"Across The Universe", Vietnam and Today.

[MarianJack]

ChicaAzul and I rented "Across the Universe" and watched it last night. As a movie we, and especially I, Loved it. It was a good story with a very appealing cast (especially Evan Rachel Wood) and made wonderful use of the Beatles' music. For me, it brought the late 60s back and made me feel the spirit of that time again. I was in my preteen and early teen years at the time, a young newcomer to the anti-war movement and briefly a volunteer in Bobby Kennedy's presidential campaign.

The movie showed several contrasts between then and now, but for me, the 2 most important were how an honest media put the war into our living rooms and how young people made a difference by being willing to
take to the streets and question authority.

I'll focus on the second. My father (bastard that he was) served his country honorably in 2 wars, WWII and Korea. He was vehemently opposed to the Vietnam war from the word go. He believed it was a civil war and that he had served in 2 wars so his sons & daughters wouldn't have to serve in 1. My mother initially favored the war and was among those who questioned the patriotism of the anti-war activists. The funny thing is though, when I was 16 her support for the war started to wane. By the time I was 17 she was demanding that we get out NOW! When I was almost 18, she and my very conservative republican uncle were saying that they would drive my cousin and I to Canada (I refused to go. I would have fought it right here. My draft lottery number was also 262).

Our parents, many of whom supported the war and were in nixon's "silent
majority", had raised us to stand up for what we believed in and to question authority when it needed questioning.

It only accented the fear-mongering that is being crammed down the throats of today's kids, along with the glorification of stupidity on TV at every turn. It also accented the neutering of the media in not giving a forum to any dissenting voice in the run up to this war.

In many ways, "Across the Universe" was another reminder to me that we are a nation that was founded by revolution and has had many revolutions since. The anti-war movement of the Vietnam era was a revolution fueled by young people. In spite of the sneering attitude of the mcsame campaign's ads, it was a revolution that took the courage to face nightsticks, tear gas and bayonets with flowers. I was a revolution that was done by people who believed that they COULD!

I am sad that for many years, the powers that be have been focusing on making us forget that, in place of vital concerns over weather brittney will get to visit her kids or "who got voted off of american idol?".

In many ways, the desire for the return of the spirit of the Vietnam anti-war era, the spirit of Americans being able to DO was one of the factors that contributed to my switch from Hillary to Obama earlier this year. It was my desire to have a leader who tells our youth "Yes We Can!" and my belief that we have to listen to the young people.

I believe that the change we hope to achieve this year in, in many ways, a re-capturing of the spirit I remember from my younger years and a turning away from the cynicism of the ruling cadre that has hijacked our country for these last 8 years.

Thats my 2 cents. Feedback is, as always, welcomed.

PEACE!