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To: unclewest who wrote (9631)	12/18/2000 11:14:41 AM
From: DownSouth	Respond to of 22706

uw, I sincerely do understand your point of view, and I probably agree with at least 90% of what you believe. I never condoned spitting on a US soldier and have great respect for members of our national defense forces. Some of the smartest people I ever had the pleasure to know wore birds and stars on their shoulders--hardworking, bright, dedicated men and women. I remember well the civil disobedience of both the civil rights movement and the anti-(Viet Nam) war movement. Most of these acts were well within the limits of the law as I understood it, even though many people in power liberally interpreted the law or their own power in attempts to suppress the movements. I strongly objected to that, even when I disagreed with the opinions being expressed by the protestors. I strongly object to acts of violence between civilians and soldiers. Neither has the right to assault the other personally. Your act sounds like one far more objectionalble than the act to which you were responding. But that is history. I can tell you from first hand knowledge that in the 50's a black man's sitting at a segregated lunch counter was seen by many people as every bit as inappropriate as burning the flag and acts of violence against those that dared to "change our way of life" were believed to be by many as totally justified. In my Southern youth, that was a terribly confusing dilemma. Let's avoid dragging one another into past conflicts between conservatives, moderates, and liberals in this discussion, if we chose to continue this discussion. Your last paragraph about Jessee's failed attempt to draw a crowd is a good one. Jessee has the right, and, in his mind, I am sure, the duty to call for a protest. Others have the right not to show up or to protest with their letters, votes and pocketbooks, as I am doing. The civil rights movement resulted in the empowerment of those that were without the power of their letters, votes and pocketbooks. They gained the same powers of their white brothers and sisters by exercising the little power that they did have through civil disobedience and economic boycott. The need to protest by marching or demonstrating has been obviated by their ability to protest within the constructs of the political process.