Reflection on Iraq War Teach-In and Student Apathy Towards the Anti-War Movement

“Abominations,” “false prophecy,” “genocide,” and “Armageddon” were only a few of the denunciations of the Iraq War made by panelists earlier this month at a teach-in linking the current war with the what the panelists called the ‘disastrous’ Vietnam War 40 years ago. Panelist and UC Berkeley student Roberto Hernandez said, “We knew the truths in Vietnam so we mobilized and now we know the truths in Iraq, but I do not see the same mobilization. Isn’t truth enough to cause outrage?”
The panel connected the anti-Vietnam War movement to the current war in Iraq. But they bemoaned that there is not the same anti-war mobilization and outrage from the youth towards the United State’s occupation in Iraq as was present in the 1960’s. The current youth of America “turn a blind eye on the war” and are too preoccupied with “consumerism and luxury,” said Panelist Keiko Schnelle, 20, a UC Santa Cruz student and member of Code Pink.
Civil Rights Attorney Anne Weills declared torture is a “signature behavior of the government policy of the United States,” and “The Cheney-Bush-Rumsfeld team led the descent into Hell and gave way to every abomination possible.”
Vietnam veteran Carlos Muñoz said, “We are in the most repressive era of this nation and it makes McCarthyism not look that bad,” and “Trillions of dollars and hard-earned tax-payers money is going down the tube.” Tom Hayden, founder of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS, followed by saying, “I cannot believe the shear f--king scale of this upcoming election. I haven’t seen anything like this since the 1960’s.”
Considering the opinions of the panelists is there a youth mobilization against the Iraq War and, if not, why is there no such mobilization?
The student revolts at Columbia University in 1968 demonstrated the youth were the leaders of change and the anti-war movement, according to Schnelle. Those behind the peace movement of the Vietnam War are those who are the current leaders of the Iraq War peace movement, she said.
USF International Studies junior Sophia Kleinsasser said she believes youth and students are not involved in the anti-war movement because there is no political radicalism of the youth and that the anti-war movement is “not urgent.” USF Marketing junior Patrick Mahoney agreed and said students have “more important priorities than an anti-war movement,” and that it is hard not to become desensitized to the war if one is not directly affected.
USF Nursing junior Nicole Ward said “young people are too consumed and distracted” and “tune things out.” “People think ‘me me me me’ if they are not directly affected. We live in a society of idiots. Young people are selfish and that it is ok not to know what’s going on, but there is too much sh-t going on to not know or care.”
USF Art History senior Tamara Golan said it is difficult to understand the nature of the Iraq War. “We are fighting terrorism but who exactly are the terrorists? There is no clear objective and we are setting up for World War 3 and World War 4.” Agreeing with Kleinsasser, Ward and Mahoney, Golan said there would be more youth involvement if a draft were to be in effect.
It is striking how the University of San Francisco is in a city regarded to be more liberal than most other cities in the United States, yet most USF students do not participate in any form of the anti-war movement such as attending teach-ins, going to hear speakers, or peacefully protesting. According to the list of clubs and organizations found on the USF website, there are only a few organizations concerning US politics and the occupation in the Middle East: Amnesty International, Democracy Matters, Politics Society, STAND and the College Republicans Club. The students interviewed all said they believe the youth, especially the students of USF, are passive and apathetic towards participating in a peace movement.