With the recent rise in civil disobedience and demonstrations on college campuses all over the nation, it's not surprising that many of my generation want to weigh in on the lessons learned from the 1960s. Of course there are similarities but also glaring differences.
Back then, there was no social media and the is the most glaring difference. Communication at rapid speed with cell phones makes for a very different experience. Those demonstrating against the Vietnam War, the draft, the lack of civil rights like voting, and police brutality today are not as impacted by those issues as protesters in 1968. Of the 100,000 people in the street during the Vietnam moratorium, most were directly affected by that war, either by being drafted to fight that war, or as the family of those killed or severely injured in this most unpopular "brushfire war."
I wonder how many of those arrested at Columbia, UCLA, Portland State...et.al. are actually students there. I wonder if they know how many in their midst are actually undercover cops, or how may bystanders taking their pictures are now who they seem to be.
Seeing the UCLA demonstrations brings back many events of 1968-69 for me. Then, I was a third year student among those protesting the war, the policies of the governor and the regents, and of course, the draft and all its irregularities. Some of the recent action on campus was on the exact spot where I stood 55 years earlier.
I definitely support the intentions of most of these students. Nobody in their right mind likes to stand idly by and watch genocide. It's intolerable and attempting to prevent that supersedes all else. But trashing a library (Portland State) attempting to injure or slander your adversary, or highly charged emotional rhetoric never did and never will convince anyone to re-examine their views. A truism seems to be that there are always smaller groups who latch on to burgeoning movements with their own agenda. They often get all the media attention and usually bring negative feedback while disrupting and diluting the intentions of the majority of people. While there has been some violent encounters between law enforcement agencies and demonstrators, I noticed that there is a lot less tear gas being used these days. It was not uncommon for student demonstrators to carry plastic bags filled with water in their pockets in gas tear gas was used on them. I guess the ever popular water bottle has taken the place of those bags so common back in the day.
There is a strong chance that some good will come from these recent demonstrations, despite much negative publicity. I wouldn't be surprised if the power structures of those institutions currentl under fire make some changes in their investment portfolios. That is something demanded and not difficult to do.
With graduation (s) on the horizon, look for more demonstrations and unrest taking place at these ceremonies. Hopefully costly mistakes that will alienate potential sympathizers won't be made with hasty and ill-advised actions taken to block these important traditions.
It seems obvious to me that most people who care about establishing a lasting peace in the Middle East know what it will take for that to be a reality. A two state solution is the key. Anything less will not achieve a fair and just outcome.
Seems to me there are some valuable lessons that today's younger generation could benefit from. Do they care to know about them? Will they bother to do so?
Like the lyric of an old union organizing says, "every generation got to learn it all again."
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