[lbo-talk] War Losses Mount for Small Towns

[John Thornton]

Wojtek Sokolowski wrote:
> Chuck:
>
> -
>
> I still don't understand why the national anti-war coalitions aren't 
> listening to points being made by people like Yoshie. Why aren't they 
> busing people to towns in the Midwest for national mobilizations?
>
>
> [WS:] That is easy.  Because it is an uphill battle, assured defeat and loss
> of resources.  Anyone who thinks that it is possible to undo the small town
> mentality that took the life to form with a propaganda blitz should think
> twice.  
>
> For one thing, small-towners generally do no like outsiders coming to their
> towns and cause "trouble."  It does not matter how those issues fall on a
> political spectrum in big cities or Washington, all that matter is that they
> are not local issues.  Small-towners do not like to be used as pawns in some
> outsider's game.  They already feel that they have been such pawns in the
> hands of big business, big government, big politics and what not all their
> lives.  They do not want any more of that, especially outside agitators
> telling them what to do and think.  It is insulting their dignity.
>
> Wojtek
As a resident of a small town I have to disagree with Woj a bit here.
Small towns are certainly insular to some degree but never underestimate 
the draw of "out-of-towners".
Too many small town residents chafe at the idea of being small town and 
groups from "the-big-city" affirm
in their mind that they are not so small town after all. They are 
greeted openly as proof of such.
It is also sometimes easier for out of town organizations to get permits 
that would be denied locals.
The town does not want to risk being seen as backward by denying a 
permit to an organization from NYC.
There is no hesitation to deny a local group a permit since it will not 
be reported and the risk of looking "small-town" is minimal.

John Thornton