Did I make a mistake? At the suggestion of a friend and a colleague I
just signed up for this list last week and what do I find: David
Horowitz repeating the same attacks he has been making for years on the
Panthers and anti-Vietnam War movement activists and some of those
activists doing a mea culpa about their involvement and that of the
movement in 1968. Such activities have been taking place in a much
larger context outside of this list with very little refutation, but I
did not anticipate encountering them here. My delusion. I did believe,
however, that list was generally focused on the Sixties, and evaluates
influences, positive and negative, as Chris S. suggests. I didn't
consider that its intent was to deal with current issues which one can
find discussed on other lists, as Christine desires. I already have more
on my plate than I can handle since I am still an activist. But I
confess, I do have an interest in defending what the Black Panther Party
was against those who have distorted it in varying degrees for
self-serving reasons.
> Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2000 10:45:03 -0500
> From: Christine Kingsley <christiecr@juno.com>
> Subject: Re: [sixties-l] modr8r note
>
> I, too, agree with Cuntry Joe's comments on the kinds of discouse going
> on. But I would go even further and say that I am dismayed that people
> aren't writing about their present work more often and styill find time
> to argue about things past. What's the point? I, for one, am still too
> involved in the present to have time to argue or even listen, much less
> to have to spend time deleting all of this. There is some good stuff
> coming through as well. (William Mandelll is particular.) But am thinking
> of dropping out because much of this is just tedious. What I want is
> the perspective of people like yourselves on all of the important issues
> going on today which are affecting our world and our future, not
> ruminations about our past. Perhaps i am a minority here and if so, will
> bow out soon.
> C. Christie
>
>>
> Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2000 13:09:50 -0700
> From: Chris Shugart <profcdavid@REDSHIFT.COM>
> Subject: Re: [sixties-l] modr8r note
>
> C. Christie, has echoed my thoughts almost word for word. Doesn't anybody
> on this list have a job? Or a life? For better or worse, the past is gone
> and we either learn to live with it or we don't.
>
> I'm starting to wonder if there's any truth to the notion that as one
> advances in age, one becomes more set in their ways. Or maybe it's more
> like what Mark Twain said about people who "had found the Truth. That was
> the end of the search. The man spent the rest of his life hunting up
> shingles wherewith to protect his Truth from the weather. In any case, he
> sought no further; but from that day forth, with his soldering-iron in one
> hand and his bludgeon in the other he tinkered its leaks and reasoned with
> objectors." (excerpt from What Is Man?)
>
> I think it would be instructive (and perhaps even therapeutic) to examine
> the ideas, issues, principles, etc., ordinarily associated with the Sixties
> and look at them in present time. Which ones still hold? Which ones turned
> out to be myths? Which ones worked? Which ones didn't? And what I believe
> is most important, what relevance does any of this have towards living a
> satisfying life, and achieving--dare I say it--happiness?
>
> Surely, we've all had to occasionally reevaluate certain notions,
> assumptions and ideologies. You can't tell me that no one on this list
> hasn't experienced more than once an uncomfortable revelation that
> concluded with "What the hell was I thinking?" I don't know about anybody
> else, but I hope that over time, I've been getting wiser.
>
> Now, if you'll excuse me, I must return to my normally scheduled life,
> which we now resume already in progress.
>
> Best to All,
> Chris Shugart
>
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