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LOCAL Commentary :: Protest, Resistance and Direct Action
The Danger of Youth to Our Movement
Kansas City has had a recent upsurge of younger people taking part in politics. What are their intentions? I think I know...
The night was dark and gloomy. War had just been declared by our president and we all gathered as planned to oppose a war on Iraq without knowledge that a small sect planned to co-opt our rally.
The vigil was great, speakers were listened to and respected. However as plans for a march were announced, many were surprised to hear as the man at the mic announced that there would be a second march! One that KC Iraq Task Force did not sponcer and would be illegal!
As the marches started I looked over at the forming crowd of kids planning to march with the "break away march." I had to ask myself whether they knew what they were doing. How will the media show our marches if laws are broken? How can we have the moral high ground?
Natuarally, shortly after the loud and violent kids started marching in the streets, the police arrived and arrested one juvinile. Why money was given for his defense I do not know.
After the peace vigil there was a meeting held for the KC Iraq Task Force. This quickly went into chaos when a group or youth started making acusations that there was not enough "sexual and racial diversity" in the leadership of the task force. On top of that They don't even want leaders! They want everyone in every organization to have equal footing. I'm sorry... but thats impossible.
To my dismay nothing was accomplished in that meeting.
Time passed and the youth continued showing up, and some continued to illegally march in the streets. Then as could only be expected, havoc broke loose. I am not going to go into details, I think that Sharon Lockhart has already written a brilliant article featured on the front page. I encourage all to read that.
Now there is a group planning to undermine all that we hold dear in the liberal community. There was a group of kids with a table at the Derrik Jensen speach last sunday for a proposed center called the "revolutionary education community center." Who knows what kind of violence will be organized out of this. They plan to obtain a building, have "community based organizations" housed in it along with a library and bookstore. I talked with the boys sitting at the table and they said the building will be owned by no one, there will be no leaders but instead a spokescouncil with rotating delegates from each group involved to run the building, and that they were against capitalism. Now let me tell you all something. That right there describes anarchism. Do we want anarchist kids running around blindly in our city?
So here are my solutions. Put the kids back in their place. Exclude them from any organizing you are doing. I think it is great for them to come to our events, but we need to have strict guidelines in place to make sure that they do not break any laws. Definatly more peace marshals. I also suggest learing about them. It seems that they have a website which they are using to push their agenda and rally up more kids. I'll include a link to it below.
We have wisdom from age on our side, they are mearly kids who are just getting into politics. It is our duty to teach them.
The vigil was great, speakers were listened to and respected. However as plans for a march were announced, many were surprised to hear as the man at the mic announced that there would be a second march! One that KC Iraq Task Force did not sponcer and would be illegal!
As the marches started I looked over at the forming crowd of kids planning to march with the "break away march." I had to ask myself whether they knew what they were doing. How will the media show our marches if laws are broken? How can we have the moral high ground?
Natuarally, shortly after the loud and violent kids started marching in the streets, the police arrived and arrested one juvinile. Why money was given for his defense I do not know.
After the peace vigil there was a meeting held for the KC Iraq Task Force. This quickly went into chaos when a group or youth started making acusations that there was not enough "sexual and racial diversity" in the leadership of the task force. On top of that They don't even want leaders! They want everyone in every organization to have equal footing. I'm sorry... but thats impossible.
To my dismay nothing was accomplished in that meeting.
Time passed and the youth continued showing up, and some continued to illegally march in the streets. Then as could only be expected, havoc broke loose. I am not going to go into details, I think that Sharon Lockhart has already written a brilliant article featured on the front page. I encourage all to read that.
Now there is a group planning to undermine all that we hold dear in the liberal community. There was a group of kids with a table at the Derrik Jensen speach last sunday for a proposed center called the "revolutionary education community center." Who knows what kind of violence will be organized out of this. They plan to obtain a building, have "community based organizations" housed in it along with a library and bookstore. I talked with the boys sitting at the table and they said the building will be owned by no one, there will be no leaders but instead a spokescouncil with rotating delegates from each group involved to run the building, and that they were against capitalism. Now let me tell you all something. That right there describes anarchism. Do we want anarchist kids running around blindly in our city?
So here are my solutions. Put the kids back in their place. Exclude them from any organizing you are doing. I think it is great for them to come to our events, but we need to have strict guidelines in place to make sure that they do not break any laws. Definatly more peace marshals. I also suggest learing about them. It seems that they have a website which they are using to push their agenda and rally up more kids. I'll include a link to it below.
We have wisdom from age on our side, they are mearly kids who are just getting into politics. It is our duty to teach them.
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Comments
Re: The Danger of Youth to Our Movement
28 Apr 2003
Re: The Danger of Youth to Our Movement
28 Apr 2003
Re: The Danger of Youth to Our Movement
28 Apr 2003
I don't know what kind of future you're fighting for: I am not an anarchist, but I am more than willing to work with people who are and I feel that their youthful energy has done nothing but benefitted activism in Kansas City.
Put these kids back in their place? You sound like someone whose commitment to social change is lacking. Sharon Lockhart's article was elitist and arrogant, much like your own.
If there are youthful activists who happen to see the connection between war and capitalism and who decide that only by moving past the latter will we ever eliminate the former, I believe there voices are needed and we should instead be praising their activities and finding how to support them. They have been responsible for bringing a great deal of the people who show up at your rallies. It's your job to return the favor and give them a hand.
Re: The Danger of Youth to Our Movement
28 Apr 2003
Put them back in their place? Without even addressing the merit of this larger condescending argument, how exactly do you expect to be able to do that? Sounds almost like suggesting that the 'wiser' adults should ground them (to their own area) and make sure they mind their manners?
I am a little suspicious of your motive here.
Re: The Danger of Youth to Our Movement
28 Apr 2003
Thanks,
an ex-yippie
Re: The Danger of Youth to Our Movement
29 Apr 2003
according to the KC Iraq Task force website, everyone is welcome at the rallys. they even have a segment on the front page about how the youth "provide numbers and strength to the anti-war movement". so, its not like everyone over 21 belongs at the rallies, and everyone under 21 just shows up uninvited wanting to smash and bash. your "us" vs. "them" stuff is not only insulting but inaccurate.
How will the media show our marches if laws are broken? How can we have the moral high ground?
hopefully, fairly and accurately. they should report that a small group was doing it, as a political statement. as for breaking the laws, this doesn't automatically put them in a bad state morally (think Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela...).
after the loud and violent kids started marching in the streets
my dictionary defines violence as "the exertion of physical force so as to injure or abuse". I watched that march but i didn't see anyone being violent.
a group or youth started making acusations that there was not enough "sexual and racial diversity" in the leadership of the task force
i guess a case could be made for this. i personally am happy with the leaders and speakers we have had. but at least hear them out instead of writing them off...
To my dismay nothing was accomplished in the meeting.
...and this is news??
the building will be owned by no one, there will be no leaders... Now let me tell you all something. That right there describes anarchism. Do we want anarchist kids running around blindly in our city?
sounds pretty benign to me. i think we have much more to fear from ppl. in SUVs on cell phones *driving blindly around our city ;)
you should change your title to "The Danger of Stereotyping to our Movement"
Re: The Danger of Youth to Our Movement
29 Apr 2003
If you real have some criticism, which beleive it or not most of us crazy young people can take fairly well, at least have the decency to post your real name or better yet come talk to one of them directly!
For all we know this could be Bozo the Clown.
or a fed. hahaha.
peace and struggle,
laszlo
Re: The Danger of Youth to Our Movement
29 Apr 2003
And the legal march was louder than the breakaway march. There were about twenty of us, compared with 1600 legal protesters, and the legal protesters, too, were chanting anti-war slogans.
Not everyone in the peace movement wants to stand on street corners for just an hour a week holding a sign. Some of us actually want to do more than this.
Direct action will be necessary to end the policies of the Bush administration,just as it was necessary to end aparteid in South Africa, to gain independence for India, to win civil rights for blacks in America, and to open the Berlin Wall.
I enjoy legal protest, but recognize that sometimes direct action and civil disobedience is necessary. And I despise how the starter of this thread calls the dozens of youth who attend the weekly protests "dangers to the movement." We are not dangers to the movement, we are an important part of it. And there are plenty of youth in the movement who don't take part in direct action.
Also, "Concerned Protester", why don't you use your real name?
Andrew
Re: The Danger of Youth to Our Movement
29 Apr 2003
And the legal march was louder than the breakaway march. There were about twenty of us, compared with 1600 legal protesters, and the legal protesters, too, were chanting anti-war slogans.
Not everyone in the peace movement wants to stand on street corners for just an hour a week holding a sign. Some of us actually want to do more than this.
Direct action will be necessary to end the policies of the Bush administration,just as it was necessary to end aparteid in South Africa, to gain independence for India, to win civil rights for blacks in America, and to open the Berlin Wall.
I enjoy legal protest, but recognize that sometimes direct action and civil disobedience is necessary. And I despise how the starter of this thread calls the dozens of youth who attend the weekly protests "dangers to the movement." We are not dangers to the movement, we are an important part of it. And there are plenty of youth in the movement who don't take part in direct action.
Also, "Concerned Protester", why don't you use your real name?
Andrew
Re: The Danger of Youth to Our Movement
29 Apr 2003
at the meeting new "leadership" (really just people who stood at the front and tried to get everyones opinion) was selected through a vote and i believe that alot was accomplished we came up with 4 lists of what could be done 3 of which were completely legal all of which were non-violent. next being against capitalism doesnt neccessarily make you anarchist it just means that you see the flaws of the status quo and want something better. and finally you may have experience but you dont neccessarily have wisdom over us there are many of us who have taken alot of time to research what we are talking about we know what are doing. we are the future we are the youth
Peace-Love-Unity
Isn't this great satire
29 Apr 2003
I re-read it to myself, once again, in a melodramatic interpretation. It became clear to me. Someone has crafted an incredibly sophisticated and satirical commentary on the reactionary liberal elements within the peace and justice movement. My lauds and many kudos to 'Concerned Protestor'. You are a worthy successor to Moliere.
Of course, it is possible that this is not meant as satire at all. In that case, I would like to make the following points.
1) One presumes to teach, but does not even bother to check one's work for spelling, grammar, and usage errors. What example is that for youth? What kind of message is being sent to youth when one does not even take the time to express oneself well?
2) One apparently supposes that everyone interested in actions different from the tactics dictated by THE KC Iraq Task Force is a threat.
3) This piece is, as noted above filled with ad hominem attacks. Isn't it the policy of the kcindymedia editorial committee to prevent such attacks?
4) Does the author of this piece mean to suggest that we set up some sort of 'peace police' to enforce the party line of acceptable behavior like some kind of 'Gang of Four' in a neo-cultural revolution?
5) The way I understand it, the only illegality was in deciding against getting a 'parade permit' from the police which would have required payment to the city of a minimum of $1,000 for 'police overtime-pay' so that the police could block off the streets, thus diluting the efficacy of any message.
6) I might be inlined to agree with the author about the article cited, were I willing to overlook the factual errors, ad hominem attacks, and failure on the part of the cited author to verify or speak with any of the people arrested by the police on 13 April.
I might go on at much futher length, but I would not wish to be seen as attacking in my speech or response to this piece. Besides, it would be like shooting so many fish in a barrel.
Re: The Danger of Youth to Our Movement
30 Apr 2003
these lines especially:
There was a group of kids with a table at the Derrik Jensen speach last sunday for a proposed center called the "revolutionary education community center." Who knows what kind of violence will be organized out of this.
and this one
Do we want anarchist kids running around blindly in our city?
add the misspelled words, knowledge of html, divisiveness, lack of a name given, and McCarthyish-scaremongering, and I have my suspicions that even a "reactionary liberal" would write this. it just seems a tad contrived.
one good thing is, he/she/officer directed traffic to the kcdan site. :o)
Re: The Danger of Youth to Our Movement
01 May 2003
I pointed it out as possibly being the lampooning of the reactionary liberal elements, not to try to characterize any part of our movement. I merely looked at the tone, and noted that it is reactionary and professes to advocate a liberal contructionist point of view.
The article raises many ad hominem attacks. I think this is rather sophisticated to be the work of some '15-yr old punk anarchist kid'. Also, even if it were the work of a 15 year old person who subscribes to one of the many variants of anarchic philosophy (primitivist, green, capitalistic, etc.) without evidence, we cannot consider it 'a good joke or stir up the pot'. We must give at least equal consideration to the idea that this was a use of satire and/or absurdism to engage in meaningful social and/or cultural critique like Moliere or Norman Lear's 'All in the Family' and 'The Jeffersons' situational comedies of the 1970s.
I think that regardless of the intent of the author, which we cannot know, since 'Concerned Protestor' chose not to use a real name; it is meritorious to address the concerns of the author in a serious fashion. Just as I think we should examine the issues raised by 'accusations that there was not enough "sexual and racial diversity" in the leadership of the task force.'
If substance is found to support charges made by either side, the our movement can only be helped by redressing the problems identified by such a thorough and critical review of the issues.
I think for either side in this debate to continue to attack those with whom they disagree over tactics is not only divisive and disrespectful; but marginalizing of both groups.
I agree about the seeming contrived nature of the piece. I merely see a different possibility for motive. Without more information, we should not try to attack our putatative allies and ascribe mal-intent to any in the struggle for peace and our rights.
Re: The Danger of Youth to Our Movement
03 May 2003
as for your "you musts" "you shoulds" etc. i have already addressed the concerns of "concerned protester" and i agree w/ you about attacking ppl.
re: a 15-yr old anarchist not being sophisticated enough to write this (if indeed it is satire/absurdism)... Moliere whom you cited was writing, directing and acting in his plays by age 21. also i dont think its that sophisticated bc 1. its not witty, biting or ironic 2. its too serious to be absurd and 3. nobody got it.
regards,sara
Re: The Danger of Youth to Our Movement
06 May 2003
thank you for your time
PEACE-LOVE-UNITY
Stephen Navarro
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Re: The Danger of Youth to Our Movement
06 May 2003
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