[Peace-discuss] Ron Paul & GroundHog Day

Thu Jan 31 20:59:38 CST 2008

On Thu, Jan 31, 2008 at 07:53:14PM -0600, C. G. Estabrook wrote:
> We have of course been "approached by Clinton and Obama supporters" -- more 
> than approached: we've worked with them in the shape of the Democratic 
> party front groups, MoveOn and "Americans Against Escalation in Iraq." (And 
> theirs was a purposeful attempt at co-option of the anti-war movement; 
> that's not what the Ron Paul campaign is doing.)

But at AAEI and MoveOn events, we did not stand in support of
particular candidates.  We stood in support of issues.

If AAEI had been promoting such-and-such candidate,
or even if they'd been offering signs saying Put a Democrat
in the White House, I'd have been uneasy about making that
part of AWARE's public face too.  But they didn't.

> We've also had Ron Paul supporters (with RP signs) participate in the Main 
> Event.  (I spent most of one such afternoon arguing with an RP man over 
> democratic control of the economy.)  There is at least one AWARE member and 
> participant in Saturday demonstrations who arrives in a car with a Ron Paul 
> bumper sticker...

:)

> Soi-disant liberals should not be censors. "Let a hundred flowers bloom, 
> let a thousand schools of thought contend."  --CGE

Indeed I don't want to be a censor.  But I do have an opinion,
and this is it.

>
> Jenifer Cartwright wrote:
>> Yes, the folks are more than welcome, but not their Ron Paul signs. I 
>> agree w/ Stuart that AWARE is being co-opted... and given treats 
>> afterwards as payola. It annoys me that they announced that they'd be 
>> joining as Ron Paul supporters, they didn't ask if it'd be okay nor assure 
>> us that it was to support peace and anti-imperialim, and that there 
>> wouldn't be any Ron Paul stuff in evidence. Again, if you'd been 
>> approached by Clinton or Obama supporters, would yr response be  as 
>> welcoming??
>>  --Jenifer
>> */"Morton K. Brussel" <brussel at uiuc.edu>/* wrote:
>>     It seems to me a good idea to /*welcome*/ all anti-war,
>>     anti-imperialism folks.  We need a vocal mass anti-war movement.
>>     --mkb.      On Jan 31, 2008, at 10:16 AM, Jan & Durl Kruse wrote:
>>>     With this (at least for now) still being a free country and the
>>>     corner of Neil and Main being a public place I thought it was
>>>     polite and really not needed for the Ron Paul folks to ask to join
>>>     our group.  How do you say: "NO we don't allow others to join us
>>>     in public?  We monitor signs and we only allow like-minded people
>>>     to join us" ......This (opposition to the war) may be the only
>>>     point we agree with the Ron Paul folks on, however when the news
>>>     media (the Ron Paul folks have invited them) asks for a sound
>>>     bit..........anyone can make a case for free speech....... and
>>>     this moment where two groups from usually different perspectives
>>>     have found a point on which they agree and can stand on the same
>>>     street corner and say.... NO to the War in Iraq!
>>>     You can always hold a sign that says "I don't support Ron Paul or
>>>     the Iraq War!"  and ...........Maybe it will look like Ron Paul
>>>     support's AWARE.........
>>>     JAN K
>>>     On Jan 30, 2008, at 10:50 PM, Stuart Levy wrote:
>>>
>>>>     On Wed, Jan 30, 2008 at 07:47:51PM -0800, Jenifer Cartwright wrote:
>>>>>     So... they'll be carrying their Ron Paul signs and marching w/
>>>>>     AWARE members,
>>>>>     and AWARE will be appear to be supporting Ron Paul?? I'm NOT in
>>>>>     favor of that
>>>>>     at all!!  Somebody needs to set some ground rules on this.
>>>>>      --Jenifer
>>>>
>>>>     Yes, I too will be uneasy about it if there turn out to be many
>>>>     people
>>>>     sporting Ron Paul signs.  I'm happy to demonstrate alongside Ron
>>>>     Paul supporters --
>>>>     and I don't feel any need to agree with all the signs that we
>>>>     collectively
>>>>     carry -- but carrying signs for a particular candidate whom many
>>>>     of us
>>>>     couldn't support does seem to cross a line.  It feels like we're
>>>>     being
>>>>     co-opted, in a way that co-protesting with AAEI didn't.
>>>>
>>>>     At the same time, as member of an anarchic group, I'm also uneasy
>>>>     about
>>>>     trying to set "ground rules".   Still it's worth discussing.
>>>>
>>>>>     Jan & Durl Kruse <jandurl at insightbb.com
>>>>>     <mailto:jandurl at insightbb.com>> wrote: > The Main Event will be
>>>>>     held this Saturday February 2 from 2-4 in
>>>>>>     Downtown Champaign at the corner of Main and Neil.  The following
>>>>>>     message is from our friends and recent AWARE meeting attendees
>>>>>>     for Ron
>>>>>>     Paul.  They plan to join the anti-war protest this Saturday and
>>>>>>     wanted
>>>>>>     to let others know the information below!
>>>>>
>>>>>>     Subject: GroundHog Day
>>>>>>
>>>>>>     Durl (and Jan)
>>>>>>
>>>>>>     Thank you for the pleasant phone conversation this morning.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>     Our Ron Paul meetup group will join AWARE for the Anti-War rally 
>>>>>> at
>>>>>>     2-4 pm Saturday.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>     MerryAnn's Diner and the RonPaul meetup group will provide free 
>>>>>> hot
>>>>>>     coffee and hot chocolate.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>     Would you please let the AWARE group know that we will be
>>>>>>     joining you.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>     Wayne Johnson
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