Letter to the editor - Feb 1991, San Jose Mercury News

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Topic: Wonder Years - College


[earthwulf]
UCSC PO BOX []
Santa Cruz, CA 95064-1011
(408) 423-xxxx

Letters to the editor
San Jose Mercury News
750 Ridder Park Drive
San Jose, CA 95109

RE: “Protests attract…” By Michael Dorgan

Whether or not there is a massive crowd at any given peace protest, there always seems to be an anti-protest slant to any coverage of these events. Point in fact: “protests attract smaller crowds: S.F. Rally draws only 2,500; numbers dwindle elsewhere, too” by one Mr. Michael Dorgan. I would like any person who wishes to try to call together “only 2,500” within less than twenty-four hours.

Mr. Dorgan says that this march was “spirited but peaceful”. The underlying tone of this surprise points to his obvious conclusion that it is difficult to have a spirited and peaceful demonstration. The few incidences of violence have usually been at the fringe of the protests, and not by those necessarily associated with the peace movement. I noticed that the editor of this page also chose to support the anti-protest stance of this article through the pictures chosen: a woman with a shirt on that proclaims “In your face”, while the only banner legible has one legible word: “Enema”. The second picture is one of marchers and myself casually sauntering along, with the caption “Follow the Leader”. Peace activism is not a game. Other pictures Jose Luis Villegas took will show the emotion present in our march.

The quoted marcher indicates that “people are really depressed.” Of course they are – we are involved in War. The quote also talks about people losing hope about changing minds, that it’s being done “for ourselves”. That is the main reason for demonstrating. We’ve learned that Government does not pay attention (except negative) to the voice of the protestors, nor does the general populace. The protests are about bringing together a community: for emotional support, for creating a forum in which people can speak and be heard, for the simple fact it tells people that they are not alone with their feelings.

This Mr. Dorgan was not at UCSC to report what went on, although Mr. Villegas was. Mr. Dorgan give a strong build-up with “all the ingredients for protest” a sunny day… and an emotional cause”, then talks about the “meandering afternoon protest.” First, it was cold and the fog was rolling in about the time of the march. Next, we had a set agenda as to where the march was to go to, it was not “meandering”, nor was it a Sunday picnic. As I was the organizer, I was surprised that I was not asked any questions except for my name. Ths was not a planned event; in fact a phone tree had begun just hours before, and there were quite a number of students who were not home in time to get the message.

Then the articlegoes on to say that “many peace activists denty that their movement has weakened”, there are no quotes from any organizers in order to state our position. This is not information, this is generalization. This was coupled with a statement about how a t-shirt shop that once sold peace shirts is now advertising Pro-American t-shirts. This is a double shot: one is that protestors are decidedly un-American, and the second is that t-shirt sales are where the major political movements come from. If this were true, then Metallica would control the U.S. government. Not only that, I resent being labeled un-American and un-patriotic, for that says that I care very little for the lives of my fellow human beings.

I am tired of the peace movement being treated as an uninformed, disorganized, frivolous game, the whim of a few people with nothing better to do. It is not, nor is it dead, by any matter or means. You do not interview us to get our opinions or actions, and I challenge you to do so. I am not necessarily attacking the reporter, for I know what it is like to have editors occasionally alter the meaning of a story. I invite Mr. Dorgan, any reporter, to come interview those of us involved with the peace movent at UCSC. It may prove enlightening.


[earthwulf]
UCSC Student
Member of Santa Cruz Students for
Social responsibility
2-26-91





Man, I really needed – hell, need – an editor. The idea is there, but the execution, well, not the best. I did like the t-shirt/Metallica zinger, though. “I would like any person who wishes to try to call together “only 2,500” within less than twenty-four hours” Pre-intarweb & common cell phone usage. This was back during the first Bush invasion of Iraq. Little did I know about the disaster that Bush 1’s idiot son would lead us into, looming a decade into the future. At leas Bush jr did something right: if he did do ever single thing wrong, there’s no way our nation would have even entertained the notion of Obama, probably not even of Hillary Clinton. So, um, thanks for that. earthwulf