Dolores Park, San Francisco, Peace Vigil

It's a very pretty picture, and participation in the vigil may have made some of the participants feel good, but how do such events contribute to stopping the AmeriKKKan capitalist war machine?

It's time for people who want to stop imperialist slaughter to take direct action against the capitalists and government and private agencies that are most implicated in that slaughter. Moreover, while non-violent forms of direct action can be effective -- especially when they are designed to create maximum disruption -- It would be obscene to tell anyone trying to stop mass murder that they must avoid harming the murderers or their accomplices.

Yes, it was a feel-good event, so what? It's important that before we go into full-on direct action mode, we pause to reflect, to grieve, and to mourn. It's not an either-or thing.

Sir:

It is a major distraction and extremely divisive to attack your allies in the peace movement. Millions around the world are using EVERY tactic in the book to bear witness for peace. From civil disobedience to contacting government representatives. From wearing a peace sign to calling the corporate media for more balance.

ANYTHING we do is better than not doing it.

The candlelight vigil I attended in San Francisco was a great witness. Why? Because thousands of motorists returning from their workaday existence drove across the Pandhandle on Masonic Street to find an unusual (and beautiful) spectacle: both sides of the street illuminated by candles, held by about 200 people. Well over half the drivers waved and returned our peace signs.

Perhaps it was the first time these folks came face-to-face with a protest. Perhaps they were touched enough to finally speak up, or commit join an action. WE CAN'T PREDICT THE POSITIVE EFFECTS OUR ACTIONS WILL HAVE ON OTHERS. Period.

Also, there were many families with young children as well as people well into their eighties who participated. You will not likely find them locking down in front of an aggressive wall of blue.

When you consider that their were dozens of these demos happening in the city, and thousands worldwide, you can imagine how many people were touched for the first time.

Everyone has their own level of commitment, and political engagement is a gradual process. So please be more tolerant of your allies. Change won't happen without solidarity.

Ratz wrote:

Millions around the world are using EVERY tactic in the book to bear witness for peace. From civil disobedience to contacting government representatives. From wearing a peace sign to calling the corporate media for more balance.

The Iraqis and the hundreds of millions of other present and future victims of imperialism might appreciate it if these millions would use "EVERY tactic in the book" not to make themselves feel good by "bear[ing] witness for peace", but to actually defeat imperialism! Then they would find that the range of tactics is a lot larger than that described by Ratz .

Mass disruption like that which occurred here on March 20 is a good thing, but insufficient. Workers' strikes would have made a difference, but they probably won't happen in the near future, nor will riots that cause massive destruction of capitalist property.

Because I am not truly anonymous here, and because I'm not omniscient, I will not be specific about all the other tactics that will have to be used if imperialism is to be defeated. Suffice it to say that one can get a few good ideas by studying the tactics used by resistance fighters (the Nazis called them "terrorists") in Europe during World War II.