I first met Billy Ayers in person after he'd come up from underground and we worked together on a committee organizing a major national demonstration at the Pentagon in 1981.
Of course I knew of Bill's participation in the Weather Underground for the 11 years preceding that moment, along with his partner Bernardine Dohrn. Bill was instrumental in writing, printing, and helping to coordinate distribution of the book "Prairie Fire" while underground in 1974 -- still one of the most important books written from one perspective in the New Left (not that I don't continue to have criticisms and disagreements with it, of course!).
In fact, one of the things that made me even consider voting for that tool of Wall Street, Barack Obama, was Fox-TV's campaign of vilification linking Obama to Ayers -- hey, if Obama knew and worked with Bill Ayers, maybe he was worth voting for! (I soon disabused myself of that notion once I heard Obama's apologetics for imperialism and more nukes, and took a look at his list of Tri-Lateral advisers.)
Bill (and Bernardine) have been friends and good comrades of my work in the Red Balloon Collective, in the Greens, and in life. Thank Marx they're not apologetic for trying to stop the U.S. war on Vietnam and the murder of 2 million people there! Thank Emma that many people, including Bill and Bernardine, took the risks needed to defend humanity in an era of murderers and robots.
Now Bill needs our support. No question about it, he has mine! Will you join me in giving him yours, too?
Please sign this petition, and stand up against fascism, again and always.
Click on http://www.supportbillayers.org/
Thanx.
Mitchel Cohen Brooklyn Greens / Green Party, and the Red Balloon Collective
-------------------------------------- From: Joel Westheimer <joelw at uottawa.ca> Date: October 4, 2008 12:07:08 AM EDT (CA) To: (Friends & Colleagues); Subject: Bill Ayers - Letter of Support.
Dear friends and colleagues:
On the front page of tomorrow's New York Times (Saturday October 4, 2008), an article by Scott Shane will once again plod through the relationship between Barak Obama and our colleague, Bill Ayers. Although the article mostly serves to debunk many of the most spurious assumptions, it further opens the possibility for continuing attacks against Bill and the immense contributions he has made to education in Chicago and world-wide. If you have not yet added your name to the statement of support for Bill, I urge you to do so now.
http://www.supportbillayers.org/
Best,
______________________________________________ Joel Westheimer University Research Chair and Professor University of Ottawa (Ontario) http://www.DemocraticDialogue.com ( (613)562-5800, x4161; : joel.westheimer at uottawa.ca