[Peace-discuss] [Peace] AWARE monthly demonstrations

[Karen Aram]

John

Please in future, please just respond at the beginning, clarifying that its you making the statement.  In reading the below it gives the impression that I said what you did, as you interspersed it with mine. I have placed it in red, to ensure no one thinks I said what you just did.


On Oct 6, 2019, at 13:00, John W. <jbw292002 at gmail.com<mailto:jbw292002 at gmail.com>> wrote:

On Sun, Oct 6, 2019 at 12:57 PM Karen Aram via Peace <peace at lists.chambana.net<mailto:peace at lists.chambana.net>> wrote:

James,

In answer to your question. No I don’t recall in seven years any new people showing up for the AWARE anti-war demo. other than you and Midge, and both of you stayed active. Midge is one of those who was an activist opposing war previous to my time in Champaign.

I was able to get AWARE folks to join up with the PSL, Party for Socialism and Liberation when they were doing their anti-war demonstrations/protests, and they though new, have been growing, but most of them either work on Saturdays or are students with many activities related to war, oppression and the root cause, capitalism.

The problem as I understand it, is most people are Democrats, and the war issue died when Obama was elected, so now these people have taken up immigration concerns, the immigrants from the south. There doesn’t appear to be any concern over the thousands upon thousands of immigrants flooding Europe from US war and interventions, with 6,000 deaths by drowning in six years according to UN statistics.

Liberal Democrats tend not to mention the interventions in Latin American nations by the US which is primarily responsible for the immigrants from those nations, the root cause for people leaving their homes and risking death to seek asylum in a nation that imprisons them. They focus on elections and getting rid of Trump as if that will change anything.

There maybe other reasons people aren’t interested in participating in demonstrations opposing war, but that is what I see.

John Wason:

Speaking only for myself, I quit participating for several reasons.  Advancing age and infirmity was one.  But more to the point of the general discussion, a demonstration, to be even remotely successful, needs to have a specific focus.  If the public is, or can be persuaded to be, against a very specific intervention, such as the war in Viet Nam or the one in Iraq, it's possible that protest in the streets may eventually turn the tide.  But to protest war in general, or American foreign policy in general, or capitalism, with no focus?  You're beating your head against a very, very, very huge stone wall, and not giving the general public any focus for whatever efforts it may be willing to expend.   War and human greed have been with us since the dawn of human existence, and you'd better have a pretty detailed plan if you intend to change THAT.


Climate change is an issue deserving concern and action. Extinction Rebellion is doing just that, in the way which is necessary, I’m told they are here in Champaign, but have not been able to make contact with them. A joining of forces would be of value. History has proven the only thing effective is mass movements in the streets, but until the people unite, they become just a few here and there which is of little notice.

It’s nice of you to do new signs but AWARE has an over abundance of signs already. Stuart has at least two full large garbage bags, and David Green has those we used at the market. I donated the few I have to AWARE over the past couple months. It’s important to have signs, but when too many it becomes problematic transporting.

Good luck on the press release, with Sinclair owning most media in town. Many of us write letters to the Editors of the NG, but no support has been forthcoming, though we don’t advertise AWARE, so its not a bad idea.

James, don’t let me discourage you, just understand why some of us no longer see the point in repeating the same actions over and over with little change, you’re young and tapped into the liberal community so maybe you can do that which we can’t.








On Oct 6, 2019, at 08:58, James M via Peace <peace at lists.chambana.net<mailto:peace at lists.chambana.net>> wrote:

A press release is a good idea. I was also going to write a Letter To The Editor for the NG to try and recruit some support.

I also spoke with Stuart yesterday, and I think I want to try and wrangle up & recruit some of the local activists I know to join us. As part of that, I am currently looking into possibly scheduling a Sign Making Party before the next demonstration.

Karen, I really appreciate all the effort you've put into the local anti-war scene. What were some of the bigger challenges you faced with getting folks to participate? Did they come to one demonstration but not others? Or was it difficult to get them to even join one?

It's frustrating that there are so many "progressives" in this town, but so little support for these anti-war demonstrations. But I'd still like to try and help shift things.


James.

On Sun, Oct 6, 2019 at 9:01 AM C. G. Estabrook via Peace-discuss <peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net<mailto:peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net>> wrote:
Midge—

I assume we’ll demonstrate the first Saturday in November, and I plan to be in town and can drive you there & back if you want. Ithink its a good tradition to keep up. We should try a press release on our long tradition.

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