Printer-Friendly Version
Anti-War Movement Casualty of In-Fighting
By Marc Morano
CNSNews.com Senior Staff Writer
March 15, 2006
Page 3 of 3
"[Setshedi] is a truly visionary activist and a dynamic speaker, and yet was given only three minutes to speak after a long procession of well-known U.S. speakers who were given five minutes each -- and often took longer than that," the letter claimed.
MGJ also accused UFPJ of being obsessed with press attention. "The grassroots has no role in determining the political vision of the coalition; the vision and message are driven by the needs of getting on CNN and the New York Times," the letter stated.
MGJ acknowledged that the anti-war movement might be hurt by the growing bitterness among its most prominent groups.
"We know that fracturing and factionalism weaken the movement -- and that is not what we seek -- but it is equally true that conformity, unwillingness to engage in real debate, and a refusal to air real differences when they exist can stifle and eventually kill a movement," MGJ stated.
UFPJ fired back at MGJ in a Feb. 10, 2006 open letter, claiming to have been "surprised" by the allegations regarding the September 2005 rally and blaming International ANSWER for the problem involving speaking time.
"When ANSWER ran significantly over their allotted times it had a negative impact on our speakers," UFPJ explained.
UFPJ also found itself the target of the D.C. Anti-War Network (DAWN). Earlier this month, DAWN passed a resolution declaring that it would never pay any money to UFPJ for anti-war activities. The group cited dissatisfaction with UFPJ's management style and suppression of local anti-war voices.
"The peace movement is falling apart," declared Raoul Deming, a member of the District of Columbia chapter of Free Republic, a conservative group that supports the Iraq War and frequently clashes with the anti-war activists.
"The major leaders of the anti-war movement are totalitarian, Stalinist or Marxist. They just mistreat the smaller groups that come to support them. They don't listen to them, they don't provide them funding. ANSWER and UFPJ, through their totalitarian management, have aliened a majority of the peace groups," Deming told Cybercast News Service.
>> Discuss this topic in The Forum
>> Back -- Page 1 2 3
Copyright © 1998-2005 CNSNews.com - Cybercast News Service
| 
