created by UpstairsAd9203 on 08/03/2025 at 23:50 UTC
15 upvotes, 3 top-level comments (showing 3)
In October of 1967, I was a college student at Detroit’s Wayne State University. The Vietnam War still was relatively new, but protesting had started with teach ins and then early demonstrations. That fall I road a bus to DC that the Detroit Committee to End the War on Vietnam had arranged.
Some of us who arrived early demonstrated outside the White House before the rally started in front of the Lincoln Memorial. It was a sea of 100,000 people there and spilling down along the Reflecting Pool. This rally was perfectly represented in the Forrest Gump movie right down to Abbie Hoffman dressed in an American flag shirt. Following the rally with music from Phil Ochs and speeches by Norman Mailer, Noam Chomsky, Paul Goodman and others, Abbie Hoffman led about half the crowd over the Potomac River to the Pentagon.
This demonstration wasn’t the largest antiwar rally, but has been considered by some to be the turning point in demonstrating and resisting the Vietnam War. We need just such a national mega-scale DC rally against the fast-paced destruction of the federal government and shredding of the Constitution by the Trump regime. Local protests are great and help build resistance. But all the various sponsors of smaller demonstrations divide, disperse and dilute—the many Musk/Tesla protests are a case in point. Right now a massive protest, numbering in the millions is essential.
This time far more is at stake than in 1967. This is a true national crisis of historic proportion and time is of the essence. Those thinking the mid-terms will be a time to turn things around aren’t thinking clearly. By then we could have in a full-fledged authoritarian government and any election, if even permitted, could just be a formality.
What established organization(s) are ready to sponsor such a protest that would funnel national anger and focus it on the nation’s capital?
Comment by TopBlueberry3 at 09/03/2025 at 02:23 UTC
5 upvotes, 2 direct replies
I agree. Whole heartedly. Have you posted this on r/50501? The jdea has been suggested and I’m not sure why they are shying away from DC protests. I will ask. Anyway, your post needs more eyes. I’ll share it.
Comment by Weakera at 09/03/2025 at 04:09 UTC
2 upvotes, 2 direct replies
I totally agree and wonder why this isn't happening. I think of the massive anti-war demonstrations and civil rights demonstrations of the 60s and 70s--they made a huge difference.
Why the hell isn't this happening?????
Comment by knowurenemy25 at 10/03/2025 at 16:33 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I would love to believe that demonstrating peacefully is the answer, and it is, I believe. Only it will take the disciple of MLK AND Gandhi, civil disobedience, which will more than likely mean there will be blood death and extreme hardship for all of the working class. The protest against Veitnam did not end the war, had more people, those jail over war, and not just women and college kids protested if the parents of those college kids boycotted DOW products along with voted with those who opposed the war maybe the war could have been ended through protest. Vietnam was a loss and an utter loss due to underestimating the strength of the North Veiitnamesr and Veit Cong. The war had been lost by the French, and we were fighting a war against the will of the people of Veitnam siding with an authoritarian government that cared little for their people. In short the Civil Rights movement would be a better example only that movement was stopped short of the goal line stalled on a fragile cliff to equality, the proof is how easily the Trump/BlackRock/Musk Triumphant has pushed back black and woman's rights. The Herion Trade that the US Government supervised during the Veitnam Conflict was much more devastating to the black population, as was the Cocaine for weapons that CIA ioperations inSouth America to fight the "communist threat", that arguably dealt the crippling blow to an already weary and disadvantaged population. I want to believe that we will overcome this, but realistically, I see a country divided, undisciplined, uninformed, worse misinformed, and purposefully distracted populations. If the people riot or try and revolt, we would be suppressed or neutralized. I believe the only way to have any effect is to stop working, stop paying taxes, and stop buying as much as we can, bringing the economy to as much of an all stop as possible. It sounds frightening but we are heading for collapse now, unless a large workforce becomes available ( which history tells us that such a workforce does appear in these transitions of government in the form of civil criminals and enemies of the state). Our only real hope of slowing down this coup is much less stopping it. EVERBODY NEEDS TO WAKE UP FAST, realize our votes are not something the MAGA is worried about, WHY could that be? I am hopeful but not optimistic. Have you noticed that it seems that they are targeting generation Z? They don't see We The People as a viable threat. We are consumers and our children are super consumers...FUCK THEIR TVS, PHONES, LAPTOPS, FLIGHTS, GAS, BILLS, IF EVEN HALF OF THE MIDDLECLASS QUIT WORKING AND PAYING TAXES AND HALF THE POVERTY CLASS POCKETED OR USED ANY HANDOUTS TO PREPARE FOR A HOLDOUT BY BUYING RICE, FLOUR, CANNED GOODS THOSE USING ILLEGAL DRUGS STOP NOW FOR YOURSELF AND THE FUTURE OF THIS REPUBLIC. WE CAN HURT THEM. AND DIVIDE THEM. IF THOSE WHO BENIFIT FROM Trumps Tax Cuts millionaires, athletes, actors, and business owners stand for Democracy over their OWN SHORT SIGHTEF SELF INTEREST WE COULD STOP THEM. WHO WILL LEAD THIS MOVEMENT THEY WILL BE PUTTING THEIR LIFE AND FAMILIES LIVES IN PERIL FOR THE RESTORATION OF OUR GOVERNMENT AND HOPEFULLY CAUSE SYSTEMATIC CHANGE THAT WILL HELP US START MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. MAKE NO MISTAKE AMERICA HAS ALWAYS HAD THE POTENTIAL FOR GREATNESS AND WE HAVE AS A PEOPLE HAVE HAD MOMENTS WHERE US THE PEOPLE HAVE SHOWN BRAVERY, SACRIFICE, EMPATHY, SOLIDARITY, SUCCESS THAT DEFIED ALL ODDS, BUT THERE IS A REASON THESE TIMES ARE IMMORTILIZED IN FILMS AND HBO SERIES. ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO WERE NOT AFFORDED CIVIL RIGHTS, NOT EQUAL RIGHTS, BUT CIVIL RIGHTS LIFE FREE OF FEAR OF LYNCHINGS, BEATINGS, POVERTY, UNEVEN SYSTEMATIC IMPRISONMENT FOUGHT BESIDE US WHEN WE ALLOWED THEM FROM THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR, THE CIVIL WAR, WW I, WWII, KOREA, VEITNAM, IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN. EVEN THOUGH OUR GOVERNMENT AIDED BY WE THE PEOPLE TURNING A BLIND EYE TO THE SUFFERING OF FELLOW CITIZENS AND PATRIOTS. LARGELY BECAUSE IT CREATED AN EASY ROAD TO SUCCESS FOR WHITE MEN AND A GOLDEN AGE OF PROSPERITY FOR WHITE FAMILIES. AS CIVIL RIGHTS BECAME A REALITY AND EQUALITY BEGAN TO SEEM POSSIBLE, THE WEALTH GAP GREW TO LEVELS NOT SEEN IN OUR HISTORY. THE NARRATIVE OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AND DEI HIRES, LBGTQ, ANTISEMITIC, ASIAN DISCRIMINATION, ANTI ISLAMIC WE HAVE SO MANY CHOICES OF SCAPEGOATS THAT IS THE TRUELY UNIQUE ASPECT OF THIS MOMENT IN TIME. ONLY THE CHRISTIAN NATIONLIST AND NEO NAZIS SEEM TO STAND TOGETHER, I PITY THOSE IGNORANT ENBELIEVEJESUS HATES AND BILLIONAIRES LOVE THEM. I PRAY FOR THE LORD TO SHED LIGHT ON THEIR MINDS, THE SOULS OF THEIR CHILDREN. WE MUST NOT ALLOW THIS CHAOS DISTRACT US. PULITZER PRIZE AWARD RECIPETANT KENDRICK LAMAR, ON THE LARGEST PLATFORM AVAILABLE TO AN ARTIST DELIVERED A MESSAGE TO WE THE PEOPLE, THE FORE THOUGHT OF ABIDING BY ALL YOUTUBE'S AND NETWORK'S GUIDELINES SO THEY COULD NOT SILENCE HIM. THOSE WHO VALUE, MONEY, AND POWER OVER THE LIBERTY, JUSTCE, AND FREEDOM.
THAN YOU ARE NOT LIKE US, WE THE PEOPLE THAT COULD MAKE AMERICA GREAT SORRY I AM SURE I HAVE MADE GRAMMATICAL ERRORS DUE TO MIND MOVING FASTER THAN I CAN TYPE. PLEASE THE NEXT TIME YOU ARE ANGRY AT SOMEONE WHO DOES LOOK LIKE YOU OR BELIEVE IN THE SAME GOD AS YOU NOT LOOK AROÙND ASK YOURSELF AM I IN GOOD COMPANY.