Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Are you still crazy after all these years?

Check out this op-ed piece in this morning's New York Times by Paul Auster. He was a Columbia University student in 1968 who hated the War in Vietnam and took part in demonstrations and sit-ins which helped turn the country against the war (although Tricky Dick kept the war going for 5 more years after having been elected promising that he had a secret plan to end it.) Doesn't it seem at the end of the column that the author is hinting that he would be willing to join demonstrations and strikes against the federal government aimed at ending the War in Iraq? He says he was crazy to participate then and he is still crazy today.

Are you also a Baby Boomer who demonstrated against the War in Vietnam? Do you remember those maps on the evening news showing all the universities that had been shut down by students striking and sitting-in? Do you remember how those actions had a much greater and more immediate impact turning the country against the war than all the debates, manifestos, peaceful protests and political campaigns put together? If so and such things started happening again today would you join in? If those students shutting down the universities in 1968 were crazy I guess we need some of that craziness today.

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