In defence of using "Support our troops -- bring them home now" (sometimes)

[David Walters <dwalters@xxxxxxx>]

I find myself agreeing with Jose on this. I think most of you how
argued against the slogans seemed more concern of how the rest of the
left perceives the slogan than the public, whose hearts and minds we
have yet to win over, and who don't want to see US troops in harms way.

During the first gulf war, "Support our troops -- bring them home now"
was the main slogan used to get the Labor movement involved. The SF
Labor Council was able to mobilize thousands behind this slogan and the
resolution from which the slogan was taken was used through out the US
in the rest of the labor movement to agitate, educate and organize. I
still think it is appropriate and is more or less synonymous with "Out
Now" and "End the Occupation"...but it also makes the appeal to US
troops themselves, something many of you it seems write off as gung-ho
anti-arab racists, and their their families.

Where I work, a bastion it seems of right-wing Reagan democrats, the
issue of 'supporting' the troops was often discussed, and it was often
THE entry into serious discussions about the upcoming war and the war
as it was being fought.

David Walters