The Weather Underground - The The Weather Underground, a documentary of the militant faction of the activist group Students for a Democratic Society, is making its rounds through art cinemas around the country. The current generation of college students simply have no idea how turbulent the Sixties were. As protests against the war in Iraq spanned across the world, the media mostly ignored the peaceful outcry against an unjust war, but what will happen if the war continues for years and US soldiers continue to die. Could violent protest, such as that of the Weathermen, resurface in our society?
The form of violent protest that was espoused by the Weathermen Underground would be considered a form of terrorism in the current popular culture, but would it still be considered terrorism after five years in bloody conflict overseas? The implications of full scale violent revolt on the streets like that of the 1960s are horrific, but if we continue our systematic repression of civil liberties at home and human rights abroad, we will likely return ourselves to a similarly violent boiling point. Is this really what we want? I would personally prefer a more gradual (though not too gradual) shift in the humanistic fabric of our society towards a more egalitarian socio-political system, but I know there are those that see revolution, violent and speedy change, as an alternative to the continued moral bankruptcy and public hypocrisy.
The film points out the duality of a movement that sought to rapidly create peace through violence. It does not glorify their actions, instead it highlights both the internal and external struggle of a band of young adults who desperately wanted to make a difference. The surface appearance of the world around us would suggest that many of their efforts appear to be in vain, but this would be overlooking the impact of the Sixties on our society. Whether through peaceful or violent means, the activism of the Sixties has helped buoy the causes of human rights, social activism, and global awareness.
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