Time for bed. Purportedly to comply with the Pride parade organizers, and although antiwar slogans abounded in the progressive crowd, the PPJPC pushed a single message: themselves!
Notice anyone paying attention?
The self-congratulatory crew strode along Tejon Avenue like the lost battalion emerged like Rip Van Winkle. You’d thought they’d been victorious, but it was enough for them that they’ve stuck with it. I think it’s sort of like the 100 birthday. You celebrate it, but it’s not necessarily any credit owed the celebrant except for keeping their live stress free.
Behind the scenes the undertone was very unbecoming, this was an old-timer backlash, the peace community old-guard wanting to represent for old-school. With the preponderance of public opinion against the war, these long-time peace advocates are saying something akin to “we were country, when country wasn’t cool.”
Much as they proclaim wanting to attract members who don’t wear dentures, the PPJPC has elected to stick to its less offensive passive ways. Now they’ve abandoned the signature green which had brought them to prominence, and they hold no banners advocating for anything. Their logo says they are “A Voice for Social Justice and Nonviolence.” And to avoid trouble, it’s feeble and unintelligible when it’s not gagged.
After the last bow, they go around the bend, the last leg, turning right!
No kidding. With their holier-than-thou, nobody else’s nonviolence is as pure as ours, they turn their backs on community bridge-building.
The problem with this undemocratic group of the elderly is simply that its message of ‘peace’ is pablum and religiosity and not much else. It is not enough to only talk of ‘peace’ in the abstract and then not mobilize concretely to help stop aggression by government authorities where it is occurring.
The Peanut Butter & Jelly Commission can go back to walking prayer mazes and hosting potlucks, since that’s all they are really good for. It’s just a circle jerk for do-nothings to pat each other on the back and pretend they are actually doing something meaningful.