American Protesters –Then –And Now
By Lawrence Vetere
The morning sun shone brightly off of the “Freedom Birds” silver wing as I awoke to hear the captains melodious voice instructing his passengers in the art of landing procedures. “Who gives a crap Captain!” I thought silently. Crushed into an undersized overcrowded plane where I could barely move my cramped body, I chose too exhaled a sigh, as a form of relief; all I knew was, the eighteen hour flight from South East Asia had come to an end, thank God!
Staring through the aircrafts small port hole of a window, I could not hold back the reactionary smirk arising from the right side of my face. There below me was a sight to behold, the unmistakable New York Skyline.
But instantaneously my mine became confused, how could this be? With my mind’s eye I could see, just a day before, myself running at full gate towards a slick, hovering one foot off the ground. Its props thumped the ground like the steady beat of Indian war drums. I recalled thinking, “Go Lawrence, go, five more feet, there is the door, get ready to dive in, this is going to be a close one.”
I could see the port side waste gunner jamming back the lever on the sixty caliber machine gun as a burly co-pilot kept waving a come on screaming -“Come on your clear…move your ass sergeant.” Diving for the open door -the strapped- in co-pilot grabbed the seat of my pants, in that split second the waist gunner let it rip, showering me in a hail of spent brass and, as he did …the pilot punched it. I may have been in the chopper, but it felt as though my stomach remained on the ground.
My head cleared and within moments, or so it seemed, the Boeing 707 aircraft banked right, geared down her thrusters as it made its approach to JFK International Airport. When something caught my attention, I scrunched up in my seat to see what it was, fixing my glimmering eyes and now smiling face on the twin towers of the “World Trade Center.”
Reality struck my heart like a thunderbolt, for me, the Viet Nam War was at long last, in my past, but the memories of those I left behind, living and dead would never be forgotten.
Suddenly, the vibration of brakes and the roar of reversed jet engines, within second, gave way to the thunderous cheers of some 250 men aboard. Despite the objections of the frantic crew, the elated soldiers through off their seat belts, stood up and began dancing in the isle. Others hugged perfect strangers, all adorned in different military uniforms. Pandemonium erupted as, teary eyed men, leapt across seats shouting “We made it!…We’re back in the world!”
Amidst the chaos of jubilation one could hear the Captain’s voice as it cracked in joyful utterance. He warmed the hearts of those aboard with three words. Words that were music to the sun scorched ears of warriors;
“Welcome Home Gentlemen.”
But, our momentary bliss would abruptly end in horror. For the first time in 366 day these warriors returned home, knowing very little of the rage they were about to experience from the college “War Dodgers.” Police lined the exit ports of the plane on the tarmac forming a line to hold back the vile loud mouth protesters.
The fresh air of freedom and the joy of returning home quickly turned to disgust for the protesters as they spat in gesture at the uniforms we wore with pride, holding signs reading “Baby Killers.” To our credit we ignored them as if they did not exist.
For those who served, our war was over; theirs, hast just begun!
And here they are once again, so we sing –
“New York, New York, it’s a hell of a town, the Bronx is up and the Battery’s down.” Or, so the lyrics go. Yes, “It’s up to you –New York! –New York!” In other words, you’re on your own with these protestors once again, clean up your mess, before it gets real ugly –as if it hasn’t already.
And so I say if people of this country think for a moment the Viet Nam War is over, guess again. This society remains at war with the same people we were fighting –back then. Not the Viet Cong of course, but, the same ideology, which has proven to be the irrational and illogical mind set of liberal emotionalism.
For the last fifty years America has endured the condemnation of radical activists protesters without repercussions, inactively watching while extremists elbowed their way through society demanding unrealistic utopian transformation of our Constitution –like it, or not. And, to make matters worse, their socialistic ideas remain dramatically the same, as if frozen in time.
It’s the old tiresome emotionalist driven class warfare rhetoric again, little has changed. “Down with the rich and greedy “Wall Street Corporations.” Whatever that means! And the truth is they simply don’t care what it means, this is what the anarchist leaders tell them to say, then hand them some “weed” and off they go, the good little wind up toys.
Here, once again as in the 1960’s, public places of assembly are besieged by, shall we say, all types of social –socialist –nonconformist doing pretty much as they please, wherever they please, to do it …and they do.. do IT; If you know what I mean.
Then to add to the stewing pot, the acclaimed “Community Organizers” or more accurately –agitators have redundantly deployed their protest plan throughout the country using the same tiresome tactics from decades ago.
Yes, it’s true; they are taking the same tired old “Saul Alinsky” style antics developed in the 1960s to the city streets of this country. Which incidentally, is where an anarchist believes, wars can be won or lost.
However, their fearless leader Alinsky warned the young student anarchists in rule number eight of his book; “Rules for Radicals” this tidbit of information quite clearly: “A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag.” And, as we see, this form of macabre protesting, whose political strategy seems to be illusive, even to the protesters on the streets of New York. It –the tactic; is recognizably, becoming a drag!
Nevertheless, let me point out, when, and more pointedly, why, this nightmare of civil disobedience fueled by emotionalist extremists protesters, began.
I the 1960’s, America stood in silent collusion, unable, or unwilling, to fess up to the problem –A Cultural Revolution had occurred on the streets. By using the war as a mask the politically correct elitist’s agitators went to work twisting terminology to cover up several truisms, the least of which was social “transformation.”
This 1960’s cover-up, of which I speak, was akin to a child hiding a forbidden “Cookie” behind his back. The foreboding truth was, and still is, liberalism had declared an erroneous war! Not against communism, or the oppression from the tyrannical North Vietnamese Army. Oh –No! Their war then, was, and has always been, a war of divisionism waged against their enemy, namely our Constitution, and the Republic for which it stands.
The anti – war protestors maintained a consistent demand for peace at any price. A price no liberal emotionalist would dare to fathom. Ignorance of the facts, in this case, may have been bliss for emotionalists; however, culpability to genocide is the result of inattentive ignorance. Especially since a victorious conclusion of the war effort, for America, would have liberated a country. And, in fact, unbeknownst to vast swaths of the populace, victory was within our grasp.
Despite severe warnings from our military experts militant protestors thoughtlessly attacked denigrating our forces with accusations of unsubstantiated atrocities. They relentlessly bombarded the American people, from coast to coast, with violent demonstrations expressing their hatred for America; eventually people grew weary of the constant battle.
Exacerbated, yet relatively uninformed, our citizenry pressured Congress’ to acquiesce to the chaotic demands too –“just shut them up!” Naturally, Congresses knee jerk reactions neglected obvious military repercussions from our enemy; thus dooming South Viet Nam civilians to massive murders at the hands of their brethren in the North, ending their civil war for liberty –in tyranny.
The news media fanned the flames of the 60’s protestors to keep the movement –moving. All this
hullabaloo of deception insured their contrite little secret of ethnic cleansing would be tucked far away from public scrutiny. In short, the main stream media chose to print propaganda canonizing the protesting mob of dissidents as a humanitarian movement for the salvation of civilians. Hypocritical Poppycock! Put lipstick on a Pig –it’s still a Pig.
Try for a moment to understand the emotional mind of liberal irrationality. Though, to most humanitarianism looks and sounds on TV and in newspapers everywhere, as if the protesters were protesting with “Good Intentions” in mind. Yet, all the while covert plans were in progress –America was undergoing the first steps to a “Fundamental Change,” from within, sound familiar does it not?
New York City is experiencing a small taste of the draconian tactics deployed in the 60’s. Then, as now, the protesters struck the core of good hearted, companionate people, via their emotions which is their – “weak spot.” Agitators are cunning they capitalized on –“weak spots” by directing our political frustrations towards the liberators rather than the agitator.
Most young naive students devoted little or no thought to the consequences of… “Cutting and running” from the Viet Nam War or any war for that matter. But, the protest organizers master minds surly did. To professional “Community Organizers,” the politically ignorant student protesters were nothing but fodder for the fire headed straight at the lawmakers.
Master minds of the Counter Cultural Revolutionary Movement would stop at nothing to restrain our military before it achieved a victory. Freeing a nation from oppression under communist rule would have diluted their power to nothing. The Movement would have just died.
Instead, the media recruited Hollywood to grapple with Congress, in support of the North Vietnamese Communist Regime. But, then again, hypocrisy from emotionalists, knows no shame. They are the, self –proclaimed, “Do Gooders” with “Good Intentions” for the daydreaming social order, so to them –the Ends justifies –the Means.
Thus, out of this madness arose an unmistakable message. It is crystal clear; protesting the Constitutional Establishment with the use of expletives “God D*mn” ….America! Which … Justifies the means too, and it gets a movement –moving.
Now! The same culture war has threatened America; this war has been festering in the shadows of the social elitist weapon closets, on both sides of the political isle for over five decades. The final battle that is emerging from the depths of intellectual h*ll shall make the war on terror appear docile in comparison. In the minds of “Good Intentioned” humanitarian environmental emotionalists the 1960’s era culture war has not ended, it has only just begun.
