[Peace-discuss] Flag issues

[Jan & Durl Kruse]

Thankfully AWARE is not really just 2 camps as describe below. At least 
not in my experience.
It is always interesting to be described and categorized.
AWARE must be doing something right since disagreements rise and fall 
from within and from without regarding our work to oppose war and 
racism.  AWARE did not begin the discussion regarding flags.  We did 
consider the issue (funding and cosponsorship of the College Democrats 
use of the flags) at our meeting last night and it was a thoughtful and 
considerate discussion.  You probably would have had to been there to 
have witnessed the thoughtful exchange.
We may not always agree, but usually there is a considerate discussion 
and AWARE moves forward.
JAN Kruse


On Mar 26, 2007, at 1:21 PM, Bob Illyes wrote:

> Hi Joe.
>
> You may have missed some of the flag-related posts because some
> were sent to Peace rather than PeaceDiscuss, where they should
> have been sent.
>
> I too agree with Bob and Tom.
>
> There are two camps at AWARE:
>
> 1) If you're not offending the other side, you're not making
> a difference.
>
> 2) If you're not building bridges to the other side, you're not
> making a difference.
>
> Camp one measures its success in terms of how many people it makes
> angry. This camp tends to be anti-American (thinks that America is
> one of the worst countries on earth), and is profoundly pessimistic
> about democracy and the ability of ordinary people to make correct
> decisions, even if they possess all relevant facts, i.e., it is
> elitist. But have no fear- the world will be saved if enough
> people are in a rage.....  Right. By what mechanism, I ask. By the
> magic of Hegelian dialectic, perhaps?
>
> Camp two measures its success in terms of how many civil but 
> substantive
> conversations it's had with people who disagree with it. This is the
> larger group in AWARE. If it ever ceases to be the larger group, I
> will leave AWARE, because it will have become part of the problem 
> rather
> than part of the solution.
>
> Please don't expect one voice from AWARE regarding the flag- it isn't
> possible.
>
> Bob
>
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>
JAN Kruse