These editorials were submitted online via duclarion.com. They refer to ‘”Spirit of Woodstock West” lives on,’ by Zach Blom, published in the Sept. 25 edition of the Clarion.
Dear Clarion,
Your story is tired, old, flat and largely untrue. The administration did not take us to Iraq unilaterally, Congress voted to authorize and fund the liberation of Iraq as well as the removal of a dictator who violated the cease fire agreement he signed 17 times.
Having said that, in hindsite (sic) we probably could have done it a lot better than we did.
The problem I have with whiners like you on the left is you have NOTHING to offer about what to do next. It is oh so easy to scream GET OUT but that could create a bigger problem than we have now.
Did you listen to the Iranian President at Columbia (last week)? Is this a guy you could trust to not walk in and take over Iraq when we leave? Did you believe his answers, such as they were, about if he believes Israel has a rite (sic) to exist?
Your opinion lacks any meaningful context, Woodstck West? Seperate yourself from the rest of the far left pundits and do your homework before you start writing. Our all volunteer military is a far cry from the Vietnam draft.
You are safe and comfortable and I suspect you will remain so at DU.
Tom White
DU Class of 1976
Dear Clarion,
I think Zach has raised an interesting topic, and certainly is correct to point out that students in the late sixties and into the early seventies were energized by national events. Woodstock West was a site and sight to behold. DU students made headlines around the country that assisted in the nation’s arduous journey out of Vietnam. I believe our action was significant and honorable.
Some details: There was no organized “start” to Woodstock West…it just happened, largely in response to the shooting deaths of students at Kent State University in Ohio. We gathered in protest, and well, no one wanted to leave until something came of our protest.
A few tents went up, then some trips to the hardware store produced lumber, plastic sheeting and other construction supplies. The ground was never damaged beyond foot traffic.
The editorial board of the Clarion, on which I served (the editor was Chip Berlet), came out with a one line editorial: “On Strike, Shut it Down.”
We protested in earnest during the day. We had remarkably wonderful evenings and a satisfying camaraderie developed that most of us had never enjoyed with each other. Students from every discipline, political bent and point of view participated. DU faculty visited the grounds and discussed issues with students in earnest. Neither learning nor protest was interrupted, except by some memorable recreation and fun.
Woodstock West was infiltrated by FBI agents. The Patriot Act was alive and well, even then. When the final push to rid the campus of Woodstock West’s presence was made, the director of security got on a bullhorn and asked all of the students to come as close to the steps of the student bookstore as possible, then ringed them with National Guardsmen armed with fixed bayonets and announced, simply, that everyone had to leave the area or be captured within three minutes.
A fairly low point for DU Security. The particularly ugly library that sprung up on that ground should never provide an excuse for the student body to acquiesce its role in the intellectual community, the city, the region or the nation. Just find another spot and call IT Woodstock West.
Tom White begs the question. He chides current students to shut up and do nothing–be comfortable while you’re at DU. I’m somehow convinced that’s what he did. He wasn’t there at Woodstock West.
I wince at the reasoning that leads him to the conclusion that the absence of a draft, the presence of an honorable, courageous volunteer force of young Americans in military service somehow excuses anyone from rising to action in defense of their welfare. Their unjust impressment into this war of choice starkly contrasts with the military service record of our commander-in-chief. He sends them to war with a drop of his handkerchief; no plan, no armor, no diplomacy nor seemingly any way out of the mess is offered. That situation persists five years later.
Even if, as a group, DU students simply gather to debate what is happening to the country that you’re going to inherit, the spirit of Woodstock West will be with you. If you want to make a more lasting statement, we learned in 1970 that along with all of those construction supplies, don’t forget the heavy duty staple gun!
Philip Clancy
DU Class of 1971
