June 1, 2004

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  Weather Underground

  
  

  I checked this out at the video store because I was curious to see some footage from the 60′s and learn a bit more about this activist organization of that time.  Interestingly, though I lived in San Francisco then this was one aspect of what was going on that I didn’t hone in on.  I found it to be a mesmerizing film and extremely applicable to the events of today.  Between interviews with the principal players today and film from then, it becomes clear that these were white, middle/upper middle class, educated kids who were caught up in the intense emotional atmosphere of the Vietnam War, civil rights, drugs, the Black Panthers, and protest in general.  Feeling that peaceful demonstration would not make a dent in the advance of the hideous war in Vietnam, they decided to use violence to stop violence, something most of them later regretted.  In a string of bombings of various key buildings across America, they protested many aspects of the repressive government they despised.  They were very careful not to kill or injure humans, but eventually a few of them were killed when a bomb they were building exploded.  At around this time, they went “underground”, living for many years in isolation before they surfaced and turned themselves in.  For the most part, they escaped prosecution because the FBI had used illegal means to track them down.  Today, most of them are living purposeful lives quietly contributing to their communities.  Watch this and know it could happen again.

  
  
  

  Deep Thought:  Mom always told me I could be whatever I wanted to be when I grew up, “within reason.” When I asked her what she meant by “within reason,” she said, “You ask a lot of questions for a garbage man.”
  Today I am grateful for:  Anonymity

  • 10:11 am
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