The state's university at Amherst has been appropriated by the hippies from the 1960's who are now in charge of the school and are intolerant of any dissenting voices.

Clueless Anti-War Crowd Never Sleeps in Amherst

By Izzy Lyman
November 2001

The clueless anti-war crowd in the five-college area of western Mass. never sleeps.

In Amherst, at the "International Day of Protest to Stop the Militarization of Space," impressionable children could "fold a crane" for peace. Adults could pin a "War Is Not The Answer" button to their tie-dyed shirt. Hand-outs were also distributed that offered information about "the harmful impact on cetacean life by the U.S. Navy's experimental use of active sonar systems."

A Mount Holyoke professor named Jean Grossholtz gave a long-winded speech denouncing the mobilization of American armed forces around Afghanistan, as well as pontificating about bottled water (or was that bottle-nosed dolphins?). One speaker at this anti-Star Wars pow-wow even invited the crowd to "stand with Barbara Lee," a reference to the California representative who cast the lone vote in Congress opposing military action in response to the September 11 attack upon thousands of innocent civilians.

Over at Crocker Farm School - also in Amherst - a crowd of 100 gathered to talk about their anxiety following the hijackings. The most memorable advice of the evening came from another Solon of Mount Holyoke College, Rev. Andrea Ayvazian, dean of religious life. She suggested that families deal with post-attack stress by donning a Muslim headdress. (Huh?)

In Williamsburg, "keith harmon snow" (who, according to the Springfield Union-News, demands that his name not be capitalized) also insists on becoming a martyr for the First Amendment. Not surprisingly, the pro-Osama sign that he placed on Route 9, Love Thy Enemy, Matt. 5:4, has been repeatedly vandalized.

Not All Pinheads

Fortunately, not everyone in the area is acting like a pinhead.

Back in Amherst, Arnold Silver (that's capital A, capital S), a feisty English professor at the University of Massachusetts, organized a small "Support our Servicemen" rally on the very same spot that local activists hold their weekly peace vigil.

Arnold and friends held plain white paper signs with simple instructions for drivers: "Support our Pilots? Honk Twice." Toot-toots, I am happy to report, were not infrequent.

Several American flags were waved, but no lame fashion tips were offered or long-winded speeches delivered.

Nevertheless, the 'we-like-our-president' group had opinions about the "Food Not Bombs" counter protesters that tried to muscle their way into occupied territory. Chris O'Neil of Shutesbury said of the manner-challenged left-wingers: "They're outraged against us defending ourselves. Everybody wants peace, but we're inviting future attacks if we don't respond."

His dad, John O'Neil, of Pelham, said that he applauds the military campaign against the Taliban as the way to "cut the head off the snake."

"To a terrorist, every American, peacenik or patriot, is an infidel," he added.

A Closing Thought

As to this long-standing standoff between the patriot and the peacenik, allow me to close with the thoughts of one Louisiana Dave, an army veteran. This is what he wrote me:

"Reservists and regulars, kids and old pros, doing the work that men must do to allow latte-laced discussions of moral equivalence. Somewhere on a filthy hill, hard men wait to do their duties, to locate and destroy those who would practice evil. While these men await that moment, anointed thinkers castigate them."

Brave soldier, sailor, airman, and marine, know that for every bongo-playing pseudo-pacifist that dishonors you by participating in a peace rally, there are hundreds of loyal Americans eager to salute you.