The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #28970   Message #363823
Posted By: Rick Fielding
26-Dec-00 - 10:55 PM
Thread Name: For The Ones Who Chose Canada.
Subject: RE: For The Ones Who Chose Canada.
Paw makes a good point about those who "ceased to be players".

My own personal hero, Pete Seeger faced them (the red-baiters) toe to toe and defied them to jail him. (he really did) He got off on a technicality, but just reading about how he was "preparing his family" for his incarceration (which could have been several years) and how conflicted it made them, was chilling. They were NOT saying "go do your time Pete", we'll get by somehow. Took a lot of convincing apparently by his lawyers to convince HIM to drop it.

A substantial number of draft evaders DID return home (don't know the percentage) so I guess they did become "players" again. But just for the moment, think back a few weeks when a lot of us were furious at the Nader supporters for "losing" the election for Gore. Surely if you think the system REALLY needs overhauling you'd BE one of those "players", but it would seem that there are too many things "right" with America for the mainstream to allow any substantial change to the things that are "wrong".

...But these good folks, who's motives were as different and personal as those who went to jail or went to war, most certainly ARE players...just in a different league.

Just thought of a bit of an oddball scenario. Suppose you're one of those folks who absolutely REVILED Bill Clinton, you know, the ones who think he's the worst President who ever lived, his wife's a dyke, they murdered Vince Foster etc. etc. You're drafted to fight in an overseas jungle, and it appears obvious to you that your leader is an absolute scoundrel. You might go to jail for your beliefs....but you might figure that the Government who RUNS those jails is NOT worth it. Thirty years ago a lot of kids DID feel that way about their Government, and NOT just the party in power.

Rick