Post #27734 by ikitnrev on Mon, Mar 24, 2003 1:54 AM

I will agree that many of the protesters are there because they are inspired by the imagery from the late 60s, and wish to be a part of or continue that tradition. There are also people serving in the military today, who were inspired by the imagery in movies, or by the tales of their fathers and grandfathers who served, or perhaps even by the tales of James Michener, and they wish to continue those traditions also.

That is how our culture evolves, by being inspired about the past stories and traditions that surround you, and deciding to do your bit to continue those that mean the most to you. Most of us are inspired by the tiki design and imagery from 50 years ago, and have chosen to try to continue those traditions.

I live in the DC area, and I love reading the various news stories about the various groups - whether conservative or liberal- who come to the Mall area with their buses and signs, to make their voices heard. I do attend some of these events, sometimes because I support the cause, and sometimes out of curiosity even though I have no real business being there (best example: the Million Man March that Farrakhan organized.) I love listening to the speakers, and doing my own judgement of which ones have reasonable and sound opinions, and which ones are the angry ranters. I can always find examples of each, no matter what the cause/protest is.

I do think there is one big difference between the war protesters of today versus those of the late 60s. Back then, it was common for those against the war to show pure hatred and hurl words such as "Baby Killers" to anybody who was wearing a military uniform. That attitude is now almost vanished, and I hope it stays that way. Most of the speakers I heard last week made sure to say that it was not the soldiers they were against, but were either against the policies of the current administration, or just simply voicing their concerns. I do still think that a few of the speakers were angry ranters, but at least that anger was not directed at the soldiers.

I could have gone to the Mall this weekend, and sat and listened to either the pro-Bush gathering or the anti-Bush gathering, and possibly a few other groups who were in town. Instead I went bowling, ate sushi, visited the Honolulu and Poli-Tiki, read Bust magazine, and watched the Bristol race on tv. Traditions and freedoms, some old, some new, and I'm thankful for all of them.

Vern

[ Edited by: ikitnrev on 2003-03-24 01:57 ]