To the Editors:
Arthur Parumba’s review of Richard Brautigan’s three books [FE #94, December 11-24, 1969] was the best thing to appear in the Fifth Estate in ages. His Shell Station sounds like the greatest spot this side of Alice’s Restaurant. By the way, is “Parumba” for real?
Thomas Haroldson
Editors’ Note: Sure he’s real. The Parumba Bros. Shell Station is right on the corner of Prentis and Woodward. Drop in and see them.
To the Editors:
The silent majority is horrified by the atrocity in ‘Nam—undoubtedly one of hundreds that somehow happened to become public knowledge. Concerning the guilty parties tricky dicky has gone on radio and tv and said that the responsible men will be punished:
Alternative No. 1a: Continue the atmosphere of violence and send Calley & Co. to the firing squad.
Alternative No. 1b: Shave the heads of Calley & Co., cage them and feed them a subsistence diet for, say 25 years. Maybe even parole them in 5. Much more humane than No. 1a (?).
Alternative No. 2: Determine why a group of human beings killed another group of human beings posing no immediate threat to the aggressors.
Possible causes of incident:
Work by army public relations department, retired generals, rich corporate owners, pig press, and other right wingers to label Vietnamese people as dirty commies, goddam gooks, and a yellow peril.
The indoctrinated, combat weary, gullible soldier in the field correctly interprets this message from the establishment and begins shooting. Of course, the ones behind didn’t want Calley & Co. to get caught.
But wait. Maybe they did want one incident to become public. Cause then they could have lackey Nixon say sternly to the world: “This is not our policy.”
Sure it isn’t. That’s why you murderer Nixon and you murderer Johnson ordered the planes to strafe and bomb Vietnam. And I suppose napalm is “not intended” for civilians.
Does not pacification mean exterminating all men women and children in a village whose allegiance is to the NLF?
Are you boys scared to admit that more Vietnamese people support the NLF than the puppet (of US corporate interests) government of Saigon—mainly because the NLF want the US’s ass out of Nam now?
Which one Nixon? 1a? 1b? 2?
Bob Roberts, W. Ferry
To the Editors:
I would like to commend you on your fine job of covering the Ft. Dix incidents. I’m pleased that a paper such as yours has finally given us the truth, instead of the moronic bullshit the Detroit News, etc. hands out. [See articles in FE Archive]
Sooner or later, as more GIs protest and make demands for their rights, the government is gonna have to quit foolin’ around with them, and give in.
Also, I dug the article (F.E. #335, Dec. 11, 1969) on Stop Political Repression. When the pigs start killing off our brothers while they’re sleepin’, it’s time to get the revolution in full gear!
Just as Marvin Dimely said “the Panthers would never shoot first” proves that there is present police harassment and national attacks led by police. We should all by now be tired and through with taking this kind of treatment, and ready to fight back for our rights and beliefs.
Revolution now! Free Huey!
Mark Robin
Detroit, Michigan
To the Editors:
It’s a funny thing to see a man lying dead at your feet? A man who had just last night shown you a picture of his wife and little girl.
In this place that the establishment calls Viet Nam and we call it a young man’s graveyard; a man’s laughter quickly turns to tears, not because his buddy has just lost his life for “FREEDOM” but for the rich man’s pocket. This is a rich man’s war!! So let him fight it and not us.
Only the young people of today can feel the hate and anxiety that is building up inside a nation who is fed up with all this shit that has been handed down to us from our fathers and the all mighty solid citizens who want to suppress communism.
Yet they allow, permit, and legalize a party of the same to form and organize on our own front steps.
Maybe if they are lucky, our solid citizens and god-like presidents will realize that we are the PEOPLE of this nation. We are not just a small group of kids raising hell to draw some attention.
We are the beginning of a new era when man has the balls to speak up for his rights and not fear the backlash of a political pig.
In our “good nation” today, a man’s life has been ruined by the same pigs that had taught him what his life would be.
The army has chosen to try a man for murder for killing (so they say) a group of civilians while in command of a unit of men in Viet Nam. Has it been so long that these same pigs have forgotten about that bomb that was dropped on a city of women and children. Millions of people died within seconds!
Ha!! MAKES ME SICK!! I’d like to puke all over these bastards faces!! OINK OINK!!
Believe me brothers and sisters who are fighting for peace and freedom, those of us here in the ‘Nam are really fed up with this establishment Army, American bullshit.
“Be an American, fight for your country’s freedom”—a typical line from our pig faced politicians in our country. Yes, we are fighting for our freedom but _ not in the ‘Nam; we are fighting for freedom in the streets of L.A., Detroit, Boston, S.F., D.C. and thousands of large and small cities and towns all across our stricken nation. This is where our freedom will be won.
The John Sinclairs of our time can be jailed and hassled by the pigs, but they cannot and will not be silenced.
We will win our cause because we are united and bound together as brothers and sisters, blacks and whites, united for one cause—FREEDOM.
If these pig faced bastards hear the voice in time, maybe we will have a beautiful place to live and love as we please.
A JOINT TO PEACE IN ’70.
Peace & Love,
Barry Winn
Joe Caley
25th Inf. Plt. Scout Dog
1st Cav. Div.