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Editorial: Scab Group Uses VVAW's Name

By VVAW

A second "VVAW" is creeping about the country. Sponsored, funded and fondled by the group which calls itself the Revolutionary Communist Party, this phoney VVAW bears small resemblance to the real organization. Some of its members are actually Vietnam vets; a few were once in VVAW; and they insist on misusing VVAW's name insignia. There, the resemblance ends.

While VVAW was hard at work laying the groundwork for cooperation with other groups around Vietnam Veterans Week, and doing the often tedious chore of brining the problem of Agent Orange Poisoning to the attention of veterans, this bunch of fanatics was religiously pitching rocks at the cars of movie stars going to the Academy Awards to protest the 'Deerhunter'. As a result, 13 of them were arrested so they could follow in the footsteps of their party chairman, who got himself busted earlier, providing them with a cause. A leaflet written by this group of weirdos wants people to give money to defend the "Academy Awards 13"!

Few people have ever heard of the RCP. They've attempted to steal the name of VVAW, which as a long and proud history—and which has a name known to many. Their use for VVAW has been demonstrated for years. Take a veteran with the credibility he has as a vet, and the added credibility which comes from speaking for the oldest of Vietnam veterans' organizations, put him in front of a crown to speak on the general question of "war" and you have the practical experience to boost whatever airy theory of world events that the RCP is pushing at that moment.

VVAW has a different approach. Of course veterans should talk about "war", not as an adjunct of someone's ravings, but because we've had the experience and, in the real world, there's likely to be another war—and we don't want to see our kids or anyone else's kids pulled, pushed or deduced into the same situation we were once in. But a veteran's organization like VVAW has much more word to do; in fact, we see our organization as doing far more than speaking. Issues like Agent Orange, VA healthcare, jobs for vets, the pitiful excuse for a GI Bill—these and many other issues effect veterans daily. If veterans had not organized around Agent Orange, there would not even be the slight motion that is now going on. In fact, if vets had not organized and fought for all the benefits we have now, we would have none! If we don't continue to organize and fight, we'll lose what little we do have.

That's what we see VVAW as being all about; not to preach, but to act in the interests of vets. And that means joining with other vets groups, or non-vets groups, to get things down. VVAW has never tried to be exclusive in its membership: while it's true that few Nixon supporters ever joined VVAW, that was because of the positions we took and the issues we took on, not because, as the RCP's scab version of the organization would have it, they are not "politically advanced" enough!

We of VVAW welcome vets—and friends—of whatever era. Our positions are in THE VETERAN; we are not a hidden front group for anyone—we're simply what we say we are, an organization of mostly Vietnam and Vietnam era vets organizing to get the things we need and deserve, and to fight against the way veterans are used once and thrown away.

In fact, these scab "VVAW" people are doing the work of the police, FBI and red squad by spreading confusion about the true nature of VVAW. During Vietnam Vets Week, this group of scabs came to an event in Chicago to try to pimp off the work already done by the chapter there. While the chapter had done good work uniting with other vets groups, and helped in keeping all military recruiters away, keeping phoney job agents away, and keeping speakers from the military who would support war from participating; this group came in, saying that the event was "PUSHING WAR"! These RCPers confused people. Not because they were putting forward a political position, but because what they were saying was pure horse pucky. How the hell war gets "pushed" with only anti-war speakers, and no military recruiters is beyond us, but such is the thinking of muddled heads.

They have also used VVAW's name to raise funds for the RCP, push RCP demonstrations, and even gone to coalitions demanding speakers; and then putting forward some RCP hack to preach who isn't even a veteran!

We don't intend to let this kind of political sabotage continue. These shells of human being are comparable to cultists, like the Moonies; or even worse—like Nazis! They use the real problems of veterans to promote their leader. . .

They have no rights at all to the internationally respected name of Vietnam Veterans Against the War! We intend to use every means available to put these perverted prima donnas on the shelf where they belong—way in the back on the shelf! At the same time, however, we will not let these bums sidetrack us from the much more important task of fighting for a better life for veterans.