[Peace-discuss] Last night's meeting

[Morton K. Brussel]

Jeff, I don't know much about the PRC, and can't comment on its  
effectiveness, but I do know something about AWARE, and have been  
glad to have participated in its diverse and effective activities.

I don't know you, but you are leaving an unpleasant impression. You  
haven't been to AWARE meetings while I have attended, so your  
comments seem to me gratuitous at best and off the mark. I understand  
that you are miffed with what Ricky Baldwin said of the PRC, but your  
bile in response is uncalled for.

The statement:

>  It didn't take long for the PRC to realize that AWARE at that  
> point was more a coalition of individuals than a coaltion of member  
> organizations ….

borders on incoherence. Do you speak for all PRC members? AWARE has  
been open to anyone who wants to participate in anti-war and  
antiracism efforts; that PRC may have been invited to join with it  
does not imply that AWARE considered itself a "coalition of  
organizations", although it has strived to welcome all members of  
organizations sympathetic to its aims.

Finally, your last statement ---"You are already doing a good enough  
job of self-destructing on your own."--- is simply malicious.

--mkb

On Sep 14, 2005, at 1:19 PM, Jeff Machota wrote:

> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] Last night's meeting
> Date: Tue, 13 Sep 2005 12:33:53 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Ricky Baldwin <baldwinricky at yahoo.com>
> To: peace-discuss at chambana.net
>
>
> On the issue of AWARE's name/image/publications-
> I have always been an advocate of more flexibility
> rather than less.  That’s why AWARE exists, in fact:
> because a group of folks didn’t want to have their
> hands tied by what they perceived as the PRC’s slowed
> down approval processes for everything.  Linda makes
> an excellent point about this.  Anarchist principles
> are hard to get used to, but they have served us very
> well.  We can act without going through painstaking
> discussions ad infinitum, with the default always
> being that nothing gets done unless folks can agree.
>
> ==================================================
>
> Ricky and all AWARE folks,
>
> The above statement is inaccurate and doesn't reflect the history  
> of AWARE as I understand it. When Laura Haber, Peter Miller and  
> others first started AWARE soon after 9/11, the PRC was invited to  
> be a part of this COALITION effort. It was stressed to us over and  
> over again by the initial organizers that AWARE was meant to  
> coordinate the activities of other groups and only initiate  
> activities with those groups' input.
>
> PRC members attended those first meetings along with  
> representatives from many other groups. It didn't take long for the  
> PRC to realize that AWARE at that point was more a coalition of  
> individuals than a coaltion of member organizations and we ceased  
> our active participation, as did apparently many other groups.
>
> If AWARE was set up as an anarchist anti-structure alternative to  
> PRC, that is news to me. If it was, I'm not sure why we were  
> invited to participate.
>
> PRC is proud that our democratic, structured, disciplined approach  
> to organizing and collective action has helped us to lead  
> successful actions and campaigns for over 16 years. From street  
> marches of over 1200 people from downtown to campus, to rallies in  
> the heart of homecoming, to actions at Board of Trustee's meetings,  
> our structure has insured that folks can participate without fear  
> of reprisal from those ideologically opposed to us and our  
> actions,while advancing the struggle for social justice collectively.
>
> Through the ebbs and flows of the movement and our organization, we  
> still persist and continue to be a part of the political scene in  
> Champaign-Urbana and beyond.
>
> While working out your internal issues and while pledging your  
> allegiance to anarchist priciples, please keep in mind that there  
> is no need to malign other groups in the process. You are already  
> doing a good enough job of self-destructing on your own.
>
> Jeff Machota
> PRC member
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