Listening to the McCain people talking about Bill Ayers I realized that many people don't know who he was or what he did or didn't do.
It was the 60s and the Viet Nam war was in full swing. There was no end in sight. A few in power were like John McCain, believing that " victory" at any cost was the only way for the U.S. to save face and to "save our nation from Communism". Many young people were facing the draft and did not believe in that war. Some of them could not bring themselves to kill people who had done nothing wrong, in their minds.
Many young men [there were no women drafted] believed that their government was right and they went to Viet Nam to fight.
I am not taking sides in the matter, only honoring all those who were deeply involved and those who were deeply injured by it, on both sides.
We have been hearing a lot from the McCain camp about William Ayers being a "domestic terrorist". That title is a matter of discernment. I want to offer you the facts as history has defined them and let you make your own decision as to what Ayers and his followers really did and who they were.
Yes he did head the SDS [students for a democratic society] and yes he did head a group of mostly students, who made bombs.
Do you know that he called ahead, before every bomb was planted to warn the authorities where the bomb would be and to stay away from that sight on the day and time when it was set to explode? The bombs were all quite small and planted in places like obscure restrooms that were either abandon or in very out of the way places around the capitol. No one was ever injured by any of the bombs. Two young men from the group were killed while building a bomb.
Ayers and his team were making a point about how frightening a bomb can be to civilians. At the time there were an average of 500 Viet Nam civilians killed by bombs, exploding in towns and villages all over South Viet Nam, every day!
I am not defending Ayers, but I am trying to defend the truth. For weeks now the press has been reporting the McCain talking points that insist that Ayers was a domestic terrorist who tried to blow up the Pentagon.
Not true.
There must be some reason that both Ayers and his wife are free and working as professors in good standing at this very moment. Yes they went into hiding [I knew many people who were in hiding from our government in those days for doing much less]. Later Ayers turned himself in, for trial.
Yes what Bill Ayres did was wrong. No he did not do what McCain is telling America that he did.
My intent is not to anger anyone or to dishonor anyone. I firmly believe that everyone who acted in what ever way did it in the very best of conscience.
The 60's were a tumultuous time and a defining time for our nation. Some were giving their lives for social reform in the way of civil rights. Some were fighting for their country to save us from what they saw as evil Communism in South East Asia and some were fighting to end a war that to many seemed wrong and senseless and without honor.
Those wars are still with us in the events and decisions of today's elections.
