BY JUSTIN MAIKE
Several military conflicts and
resolutions after Vietnam, the anti-war movement has made a sluggish
revival, going, for the most part, under the media radar. Without
the draft posing an immediate threat to the youth of America, the
movement binds itself together with the less eccentric, older
generations; a bulk of the conservative Catholic community, and a
smaller percentage of the youth.
In society today, the radical
left has the most prevalent role in the movement, with most
conservatives obstinately wrapped in their pro-war sentiment. Rather
than the unification and support needed to physically bring the
troops home, several liberal groups simply mesh together. This
melting pot of anti-Zionist, anti-globalization, and
pro-environmental individuals often gather together for the sake of
any anti-United States government activity.
Youthful, neo-hippies of the
information age also make their appearance; some frustrated with
simply being too young, or not born at all in the sixties; and not
to mention the Vietnam-era mom’s and dad’s hoping to instate the
fire back into the art of marching for the sake of social change.
Those also protesting for the sake of sex, drugs, and rock and roll,
with no real grasp on the issue at hand, are also common to any
organization against the war.
The lack of organization,
publicity and positive connotations that are associated with the
"support our troops" bumper stickers have all put a damper on any
attempt at actually influencing pro-war political figures.
Bush-bashing stickers with
Hitler moustaches drawn on and "Not My President" T-Shirts offer
conversational pieces to fellow Bush-haters, and comical relief in a
time when people need it most, but propose no real solution to the
underlying problem that they believe in.
Some believe the general
public to be all too comfortable in their day-to-day economic
situation to organize marches, make phone calls, write congressmen,
and go door to door with their message, leaving groups such as Act
Now to Stop War & End Racism (A.N.S.W.E.R.) to pick up the slack
left behind by the youth that was once so enthusiastically in
opposition to what they called imperialistic actions of the United
States government.
A.N.S.W.E.R. recently
organized one of the largest protests on the pentagon, on March 17,
with nearly 50,000 in attendance.
"If coordinated well, they can
affect change and remind people that this war is still costing lives
and no matter who the father of Anna Nicole’s Baby is or who wins
the next season of American Idol or what new song is on the radio,
people are dying, both from this country and in massive numbers in
the Iraqi Civil War," said hip hop artist Immortal Technique, who
rallied the crowd with his anti-war philosophies at the Pentagon.
Approximately 750,000 war
protestors also gathered in the middle of March, in London, for a
weekend of rallies. Organizers of the event estimated attendance
much louder, however, at two million. While over half the population
of the United States opposes war, it remains to be seen if this
silent majority will take action and raise enough awareness to
achieve their goal of bringing the troops home safely.
