Word: firstness
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Dates: during 1960-1969
Sort By: most recent first
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...energy available for any kind of project which is diverting and promises some excitement. About 10 per cent . . . belong to, or sympathize with, the SDS . . . Finally, at the center of the trouble there are about 2 per cent . . . whose main goal is the destruction of the university as a first step towards a national revolution...
These highly dubious categories and percentages came to life as Blaine presented "the battle plan of the SDS." which amounted to little more than his interpretation of last April at Harvard. "First." he said. "a cause is found which has some support already among the students . . . Then, ostensibly to force action on the issue from the administration, a building is seized. The actual purpose of the seizure is to provoke violence and cause some blood to be shed . . . all the discontented students [then] rally against the apparent perpetrators of the violence and a number of the conformist students also...
...march, however, was more than just an effort to stop the war. It was the first political convention of the subculture. As such, it was an astounding success. It gave one a sense of solidarity and a feeling of belonging; and a sense of overriding futility...
...next night was the night for revolution. It was pretty impressive charging up Massachusetts Avenue with 2,000 people behind Vict Cong flags. It was pretty depressing when those same 2,000 people were sent fleeing back down the street with artificial tears in their eyes. After the first charge the feeling of danger was gone. You went back for more gas, teared for five or ten minutes and then went back for more. It was insane...
...cops, however, weren't. Squad cars patrolled the whole area. As soon as a group of more than 50 people gathered at any street corner the cops gathered to meet them. First three or four motorcycles would arrive. Then the tear gas would be hurled. Then the cycles would sweep down the sidewalk. The object was to scatter the crowd and disperse them. If the kids had stayed together and marched either toward the White House, seven blocks away, or into the nearby ghetto Washington might have gone up in smoke...