I attended my first Lubbock DFA (Democracy for America) meeting last night (on my birthday). My gf is not much for politics, but she respects my passion and she willingly tagged along. She had a great time, but not half as much as I did! It's just amazing knowing there are others in Lubbock, TX with a like mindset.
It was a damn near spiritual moment for me, whose only outlet has been A> Blogs. or B> Getting in fights with my less-informed friends, (including a 4 way shouting match on my porch last week-I managed to win over their dumb asses by creating an allegory of the Kuwait/Desert Storm/Iraq invasion by equating Bush sr as a druglord and Saddam as a street dope dealer... Yes, I know, I know- My old motto comes in here: Changing the world, one asshole at a time)
At the LDFA meeting, there was a screening of Sir!No sir! - a movie that just blew away about half my conceptions about the Vietnam War. Just a piece of historical drama that should be REQUIRED viewing for any and every anti-war activist out there, (AND EVERY SOLDIER). I am going to implement some way to get this movie out more to the local population, I don't know how yet- (SUGGESTIONS?) But - this movie MUST BE SEEN! Today is payday (yeehaw) so I am going to go buy a copy at the local Hastings if I can. If I can't, I'll rent it and "lose" it and pay for it. I want to sit down with the Vietnam vets in my family and watch it again and get some more insight on their feelings on this great documentary.
As good as the movie was, my heart was pounding as everyone pulled their chairs together in a wide circle and began discussing the movie, the vietnam war, and eventually of course, the war in Iraq. I didn't realize just how bad I NEEDED this- a real discussion and some real intelligent conversation right here, in Lubbock, TX, concerning (gasp) politics.
I tried not to put my foot in my mouth too much, and as this was my first attendance, I tried to bite my tongue a bit and go slow- but I just couldn't help myself at times. I didn't want to make a fool of myself with the first sane group of people I have met in Lubbock. My gf assures me I was fine. There was right at an hour of discussion after viewing Sir,No Sir! and it got cut short because of the time, but man, did it reinvigorate my sense of purpose!
I was one of a minority of younger folks- and that's a shame, but not very unexpected. But I went away with a renewed sense of getting my peers off their asses and into the fray.
I have let one thing or another come in the way of my attending the past few meetings, but I won't again. It also gave me a taste of getting things done on a local level, instead of working with media contacts, blogging, country-wide networking... Inside, I always believed my fellow lubbockites were almost a lost cause, except for those I could directly affect personally through friends and family. Last night gave me new hope for making greater things happen through the community.
So, I enjoyed a breath of fresh air being pumped into my lungs last night. I appreciate the energy and spirit that Kenny Ketner has put into last nights' meeting and all of his efforts to get Lubbockites mobilized.
If you get the chance to view this movie, Please do. Watching it, I believe you will come to the conclusion that I have- this movie needs to be passed along and shared to debunk the myths that have been passed down about the Vietnam war. Especially to the young who have been told that horseshit story about hippies spitting on vets coming back from the 'Nam for the past 30 years. IT NEVER HAPPENED.
Give it a watch.
Sir!No Sir! HomepageSNS Affiliates
Buy a copy for a soldier
8 comments:
"I was one of a minority of younger folks- and that's a shame, but not very unexpected. But I went away with a renewed sense of getting my peers off their asses and into the fray."
No shit.....Sad.....
I think I just had a similar experience to yours, but mine happened in my kitchen. This morning I turned on the tv, tuned in c-span and Al Gore was about to speak. It was a tape of a speech he gave this past Tuesday at Geo Washington Univ. He spoke so clearly and outlined our problems so perfectly. He had solutions too. He was walking back and forth across the stage and did not refer to a single pre-written note. It was outstanding and when he finished, I clapped for him. Just me, all alone in my kitchen clapping and smiling. I haven't done that in a long long time.
As to the spitting on the soldiers, I heard an author once, not long ago, saying he had researched the hell out of that and like you said, it didn't happen.
Thank you for the heads up on the film. I'll try and find it too.
You can order the film from this site
here
uh..Pop- Meesa poor. Meesa work on cash only basis. Meesa hope for future with plastic currency for internet purchases...
first off -- FELIZ CUMPLEANOS!!!!
hear me singing?
second - i'am SO going to watch that film!!!! you have my curiosity fully piqued.
thanks for the head's up!
cumple-wha? (break out google)
Oh.
Thanks!
Much easier to use when you spell it out for me. It took me about an hour to google Choopa Me Veddigar before I realized that it didn't mean "Have a nice day"
Fade! I'm so glad you made it out to the screening last week!
Great post about your experience, too. I am doing all that I can think of to get folks to come to our monthly movie screenings, and I hope that the local readers of your blog will join us too.
You're right about the atmosphere for activism in Lubbock -- it took me almost a year to find the Democrats in Lubbock after I finished college and came home (summer 2003). It's even harder to find people our age ("younger" people) who are organized in any meaningful way. But we're working on that!
As a reminder, Lubbock DFA has its regular meeting on every first Thursday at 7PM at Lubbock County Democratic Party Headquarters. This Thursday, we're combining our meeting with the town hall meeting that the state Party is putting on at the Science Spectrum at 6pm.
DFA's monthly "Red to Blue" movie night is the last Wednesday of each month. Our next one is "The Suicide Killers" at Groves Library on Wednesday, June 27 at 7PM. And we won't have to leave by 9:00 like we did this time, since the meeting room is separated from the main library. :)
Happy (late) Birthday!
--Kenny
Gonna find it and watch it, pronto!!
This war will end when the soldiers decide to end it.
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