[Peace-discuss] Re: [Peace] Re: Memorial in Champaign-Urbana

[Brussel Morton K.]

Good points, Bob.

I too do fear that AWARE is on its last legs. When some associated  
with AWARE softly echo the ranting of a Bill O'Reilly, I feel  
revulsion, and don't wish to be associated with such, even if they  
have anti-war credentials. It's like trying to square the circle. I  
would suggest of those who like to quote Chris Floyd (as I do) that  
they read his commentary, Sex-Haunted Saints and Sinister Clowns:  
Engendering Anti-Abortion Terror at http://www.chris-floyd.com/  (May  
31 entry).

--mkb



On Jun 3, 2009, at 11:01 AM, Bob Illyes wrote:

> Neil makes some good points. He just convinced me that I should show  
> up at the memorial.
>
> I should say a few things about Laurie's prediction of the end of  
> AWARE.
>
> AWARE is a group of anti-war (and anti-racism, but this has always  
> taken a second place to war) people who differ on other issues  
> radically. This didn't matter initially, because AWARE was run more  
> on the affinity-group model, and AWARE meetings were just  
> coordinating meetings for a number of autonomous activist groups,  
> some AWARE working groups and some not.
>
> This works very well. Problems arise only when consensus-bullies  
> threaten to stop all action unless AWARE takes or does not take  
> certain positions. The usual resolution is that AWARE as an  
> organization takes few positions. This is good. The working groups  
> can and do take positions.
>
> This is how affinity group collaboration works. The main problem in  
> affinity groups is the consensus bully. They always show up, sooner  
> or later, and commence to drive people out who aren't sufficiently  
> "ideologically pure" as they see it, or unfortunately in too many  
> cases just people that annoy them. AWARE has a so-so record in  
> dealing with this problem, as do most of the progressive groups in  
> town that use consensus. If AWARE is brought down, it will be by not  
> dealing with bullying effectively.
>
> Bob
>
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