by Richard M. Berthold
Daily Lobo Columnist
If you disagree with the policies of the Bush administration, especially regarding a war with Iraq, it is your patriotic duty to make your disagreement known in whatever way that suits your circumstances and skills.
Participating in anti-war demonstrations is a particularly fun way to do this, since most have a definite party atmosphere, and while sex and drugs may not have the prominence they did 30 years ago, marches and rallies remain a good place to meet members of the opposite sex. Serve your nation and perhaps get laid -- what could be better?
I offer a few tips to the new generation of patriots for peace.
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Carry an American flag. This is our flag, not just the banner of Washington chicken-hawks and right-wing extremists. The enemy is not America; it is the Bush administration and its pernicious policies, which we oppose precisely because of concern for America and its Constitution. (If you hate America and its basic values, then you should probably live in another country.) The flag is the traditional symbol of patriotism, and we must let our fellow citizens and the world see that patriotic Americans oppose what their government is doing. And if opposing the government is unpatriotic, let us nevertheless stand with all those other traitors, like Jefferson, Washington and Adams.
Try to come up with humorous signs and paraphernalia. Politicians and other such authority figures certainly do not like criticism, but they like to be made fun of even less. Most politicians can deal with disagreement, usually by ignoring the opposition's arguments, mouthing clichÇs and claiming to appreciate healthy debate, but to be laughed at?
There can hardly be anything worse for the average politician than not to be taken seriously and people who might not listen to your arguments might still get a laugh and appreciate at least vaguely the silly aspect of people like our president. And after all, a tremendous amount of stupidity, corruption and evil in our world results simply from people taking themselves much too seriously, a particular problem in academe.
Regarding any pro-war people you might encounter: try to be polite and reasonable and offer arguments for your position. Demonstrate that one can be a reasonable and patriotic person, a "regular" American, and still oppose government policies. Emphasize your connections with the Founding Fathers and their protests; no one can question their patriotism.
If opponents refuse to debate and act reasonably, the proper thing is to take the high road and ignore them. But that isn't easy and certainly not satisfying. If airheads are screaming obscenities at you, try to be more clever and creative in the obscenities you shout back at them. Hey, everyone bleeds off some anger and no one gets hurt. (Warning: if you are a UNM faculty member, you risk being charged with unprofessional behavior by the provost.)
Of extreme importance: do not repeat the mistake of the Vietnam protests and blame the military. With the exception of some politicized generals at the top the troops are simply doing their job (and risking their lives) and are not to blame for the policies of the civilian government. Members of the military are understandably not free to criticize the commander-in-chief and his policies, but it was nevertheless clear to me during a recent visit to Randolph and Lackland Air Force bases that many of the company grade officers I met had as little regard for Donald Rumsfeld and the administration hawks as I do. Our soldiers are not the enemy. They are in fact veterans of actual combat, whether it was in WWII or Vietnam, and are more likely to oppose the next war. Constantly trumpet your support of our troops and counter the slur from the hawks that if you oppose the war, you somehow don't care about our people in uniform.
Incidentally, for the most part the local police are also just doing their job and many may well agree with you. This is after all Albuquerque and not Chicago or Los Angeles. If you feel you are being unjustly hassled, politely defend your civil rights and free speech and make sure you have witnesses who are not involved in the altercation.
There is no law requiring one to be polite to a police officer, but I know from experience that it definitely enhances one's position and conveys something positive about protesters. If it is your intention to resist the police and commit an act of civil disobedience, then restraint and politeness are absolutely necessary -- and you should have someone with a video camera observing from a distance.
If there ever was a time to protest the actions of our government, it certainly is now. This administration is undermining our freedom and our economy at home, while making us the most hated nation on the planet. We must show the world that it is Bush and company, not Americans, who are the bad guys. Keep in mind that when you oppose this war, you stand shoulder-to-shoulder with almost all the human race.
