University of Houston Anti-War Protest Didn't Go As Planned (My Title)

University of Houston Daily Cougar ^ | 21 March 2003 | Matt Dulin

[PetroniDE]

Tension between "pro-U.S." and anti-war groups at "teach-in"

Veritable battle lines were drawn in front of the M.D. Anderson Memorial Library on Thursday as emotional debates on the war issue ensued at a "teach-in" organized by UH faculty and staff.

Flash points of heated arguments popped, but eventually fizzled without great incident, when student demonstrators calling themselves not necessarily pro-war, but "pro-U.S.A.," congregated outside the anti-war gathering of professors, UH staff and students, who started organizing at 10 a.m. Thursday.

Sarah Brantly, a public relations senior, said she walked by the large rally, listened to what they were saying and wanted to voice her own opinion.

"I went down to the U.C. and bought a posterboard," Brantly said. "I borrowed a marker and made a sign."

Her sign read, "I support our country."

Eventually, Cara Anderson, a media production junior who made her own sign in support of the troops, joined her. The pair grew to a handful of like-minded individuals who started hollering.

When they were noticed by members of the rally, a large convoy of demonstrators, led by Cheyenne Bsaies, a creative writing junior, split from the main group, confronted the "pro-U.S.A." group and offered the microphone.

Eddie Barrera, a political science senior, took the microphone and spoke briefly, saying that the troops now in Iraq needed their support.

Bob Buzzanco, a UH history professor and one of the architects of the rally, intervened shortly afterward. Buzzanco took the microphone and said, "They can share their views, fine, but they have their ABC, NBC and CNN, they can do it there," alluding to criticism of the media for not covering the anti-war perspective.

From that point on, the rally continued, but the crowd had split into two distinct groups -- one dedicated to the "teach-in," the other participating in debates.

An estimated crowd of 300 students were in attendance, though the number ebbed and flowed throughout the day, eventually waning when the rally broke up in the early afternoon.

The "teach-in" was largely intended to promote the anti-war point of view through informative lectures, literature readings and personal stories. Several speakers noted the lack of "true" facts about the Iraq crisis being presented to the public.

Rick Brennan, who graduated from UH in 1999 and now teaches in HISD, addressed the culpability of the mass media in the current standoff with Iraq.

"The peace movement is a global movement, yet it is largely unreported in the mass media," Brennan said, citing commonly accepted facts such as the concept of no-fly zones and Iraqís rejecting inspectors in 1998 as "falsifications used to justify aggression."

Brennan called the gathering before him a "rebirth of democracy."

Brennan blamed these grave errors on a "corporate-driven" mass media. He urged the audience to do their own research and "discover the truth about this war."

Buzzanco read selections of Allen Ginsberg, an author and poet of the 1950s, known dissident during the McCarthy era and activist against nuclear weapons.

Onlookers stayed distant from the large crowds and many of them were skeptical of the rallyís intent.

"It's too late. They're wasting their time; this protest doesnít really matter," Cody Johnson, a freshman business major, said.

"It just seems too political. It's more so anti-Bush than it is anti-war," Johnson said.

Johnson said he saw some anti-war demonstrators get very angry and "kinda violent" when they were approached by supporters of the war.

Brantly later said that two "pro-U.S.A." students in uniform were spit on by angry demonstrators.

"They were just angry at them, spitting, cussing, all of that," Brantly said.

One member of the "teach-in" audience received a citation for mooning several "pro-U.S.A." demonstrators, but no other major incidents were reported.

[Endeavor]

Wouldn't work in Chicago - only the criminals are allowed to have guns.

[Pagey]

"...The peace movement is a global movement..."

I don't buy that at all. If he really believes that, then I can say, 'So is The International Trafficking of Women and Children'.Some people are for it ( The Traffickers)and most people aren't."The Peace Movement" does not exist except as an inane comfortable phrase to be used in public moments such as these.LOL

[justshutupandtakeit]

This morning about three dozen of these dopes tried to block access to the federal building in the Loop. Cops had their asses in the squadrol quicker than you can say Jack Robinson.

At lunch I went over to have a little fun. There were some construction workers with Pro America signs and a handful of lefties. Talking to the lefties was sooo enlightening. I found out that Saddam was put in power by the US, was educated in the US and was a CIA agent. Naturally, all this info has me rethinking my position.

It was funny I would smack one guy around a while then he would say I am not talking to you any more but five minutes later he would be back for more. They were just young dummies with heads full of mush. My boys of that age are coming down to the ProAmerican rally tomorrow.

[anymouse]

Another Texas-sized ping please.

[Endeavor]

You do have to wonder why these people don't take the time to think through their opinions yet take the time to go out and make fools of themselves.

[Bacon Man]

"The peace movement is a global movement, yet it is largely unreported in the mass media," Brennan said

I wonder how much acid Mr Brennan had to drop to get that impression from the media?

[MeekOneGOP]

Apologies for any double pings here . . .

Please let me know if you want ON or OFF my Texas ping list!. . .don't be shy.
No, you don't HAVE to be a Texan to get on this list!

[getgoing]

I saw this on Dallas TV news. Picture is set up correctly.
Left led w/ "Bring our troops home"
Young man on RIGHT inserted "WHEN THE JOB IS DONE!"

[getgoing]

PS The link has the pic.

[SpookBrat]

That is hilarious. Can I keep it?

[SpookBrat]

You know what I don't get about protestors? Don't these people have jobs? Don't they have a class to attend or something. Geeze. These people have no lives. They are LOSERS!!

[Humidston]

Great report, Petro!

Amazing - these Marxists just hate a REAL President who leads from a deep sense of integrity and justice. Where I come from, we call that a STATESMAN.

[MeekOneGOP]

Young man on RIGHT inserted "WHEN THE JOB IS DONE!"

Now THERE's a sensible young man ! . . .

[MeekOneGOP]

Don't they have a class to attend or something. Geeze. These people have no lives. They are LOSERS!!

[MeekOneGOP]

I take it you saw some of that SHOCK & AWE today ? Wow!, huh ??? . . .

[Hobsonphile]

Leftism on Campus ping!

If you would like to be added to the Leftism on Campus ping list, please
notify me via FReep-mail.

Regards...

[Zebra]

In-freakin'-credible. A guy with this warped a view of reality is actually on the faculty of a major university, purportedly teaching students about the past.

I have really bad news for you about who is on the faculty at "major" universities in the United States, and some of them make this dipsh*t look balanced.

[BUSHdude2000]

Thanks for posting. I've told most of you Houston folks about this Buzzwhacko before. He is a member of the Progressive Faculty Association, ie, the communist supoorters in America who happen to teach young minds. He has written 2 or 3 anti-America books for his classes that he teaches on the Vietnam War. If someone can find his website on the UH website, it might be worth taking a gander. He's also part of the NION Houston group.

[Allegra]

That is hilarious. Can I keep it?

Of course! When I took that picture in 1998, Dulcie never realized she'd become a FReeper mascot kitty. :)

[VOA]

I have really bad news for you about who is on the faculty at "major" universities
in the United States

You are absolutely correct...I was just going into my usual histrionics about a bogus
history professor.

I am in/around the academic community and have further bad news.
Political correct influence on even the physical science departments is setting
in as well.
I pray it doesn't happen, but I won't be shocked if we see another Lysenko/Vavilov
affair here some day.

For lurkers, Lysenko was an inept plant scientist but was "politically correct" for
the Stalinist times; Vavilov ended up dying in a prison camp for being right and
courageous about his findings...and plant genetics in the USSR failed...crops failed for years...
and millions starved in "the workers paradise" because of this hideous example of
"Communist Progressivism".