Re: The Summer Of Love/Vets
PNFPNF@AOL.COM
Fri, 29 Aug 1997 17:28:07 -0400 (EDT)
I feel that Ted and Mike and others on this list have made some excellent
comments re class and re morality of fighting in Vietnam. Obviously, the
issues are complex, and one should certainly not be condemned for "being a
sucker" yet not saluted for having been wrong, either.
But Joe M's original post announced a celebration of the summer of love
focusing on the Vietnam vets, and what seems to be getting lost is WHY THAT
FOCUS? I still think it'd make more sense to celebrate the heroism and
self-sacrifice of the antiwar protesters [n.b. a number of us CERTAINLY WERE
working against militarism in general, and aware the troops in Vietnam were
cannon fodder/pawns/etc. and the Big Boys top brass or top hats or top dogs
or top pigs!] -- and of those in the military who, whether by sparing a
village or helping a buddy, were heroic, too, sure. But
just celebrating the fact someone was in the military in a war that was,
indeed, 100% wrong makes no sense. Think of this in the context of other
wars/countries and this becomes clearer, I think.
I also want to say to those who seem to see the antiwar movement of the
sixties as selfserving antidraft actions by elite college students, or some
big fun sex and drugs party--if you were there, you'd know; it wasn't like
that. We, many of us, gave up careers and put our hearts and selves and,
often enough, freedom, on the line and sometimes risked our lives trying to
end war...not just the Vietnam war, either. Hopefully, this list can help
educate people to this reality.
Paula Friedman