File spoon-archives/marxism-international.archive/marxism-international_1998/marxism-international.9802, message 201


Date: Thu, 12 Feb 1998 18:20:53 -0600 (CST)
From: Dennis Grammenos <dgrammen-AT-prairienet.org>


Hi all:-)
 
I have something sad, yet entertaining (in a twisted way) to share with 
you in this message.

The following is a taste of the sort of attitudes prevalent among the 
student editors of the student newspaper "The Daily Illini" on the campus 
of the U. of iilinois at Urbana-Champaign.

On Wednesday, a coalition of student groups rallied in the middle of the 
Quad to protest any U.S. attack on the people of Iraq.  The event 
attracted over 100 students, faculty and community members, which by the 
standards of the conservative environs of Champaign-Urbana is not all 
that bad.

I am sure that some of the older U.S. members of this list will have a 
flash-back to the days 25-30 years ago.  I can't help but expect that 
anti-war protests then were greeted with similar disdain by campus 
editorialists.  Am I correct?

Enjoy...

Solidarity,
Dennis


----------------------
http://www.illinimedia.com/di/feb_98/feb12/opinions/edit1.html
______________________________________________________________
Thursday, 12 February 1998

The Daily Illini	<--- student newspaper at the U. of Illinois

EDITORIAL

               Ridiculous protest clouds truth
	       -------------------------------

               Students held a midday rally on the Quad to protest
               U.S. military intervention in Iraq in honor of
               National Day of Action for Peace on Wednesday. Seven
               campus student organizations sponsored the event.

               To advertise, organizers sent out an email message
               proclaiming that military action would cause "the
               unjust deaths of innocent Iraqi citizens." Saddam
               Hussein practically invented unjust killing of
               innocent Iraqi citizens when he gassed his own people
               to death.

               The message also encouraged readers to "protest the
               U.S. intentions to commit crimes against humanity." So
               America plans to commit crimes against humanity?
               ThatMs a pretty serious charge against the U.S.
               military leaders who have sent thousands of soldiers
               to the Persian Gulf to risk their lives defending the
               world. America doesnMt have the time to commit crimes
               against humanity, weMre too busy trying to make the
               world safe for humanity.

               At the protest, one student waved a banner that said
               "NO BLOOD for OIL." Just seven and a half years ago
               Hussein invaded a small, defenseless country to get
               his hands on some oil. If he possesses nuclear
               weapons, there are about five billion people who
               should be begging the United States and Great Britain
               to protect them.

               France also raised objections to U.S. intervention in
               Iraq. They didnMt seem to mind when we saved them from
               a sadistic tyrant.

               Just what do the protestors want? Do they want the
               U.S. and Britain to pull out all their troops and
               recall the weapons inspectors, essentially giving
               Hussein the green light for starting a nuclear war?
               Now thereMs something to protest. And they probably
               would.

               If there are University students concerned with human
               rights who are looking for something to protest, there
               are Vietnamese immigrants living in poverty in
               northern Urbana. ThatMs one of many issues in which
               students could make a difference, while taking a break
               from howling at the wind.

        Copyright (c) 1998 Illini Media Company, all rights reserved

_______________________________________________________


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