Hi Pogo,
You say, "The protesters in the Chicago Streets were peaceful, it was the Police that rioted. It was covered on TV and I watched it happen on a hot August night. They were protesting an illegal war, the draft and the support for the war by the Democratic Party and the exclusion of the anti war people. The voting age was 21 at that time. I am unfamiliar with this new group but we can see many similarities with 1968. The US waging an illegal war and occupation and an unresponsive government to the will of the majority of the people."
Just curious, Pogo. You say you watched it on television. Just how old were you? Did you really understand what was happening -- or are your comments just retreads of what your liberal college professors have told you?
Do you even know who the Chicago Seven (originally Chicago Eight before Bobby Seale, leader of the Black Panthers was separated for a separate trial) were; why they were arrested; and why they were tried for inciting a riot at the 1968 Democratic Convention? What was Bobby Seale doing with this group of protesters? He fit in perfectly; for they truly were in Chicago to cause a riot.
Let me give you a few excerpts from the book "A Taste Of Power" by Elaine Brown, who took over militant leadership of the Black Panthers when her lover, Huey Newton, and Bobby Seale were in exile or in jail:
"I have all the guns and all the money. I can withstand challenge from without and within. Am I right, Comrade?"
"Together we're going to take this city. We will make it a base of revolution. The pigs will look at us and wonder. They will look at us, but they will not be able to deal with us."
These excerpts were from her speech at a nationwide Black Panther Party meeting calling for revolution in all our major cities. Notice that all members were called "Comrade." Does this happen to ring any bells in your head?
If Bobby Seale was in the tight little group rioting in Chicago in 1968 -- you can be sure that many more Black Panthers were also there. Add to that, leaders such as Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, and others -- how can you say that it was the Chicago police who caused the riots? Yes, the Chicago police reacted to the riot; and not always in the best way. But, no -- the police did not cause the riots -- the Black Panther mentality is what caused the 1968 Chicago riot.
As I said, forget what your liberal college professors taught you -- and get into the real world. None of the defendants in the Chicago Seven trial were in Chicago to make a better world, to stop the war, or any other such noble cause. They were there, plain and simple, to start a riot and disrupt the Democratic Convention.
Or, maybe you can say that they were there to stop the "war-mongering" Democrats. I am old enough to remember those years. Hubert Humphrey was nominated, saying that he would continue Lyndon Johnson's policies in Vietnam.
In 1964, Lyndon Johnson was nominated on the Democratic Party ticket. That day, I reregistered Republican. Johnson ran against conservative Republican Barry Goldwater. When asked about the war in Vietnam; Goldwater honestly told the people, "Yes, I will escalate the war so that we can end it sooner."
Good old Lyndon told folks, "No, I won't escalate that war. I will bring our boys home right away." Does this sound somewhat familiar? Can anyone recall Mrs. Billy Bob or Osama Obama making such statements? Is this a case of deja vu or what?
And, as soon as Johnson won the election -- he greatly escalated the Vietnam War -- more troops, more bombing, more everything. This was the legacy he left when he decided to not run for a second term -- leaving Humphrey to pick up the pieces. Consequently, Humphrey was seen as a war-monger when compared to George McGovern. And, Richard Nixon won the national election.
Yes, the country was divided by the war; yes, people wanted to see this long, drawn out war ended. Who were our presidents during the Vietnam War? It started with John Kennedy (Dem), escalated under Lyndon Johnson (Dem), and finally Richard Nixon (Rep) ended the war and brought our troops and POWs home.
The Vietnam War lasted 15 years, with 58,000 Americans killed. That averages almost 3900 Americans killed each year for 15 years. And, people are complaining that the war in Iraq has cost us 4000 American lives in 5 years of war. That is 800 per year for the War Against Terror in Iraq -- and 3900 per year, for 15 years, for the war in Vietnam.
Oh, by the way, did you know that the final ballot at that 1968 Democratic Nominating Convention gave Bear Bryant more votes than it did George Wallace? Yep, there names were there. Just a bit of trivia.
Pogo, before start jumping up and down blaming all the world evils on Republicans, Christians, and everyone else with whom you disagree -- get your facts straight.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill Gray
billdory@pacbell.net
Alabama bred,
California fed,
Blessed by God to be a Christian American!
