The day I walked away from the protest movement....

Anti-war peace rally. Polo Fields, Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, Nov. 16, 1969

Reading about the Occupy Wall Street protests, I am reminded of my own short-lived participation as a “war protester” at the Vietnam anti-war rally in San Francisco on Saturday, Nov. 16, 1969. 


As a college student, I was drawn to this rally even though  I wasn’t certain as to where I stood on the Vietnam War, having recently opened up LIFE Magazine and shocked to see the image of a childhood friend killed in action in Vietnam.


Being a Christian, I was undecided as to whether I was a pacifist or if I believed in picking up arms to defend oneself and country (I've since reconciled this issue). 


I found myself, along with others from college campuses all over California, I marching in San Francisco with 100,000 others to end the Vietnam War.

Abbie Hoffman

However, it was at the post-march rally in Golden Gate Park as we were being entertained by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young that I received my epiphany.  It occurred during a political diatribe from Abbie Hoffman who had gained fame as one of the Chicago 8 arrested a year earlier at the Democrat Convention in Chicago and well-known for several books including “Steal This Book.” I heard Abbie ranting about President Nixon and his vice-president, Spiro Agnew. At the same time, the rally organizers were taking up a collection to pay the bills. My friends and I coughed up some cash to throw in the bucket headed down our aisle. At that same moment, I couldn't believe what I had just heard. Abbie Hoffman was telling us to  “Off Nixon. Off Agnew.” I knew that this was code for “Kill Nixon. Kill Agnew.” 

It was then and there that I walked away from the anti-war movement which wasn’t about peace at all. It was headed up by angry demonstrators who clocked in for protests at 8 in the morning and clocked out at 5pm so they could watch themselves on the evening news. These same protesters who called for peace in Vietnam didn't even have peace between themselves and their families, or anyone else, especially those with whom they disagreed.

Because of past experiences and maybe some acquired wisdom, I view the Occupy Wall Street protests with a jaundiced eye. One thing I know for certain is that the media is propping up OWS. Many in the media have been telling us for a month that the OWS movement is the left-wing equivalent of the tea party. The vast majority of tea partiers made it clear that their paramount goal was smaller, limited government; they showed up for peaceful one-day rallies, sang patriotic songs, cleaned up after themselves and went home. The OWS mob is unclear about their objectives; they've overstayed their welcome and they have no intention of cleaning up their mess. They are spoiled children who figure that mommy and daddy will come along after them to clean up the mess they are leaving behind.  

The Occupy Wall Street protest has a definite anti-semitic focus, with signs like:“Blame Jewish billionaires.” One Fox news writer likened the OWS protest to a cross between “Lord of the Flies” and a Phish concert. One other distinguishing characteristic that sets  OWS apart from the Tea Party is their endorsement by the Communist Party USA and the American Nazis.  Unfortunately or fortunately (depending on which side of the political spectrum you’re on), the Tea Party has yet to garner any endorsements from these two Left-wing, anti-capitalism, anti-democracy organizations.

 

In closing, I think these young people have been brainwashed and poorly educated  with their heads stuck in the sand, totally ignorant of the facts. Here they are protesting the Wall Street bailouts when in fact, it was Congress’ Tarp funds which bailed out Wall Street. 

Those who believe in capitalism wanted to let the free market run its course. Conservatives don't believe that any bank or institution is too big to fail, including our federal government. 

These protesters should be marching in front of the White House or marching through the halls of Congress or they should be protesting the outrageous college tuition they are forced to pay. The biggest scam today is academia where tuition has increased many times more than the price of a gallon of oil. 

Instead, these young skulls full of mush are giving government and the vaunted halls of academia a "free pass." Why? Probably because most all of them believe in big government. They all vote Democrat. Most of them, if they vote at all, will be voting for Obama in 2012 and while they want to be heard, they don’t want to shine the spotlight on the true cause of our nation’s economic woes, President Obama and Congress. In that sense, they are pawns serving Obama and the Democrat Party. Just as I did years ago, they would all be better off to pack up and walk away from this misguided protest.

Occupy Wall Street protester interviewed by British journalist