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Proposed Name Change: Drop The "The"

By VVAW

A very important proposal was put forward by the National Office at the national meeting. It was suggested that the organization should change its name from Vietnam Veterans Against the War to Vietnam Veterans Against War. Notice the difference? The change is to drop the "the." While this may seem insignificant the change could cause a lot of discussion in the organization.

The National Office put forward its reasons. It was suggested that events in the world today should be taken into account. Troops are fighting and dying in Lebanon while the Navy shells its countryside. "Advisors" are in Nicaragua at the same time the Navy maneuvers off its coast. The Korean airplane incident and the deployment of nukes in Western Europe are hot points of superpower contention.

It was said that when the troops involved in these and other potential conflicts come home many of them may look for an alternative to the vets groups that glorify war. A viable veterans organization that would be opposed to these wars would serve as an invaluable group to join and call their own. The vets of these wars will have particular problems in both adjusting to civilian life and in dealing with government bureaucracy that will tell them they were never at war.

On the other hand some people put forward the dropping the "the" would mean that VVAW was a pacifist organization opposed to fighting and may turn some people off who think that some wars are just. It was also said that changing the name would be tampering with our tradition.

What all this means is that the local chapters must discuss the pros and cons of making such a change and have to cast their votes by December 31, 1983.

The discussions could help the organization in defining its role and reasons for existence. Hopefully chapters will have good discussions and any questions of clarifications should be asked of the National Office whenever necessary. Opinions pro and con can be put forward to the NO and disseminated to the organization. Members who do not belong to chapters should write to the NO with their opinions.