Demonstrators greet Moore lecture Michael Carter
Editor-in-Chief
The night Michael Moore came to SCC to give his long-anticipated lecture in the campus gymnasium, he was greeted by a small group of protesters who waved American flags and held signs bearing numerous slogans: "If you're elitist, Moore speaks for you! Liberated Iraqis thank W;" "Liberal Losers Lack Logic;" "God Bless Our Troops;" "How do you spell Michael Moore? T-R-A-I-T-O-R;" "Wanted: Saddam Apologists and Hollywood Hypocrites: Michael Moore."
The organization demonstrating against Moore, Young Americans for Freedom (YAF), was small but vocal. Roughly 20 people engaged in heated verbal exchanges with some of those attending the lecture.
"We believe Michael Moore has taken a stance that does not reflect what the majority of Americans feel during this time of war," remarked Washington YAF Chairman Hans Zeiger. "I think he has gone beyond simply being the radical left in this country; Michael Moore has gone to the anti-American point of view. It's fine to be opposed to the war, but the tactics he uses to express his opinions are degrading to our troops, our leadership, and I think they're very disrespectful of the battle for freedom that has gone on in Iraq."
The YAF organization Zeiger represents has a colorful history of activism that stretches back to the 1960s, when the group formed. With links to Ronald Reagan, who joined the YAF National Advisory Board in 1962, the group surfaced during the Cold War with their "Stop Red Trade" slogan, targeting companies such as IBM, Mack Truck and Firestone for engaging in "highly visible" trade with the Soviet Bloc. The group also condemned then-President Nixon for opening relations with communist China.
YAF was highly active during the Vietnam War, targeting leftist groups and making appearances on college campuses across the country in support of the conflict. When President Carter came to power, he was often a favorite target of the group.
YAF also claims to have organized speaking tours in support of what they called "freedom fighters" around the world, including Nicaraguan Resistance, the Mujahaddin of Afghanistan, UNITA from Angola, and the ARENA Party of El Salvador.
Some of YAF's current focuses are abolition of minimum wage and tax withholding, limitation of government taxes and spending, freedom to bear arms, debunking of animal rights, and support of pro-life stances.
The group who chose to come to SCC remained outside during the Moore lecture and largely dissipated near the end. They remained peaceful and left in a similar fashion.
"Michael Moore has 100-percent rights under freedom of speech because of what our troops in Iraq are doing," Zeiger stated, "and we have the right to respond in a peaceful way, and that's what we're doing."
