Hat tip to Dusty for getting this information out.
The SDS is waking up after a 40 year nap. Pat Korte, a sophmore at The New School in Greenwich Village, is a co-founder of the newly revived group. He feels that the new incarnation of SDS benefits from hindsight: the original SDS was highly factionalized and eventually fell apart because of that factionalization.
And while the new incarnation of SDS has not come up with anything as compelling as The Port Huron Statement of 1962, Mr. Korte does recognize that while revolutionary change is essential, "blowing up buildings is not going to get us anywhere. Nor is joining the Democratic Party.”
We lack a sense of urgency today which we had in the '60s. Perhaps this rebirth of student activism is lighting that essential sense of urgency. I hope so. We need social change. The original Port Huron Statement said "A new left must start controversy across the land, if national policies and national apathy are to be reversed." I do not advocate blowing up buildings, but I do advocate blowing up old ideas. Like Dusty, I was a member of SDS in the 60s. Perhaps it is time to rejoin.
5 comments:
In 1967 when I was 15 years old, my cousin took me to an SDS meeting in NYC. It was a fiery time. The UpAgainstTheWallMF'ers were fighting with the People's Party. Lots of talk and voting about which direction they should go. I was too young to really participate, but I signed on as a member of SDS, mostly as a statement of solidarity. I am glad to see that there is a resurgence. Yes, while we don't need to blow up buildings, we do need to blow up the old stagnant ideas that have held the country for the past 40 years. The owners must always be reminded on whose sweat and toil they build their money empires.
Great title Diva!
Ah...the good old days! Memories...
Diva, I applaud their efforts & realize each generation has to find its own way.
I disagree with the linked article that one reason the original SDS failed was "the perceived homogeneity of its leaders". That's not the way I remember it. It failed as people began to disagree over methods to acheive goals, specifically the level of violence that would be acceptable. Now, the Weathermen, whooo-boy, well, I gotta give them this: they didn't mind militia activities as long as they were the militia.
Robin, I was at Ithaca College. One of the Berrigan brothers was Chaplin over at Cornell, and I would attend meetings over there. Talk about fire! Dan and Phil Berrigan were intense.
Dusty, thanks. I couldn't help it.
Sumo, haul out your beads and fringe, we're starting it up again.
DK, I'm with you - I recall it was a clash of egos over the level of "acceptable" violence. To my thinking, violence is NEVER acceptable, but perhaps I'm old-fashioned that way.
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