Letters

Dear Sirs:

I managed to get my hands on a copy of the Fifth Estate. Wow, what a paper. I passed it around my section and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it.

I’m a GI and I have been in Vietnam for six months. I despise the military and I believe the same as I did before I came here, that we don’t belong here.

I came here to Vietnam rather than chance going to jail for five years. I think five years in jail would be better than one year in Hell.

Charles Peet

(Civilian in mind and soul; OD in color).

To the Staff:

I’d like to say that your staff is doing one hell of a great job of serving the people.

It’s goodd to read some of the truth of what’s happening instead of the malicious bullshit that we read and hear every day in the News, Free Press, TV, radio, parents, etc.

I currently am being held in a Christian concentration camp called Lutheran High East (please don’t hold it against me).

Mark Schroeder

Dear Sirs:

I wish to write in regard to your article “Crash The Gates” (FE #94, December 11–24, 1969). Your article suggests that the people break in to the shows put on by Gibb and Quatro. I have been to a lot of the shit put on by both these pigs including the Black Arts Festival.

I feel crashing these shows is not the solution to the problem. Crashing only makes a lot of people pissed including some of our brothers. I personally am boycotting the fuck-up shows and hope other people do the same. This would be much more effective in breaking Pig Gibb and Fuckup Quatro than crashing their shows.

Malcolm Maits

Belleville

Dear F.E. Staff:

I want to extend my wishes for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and all our brotherhood.

The coming year should only see the strengthening of all our brothers and their working together to overthrow the chicken-shit pigs who are trying to suppress us and disrupt our organizations. Don’t they realize that physical resistance towards us might injure our physical body, but only tends to strengthen our mental body?

I only have 190 days left in this green OD mother-fucker, I will be more than happy to return to the world and make myself known and where I stand. A lot of my friends like your paper over here but they “cannot condone such hard core individuals.” As for myself, I only wish I could contribute more to the Movement.

I’m proud there are some people who see through the bull-shit the government and its officials hand out. These are the people I call my “brothers and sisters.” Not the people who smoke pot, drop acid, wear long hair and say they want “Peace”.

They might convince themselves they believe this but they are afraid to speak out and take action when it is needed. The time is now to take a stand and prove how strong you are to yourself and the Movement.

Down with the pigs by any and all necessary means. The world belongs to the People and now it will be ours because more people are awakening to reality.

Power to the People

Free the People!!

J. S. Smith

Dear Editors:

Just one question: If we are to re-educate the masses to live in love, nonviolence and peace, in what way are you helping to attain this goal?

I read in your paper nothing but hate. You speak of “pigs”, “honkies”, “stoolies”, etc. This is reminiscent of a right-wing paper I have seen referring to anyone with long hair as “commie fags.”

You are still dividing. How can we ever hope to stop wars when people still choose sides?

Lynda Pilzner

Editors’ reply: We think you are confusing our methods with our vision. The goals that we share with you are obtainable only after the destruction of the capitalist system and its replacement with one based on human needs.

We are not non-violent and defend the use of revolutionary violence against an oppressor. It has been said many times that “in order to get rid of the gun, it is necessary to pick up the gun.” We support this position.

You are right, we are filled with hate—hate for a system that is based on exploitation and racism. The division you speak of is already there—it is between people who are engaged in trying to liberate the planet and those who are opposing these efforts.

The difference between our name calling and theirs is that we are right; they are wrong. Dig it.

Dear Fifth Estate:

Today I ran across a copy of your paper. Immediately upon seeing it I asked the Marine holding it where he was from and where he got the paper.

It turned out that he was from South Carolina, but he had a subscription to a Detroit paper. Being from the Motor City myself I asked if I could read it after him. He told me that I would have to wait in line.

But after a little rapping I persuaded him to let me have a look at it. It was really a good buzz and sort of a relief to see the Fifth Estate again. I first ran across your work in Ann Arbor in 1967.

Please excuse all my mistakes in writing and spelling. My education stopped when the school administration decided I wasn’t “fit” to attend their school. So my eight years of education cripples my communication in letters. It doesn’t bother me too much when I talk though, I kind of “vibe” my way around.

Please send me your paper. If you have extra copies I can see that they get distributed to the heads in my area.

Trying to maintain,

Ken

Vietnam

To the Editors:

I was glad to see the reprint of Gary Snyder’s “Four Changes” in your December 11 issue, [Ecology Manifesto: The four changes, FE #94, December 11–24, 1969] but could find no mention of him as the author. Hope it was just an over-sight on your part.

Pat Moyer

Editors’ Note: Although Snyder was the author of the piece, as you indicated, he often does not want a byline. This was true of the ecology article as well as his “Smokey the Bear Sutra” that we ran several months ago.

To the Editors:

My pathway lies through worse than death;

I meet the hours with bated breath,

My red blood boils, my pulse thrill,

I live life running up ‘a hill.

.

Ah, No, I need no paltry play

Of make-shift tilts for holiday

For I was born against the tide

And will conquest that denied.

I shun no hardship, fear no foe;

The future calls and I must go:

I charge the line and dare the spheres

As I go fighting down the years.

By Brother Douglas Johnson

LASIMA TUSHINDE MBILASHAKA (We Shall Conquer Without a Doubt)

This is the way we feel over here doing the “Pigs” dirty work. Keep up the good work and we’ll be home te-te.

PEACE,

Brother Clark & Group

P.S. If there is anything we can do around Saigon, Vietnam just let us know.