Spring Break in Solidarity - A New Generation Protests the War in Iraq

by Zach Lindsey, 3-15-2008

The typical ideal of American spring break: nudity, Mexican beaches and enough cheap beers and margaritas to induce minor liver failure.That sounds great. But there's another spring break tradition. It's protest and observance. "There is a vibrant anti-war movement", said Laura Heath, Easton resident and Wesleyan student. She's in Washington, DC for her spring break. "Our driving force is to show we do care. We're not just involved in pop culture; we are going to stand up for what we believe in."  Heath is helping out with OurSpringBreak.org. an organized group of colleges hosting a series of events and demonstrations in Washington. The events include films, training in non-violent civil resistance, and a major demonstration on the date of March 19th, anniversary of five years in Iraq.

There will also be a Winter Soldier event. This is a reminder of the Winter Soldier investigation in the '70s, where Vietnam vets publicized alleged atrocities and war crimes committed by the United States during the Vietnam War. This time, it will be veterans of Iraq.OurSpringBreak.org represents a variety of student action groups from around the country. It has no official leaders, although its most vocal members seem to be the Wesleyan crew. But take the example of Ashley Casale, who, with Michael Israel, organized a cross-country March for Peace. The way they organized it was by doing it. Whoever wanted to join, did.  Wesleyan has a three-week-long spring break, and many of the students attending are devoted to spending all three weeks sleeping on cots and church floors in the Capital City.

Dispel the notion of a lazy and apathetic youth once and for all.Some people have commented on blogs that these kids don't really care. Sunshine protesters - in a week they'll be back in college and they will have forgotten what they were protesting.The kids say no, no, no. This protest (every protest) isn't about stopping the war. "We'd like to say our goal is the immediate withdrawal of American troops", Heath said. "But the main goal is for congressmen to hear the Winter Soldiers testimonies."  

Hotel rooms and boarding houses are being booked to capacity. But more places open their doors, and there's always more places to stay. Part of what makes this so powerful is the sympathy of religious organizations. The religious left. Lacking the classic alliteration, but more powerful than it gets credit for. They are opening their doors like a yawn to anyone who's coming to DC for the protest. "I grew up in the Unitarian Universalist church", Heath said. "One of our ethics is non-violence. I was in seventh grade during 9-11. We were bombing Kabul, bombing schools and hospitals. My mother came into the house crying because we were bombing innocent people. There was no emotional connection until I saw my mom crying."

This is a new generation of college protesters. Clean nerds who can't be described as hippies no matter how hard you try. Good kids with rich parents. They aren't so much about bringing down. Destruction isn't the name of it. Not all Democrats, and certainly not all Republicans, some of whom support gun rights and the pro-choice cause in the same sentence. Anyway, the yippies never had the Web, the grand and speedy connection to coordinate this sort of thing with no one leader, just a slew of organizers who get off on reminding us how unimportant they are.

A mistake is to assign stereotypes, or even class, education or group labels to the people going to the protest. As diverse as America is, is the reason to oppose the direction in Iraq. I will be standing beside Iraq War vets, Muslims, poor Philadelphians, rich Brooklynites, future senators and future laborers. It's never too late to choose to stand here, too. There are always hotel rooms. It's not too late to call off work the 19th and high-tail it down 95 to the Capital for the day of the 19th.Even if you don't entirely oppose the war. Not all these people do. Some of them just oppose the direction, and others just want to remind themselves that there is a war. They want to remember, in the midst of Spitzer, Obama vs. Clinton, the mortgage crisis. Right now, American soldiers are in Iraq. Instead of partying on the beach, many young Americans are going to observe that fact.