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An Open Letter to Medea Benjamin and the National Code Pink Leadership from a South Florida Activist
“On November 3, 1979, in Greensboro North Carolina, members of the Ku Klux Klan, joined by several members of the American Nazi party in what the media later called the United Racist Front, gunned down a group of unarmed anti-Klan demonstrators in what the survivors have memorialized as the “Greensboro Massacre.” Five demonstrators--four of whom were white and one black--died in the incident, while nine others were injured..... It’s designation as a massacre--as in “massacre of innocents”--has an air of plausibility to one unfamiliar with the facts. In reality, the demonstration was also a provocation by self-styled “revolutionaries” who had intruded themselves into a region and situation, which they clearly misjudged, and who had declared a war for which they were unprepared.” Kay, Barbara. Book review of Sally Avery Bermanzohn's Through Survivor's Eyes. FrontPageMagazine.com. November 17, 2004. (http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles...ble.aspx?GUID={42BAD315-8A30-431D-86E8-520DB88D1013})
Dear Medea,
On Jan, 12, 2008, members from national Code Pink: Women for Peace, flew to Miami to launch a new campaign, Terrorist Watch, aimed at showing the hypocrisy of the U.S. government, which claims it is fighting a world-wide War on Terror while coddling ex-pat Cuban terrorists in Miami (http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/01/14/cuba/), specifically targeting Luis Posada Carriles, a convicted (and pardoned) terrorist and self-admitted murder facing a verdict in Venezuela for his alleged role in the 1976 bombing of a Cubana airliner. Those of us in South Florida and elsewhere have long lived under the shadow of violence and terrorism from groups like Alpha 66 and Omega 7, so this is a welcome campaign. The list of acts of violence is long, as the article, “The Burden of a Violent History,” (Jim Mullin, Miami New Times, April 20, 2000, http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2000-04-20/news/mullin/) documents.
It was lovely meeting you at the anti-police brutality rally at the Freedom Torch later that day. I was the taller, heavy white guy who laughed when you asked if I’d accompanied you to Versailles and replied that I wasn’t stupid enough to do something like that twice.
Last Jan., three comrades of the Bolivarian Youth, a local socialist youth organization, and I, a member of the Socialist Party of Florida (and Solidarity, though not at the time), attempted a counter-demonstration of a pro-Posada rally at the Bay of Pigs Memorial in the heart of Little Havana. To say that we acted recklessly and stupidly is an understatement. It was adventurism, pure and simple. That we escaped unharmed is nothing short of a miracle, as you can see from the raw video shot by a local TV station (http://cbs4.com/video/?id=28621@wfor.dayport.com). We weren’t there for more than two minutes before we were assaulted, having chanted only two slogans, “Terrorists to Jail!” and “Posada to Jail!”
I write this not to brag about how awesome I am, but because I personally engaged in reckless and stupid behavior when I knew better. My comrades in the Bolivarian Youth were woefully naïve and scoffed at my warnings and precautions. I failed in my duty to prevent younger comrades from doing something which could have resulted in serious harm or even death. I am warning you now, your adventurism could result in you or others being seriously injured, possibly even killed.
The American Heritage Dictionary defines adventurism as: “involvement in risky enterprises without regard to proper procedures and possible consequences….” In left wing politics, adventurism is the fraternal twin of “vanguardism.” It is an attempt by a tiny sect or group to substitute itself for an actual movement. While I appreciate the sense of silliness and play that the sisters of Code Pink in South Florida bring to a demonstration, and the actions of Code Pink elsewhere help keep the antiwar movement in the face of our rulers, those actions do not endanger life, limb, work, or home. When you lead people, you have a responsibility to them not to recklessly and needlessly endanger them. If your action in Little Havana on Jan. 12, was your idea, shame on you. If you were misled by local activists, shame on them. They should be outted; however, the South Florida for Peace and Justice Network unanimously voted on January 6 to strongly recommend you change your venue and audience. That vote included representatives from local Code Pink.
When I was a young boy, living in Lincoln, NE, a group of about ten children had gathered at the home of another boy, and he decided that it would be fun to throw rocks at a bee hive. The thing about bees is they don’t just go after the person throwing rocks. They go after anyone within their reach. Though all I had done was just to stand there, I was stung three times. The thing about ex-pat Cuban terrorists is they don’t just go after those who mess with them.
While you fly in to Miami, take in some of our sun and surf, and throw rocks at local beehives, you aren’t going to be the only ones to suffer. Those whom you sucker into following you to the nest may also be hurt. After you fly away home, we’ll still be here with a buzzing, angry hive. The man who was the key witness against Luis Posada Carriles’ immigration trial found a pipe bomb next to his car in Dec. 2006. While logic would dictate going after those who stirred up the nest, more likely it will be local Code Pink which is targeted for revenge, or perhaps the Raging Grannies, or any of the other tiny groups struggling to keep an antiwar movement alive.
I’m not saying don’t come back on Feb. 9. Please, by all means come back to South Florida. All I ask is that you chose your venues and actions more carefully. The only place in South Florida with significant commuter traffic to make your campaign viable is South Beach. You won’t get the media attention for being attacked by the gusanos, but you’ll be helping to build a movement instead of just being provocateurs. We need allies, not a left-wing version of George Bush.
Your comrade,
chegitz guevara
SUN! SURF! SOCIALISM!
==================
An Open Letter to Medea Benjamin and the National Code Pink Leadership from a South Florida Activist
“On November 3, 1979, in Greensboro North Carolina, members of the Ku Klux Klan, joined by several members of the American Nazi party in what the media later called the United Racist Front, gunned down a group of unarmed anti-Klan demonstrators in what the survivors have memorialized as the “Greensboro Massacre.” Five demonstrators--four of whom were white and one black--died in the incident, while nine others were injured..... It’s designation as a massacre--as in “massacre of innocents”--has an air of plausibility to one unfamiliar with the facts. In reality, the demonstration was also a provocation by self-styled “revolutionaries” who had intruded themselves into a region and situation, which they clearly misjudged, and who had declared a war for which they were unprepared.” Kay, Barbara. Book review of Sally Avery Bermanzohn's Through Survivor's Eyes. FrontPageMagazine.com. November 17, 2004. (http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles...ble.aspx?GUID={42BAD315-8A30-431D-86E8-520DB88D1013})
Dear Medea,
On Jan, 12, 2008, members from national Code Pink: Women for Peace, flew to Miami to launch a new campaign, Terrorist Watch, aimed at showing the hypocrisy of the U.S. government, which claims it is fighting a world-wide War on Terror while coddling ex-pat Cuban terrorists in Miami (http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/01/14/cuba/), specifically targeting Luis Posada Carriles, a convicted (and pardoned) terrorist and self-admitted murder facing a verdict in Venezuela for his alleged role in the 1976 bombing of a Cubana airliner. Those of us in South Florida and elsewhere have long lived under the shadow of violence and terrorism from groups like Alpha 66 and Omega 7, so this is a welcome campaign. The list of acts of violence is long, as the article, “The Burden of a Violent History,” (Jim Mullin, Miami New Times, April 20, 2000, http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2000-04-20/news/mullin/) documents.
It was lovely meeting you at the anti-police brutality rally at the Freedom Torch later that day. I was the taller, heavy white guy who laughed when you asked if I’d accompanied you to Versailles and replied that I wasn’t stupid enough to do something like that twice.
Last Jan., three comrades of the Bolivarian Youth, a local socialist youth organization, and I, a member of the Socialist Party of Florida (and Solidarity, though not at the time), attempted a counter-demonstration of a pro-Posada rally at the Bay of Pigs Memorial in the heart of Little Havana. To say that we acted recklessly and stupidly is an understatement. It was adventurism, pure and simple. That we escaped unharmed is nothing short of a miracle, as you can see from the raw video shot by a local TV station (http://cbs4.com/video/?id=28621@wfor.dayport.com). We weren’t there for more than two minutes before we were assaulted, having chanted only two slogans, “Terrorists to Jail!” and “Posada to Jail!”
I write this not to brag about how awesome I am, but because I personally engaged in reckless and stupid behavior when I knew better. My comrades in the Bolivarian Youth were woefully naïve and scoffed at my warnings and precautions. I failed in my duty to prevent younger comrades from doing something which could have resulted in serious harm or even death. I am warning you now, your adventurism could result in you or others being seriously injured, possibly even killed.
The American Heritage Dictionary defines adventurism as: “involvement in risky enterprises without regard to proper procedures and possible consequences….” In left wing politics, adventurism is the fraternal twin of “vanguardism.” It is an attempt by a tiny sect or group to substitute itself for an actual movement. While I appreciate the sense of silliness and play that the sisters of Code Pink in South Florida bring to a demonstration, and the actions of Code Pink elsewhere help keep the antiwar movement in the face of our rulers, those actions do not endanger life, limb, work, or home. When you lead people, you have a responsibility to them not to recklessly and needlessly endanger them. If your action in Little Havana on Jan. 12, was your idea, shame on you. If you were misled by local activists, shame on them. They should be outted; however, the South Florida for Peace and Justice Network unanimously voted on January 6 to strongly recommend you change your venue and audience. That vote included representatives from local Code Pink.
When I was a young boy, living in Lincoln, NE, a group of about ten children had gathered at the home of another boy, and he decided that it would be fun to throw rocks at a bee hive. The thing about bees is they don’t just go after the person throwing rocks. They go after anyone within their reach. Though all I had done was just to stand there, I was stung three times. The thing about ex-pat Cuban terrorists is they don’t just go after those who mess with them.
While you fly in to Miami, take in some of our sun and surf, and throw rocks at local beehives, you aren’t going to be the only ones to suffer. Those whom you sucker into following you to the nest may also be hurt. After you fly away home, we’ll still be here with a buzzing, angry hive. The man who was the key witness against Luis Posada Carriles’ immigration trial found a pipe bomb next to his car in Dec. 2006. While logic would dictate going after those who stirred up the nest, more likely it will be local Code Pink which is targeted for revenge, or perhaps the Raging Grannies, or any of the other tiny groups struggling to keep an antiwar movement alive.
I’m not saying don’t come back on Feb. 9. Please, by all means come back to South Florida. All I ask is that you chose your venues and actions more carefully. The only place in South Florida with significant commuter traffic to make your campaign viable is South Beach. You won’t get the media attention for being attacked by the gusanos, but you’ll be helping to build a movement instead of just being provocateurs. We need allies, not a left-wing version of George Bush.
Your comrade,
chegitz guevara
SUN! SURF! SOCIALISM!
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