoring in English.