Nixon Administration Attempts to Destroy Waw Statement by Defendants

- NIXON ADMINISTRATION ATTEMPTS TO DESTROY WAW STATEMENT BY DEFENDANTS WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT? WHY ARE THEY PICKING ON US? WHAT ARE THEY TRYING TO PROVE? THESE ARE SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE MULLED OVER IN OUR MINDS SINCE THE INDICTMENTS CAME DOWN. HERE ARE SOME OF THE ANSWERS WE'VE COME UP WITH. THE FIRST AND MOST OBVIOUS CONCLUSION IS THAT THIS IS NOT AN ATTACK ON US AS INDIVIDUALS, BUT RATHER AN ATTACK ON THE IDEAS AND ISSUES WE REPRESENT. THIS IS ANOTHER IN A SERIES OF ATTEMPTS ON THE PART OF THE GOVERNMENT TO INTIMIDATE AND DISCREDIT THE ANTI-WAR MOVEMENT AND THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO DISSENT IN THIS COUNTRY. IT IS A DIRECT ATTEMPT TO DESTROY THE VIETNAM VETERANS AGAINST THE WAR AS AN ORGANIZATION BY DESTROYING ITS CREDIBILITY AND UNDERMINING THE BASE OF SUPPORT IT HAS BEEN BUILDING AMONG THE PEOPLE. WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS TRYING TO DO IS TO CREATE A DILEMMA FOR VVAW BY FORCING US TO WASTE VALUABLE TIME, RESOURCES, AND ENERGY FIGHTING THE GOVERNMENT'S INJUSTICE AT A TIME WHEN PROTEST AGAINST THE WAR WOULD BE MOST EFFECTIVE. THEY ARE TRYING TO DESTROY THE CREDIBILITY OF VVAW BY ASSOCIATING OUR NAME WITH CRIMINAL ACTS CITED IN THE INDICTMENT. THEY DON'T EVEN NEED A CONVICTION; ALL THEY NEED DO IS LINK THE NAME OF VVAW WITH VIOLENCE, AND THEY THINK THEY CAN STOP PEOPLE FROM LISTENING TO US. ULTIMATELY, IT IS AN ATTEMPT TO INTIMI DATE THE ENTIRE MOVEMENT. THE GOVERNMENT WAS TOTALLY ARBITRARY IN ITS CHOICE OF DEFENDANTS. NONE OF US IS, BY ANY MEANS, A "MOVEMENT SUPER STAR" OR EVEN WELL KNOWN AMONG OUR CONTEMPORARIES. THIS IS A GOVERNMENT WARNING THAT ANYONE WHO PROTESTS TOO LOUDLY OR TOO EFFECT IVELY COULD MEET THE SAME FATE. THE NIXON ADMINISTRATION HAS SHOWN A PARANOIC FEAR OF ANYONE WHO DISAGREES WITH IT, AND HAS GONE TO OUTRAGEOUS LENGTHS TO SUPPRESS DISSENTERS. THE MOST BLATANT EXAMPLE OF THIS IS THEIR USE OF THE GRAND JURY. THE GRAND JURY SYSTEM WAS ORIGINALLY SET UP TO PROTECT THE INDIVIDUAL CITIZEN FROM HARASSMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT IN THE FORM OF UNSUPPORTABLE INDICTMENTS. SUPPOSEDLY, THE GOVERNMENT MUST PRESENT EVIDENCE BEFORE THE GRAND JURY AND SHOW THAT IT IS SUBSTANTIAL ENOUGH TO WARRANT AN INDICTMENT. WHAT THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOW, HOWEVER, IS SUBPOENA THE PEOPLE IT WANTS TO HARASS, ASK THEM SELF-INCRIMINATING QUESTIONS, AND THROW THEM IN JAIL FOR REFUSING TO ANSWER. IF THEY DO ANSWER, THEY ARE EITHER CHARGED WITH THE "CRIME" THEY WERE FORCED TO CONFESS TO, OR CHARGED WITH PERJURY IF THEY DON'T GIVE THE ANSWERS THE GOVERNMENT WANTS. SO A PERSON HAS TWO CHOICES - TALK AND GO TO JAIL OR DON'T TALK AND GO TO JAIL. THE INVASION OF PROTESTING CITIZEN'S PRIVACY IS DONE PRIMARILY THROUGH THE USE OF WIRE TAPPING AND INFORMERS. THE GOVERNMENT HAS CONSISTENTLY SHOWN THAT IT HAS NO INTENTION OF FOLLOWING THE GUIDE LINES SET UP FOR THE USE OF WIRE TAPS. ANYONE WHO PROTESTS GOVERN MENT POLICIES IS SUBJECT TO HAVING THEIR PHONE CONVERSATIONS MADE THE PROPERTY OF THE FBI. THE USE OF INFORMERS IS THE MOST PATHETIC MEANS OF INVADING PRIVACY. INFORMERS GENERALLY FALL INTO TWO CATEGORIES. THERE ARE THE PROFESSIONAL AGENTS WHO DO IT AS A JOB, AND, IF YOU ARE NOT RADICAL ENOUGH TO FIT THEIR NEEDS, THEY ARE MORE THAN HAPPY TO PROVOKE YOU INTO VIOLENT ACTS OR COMMIT THE ACTS THEMSELVES AND AT- TRIBUTE THEM TO YOU. THEN THERE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE FORCED TO INFORM OR FACE PROSECUTION THEMSELVES. THIS IS THE VILEST FORM OF BLACKMAIL, BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT GIVES SUCH A PERSON THE CHOICE OF DESTROYING HIS FRIENDS OR GOING TO JAIL. MANY TIMES, THESE PEOPLE FEEL IT NECESSARY TO LIE IN ORDER TO SAVE THEIR OWN SKINS. PROBABLY THE BIGGEST QUESTION IN EVERYONE'S MIND IS WHETHER WE ARE, IN FACT, GUILTY OF THE CRIMES WE HAVE BEEN ACCUSED OF. WE ARE NOT GUILTY! THE WHOLE EXISTENCE OF VVAW IS BASED ON THE FACT THAT WE WHO WERE ONCE THE PAWNS IN THE SYSTEMATIC DESTRUC TION OF THE PEOPLE AND LANDS OF INDOCHINA FEEL A MUCH GREATER VALUE FOR HUMAN LIFE THAN OUR OWN GOVERNMENT DOES. NOW THE GOVERNMENT IS TRYING TO CHARGE US WITH THE VERY CRIME OF WHICH WE HAVE BEEN ACCUSING THEM FOR FIVE YEARS - THE TOTAL DISREGARD OF HUMAN LIFE TO ACHIEVE THEIR OWN ENDS. SINCE WE ONCE PARTI CIPATED IN THEIR DEADLY GAMES, THE GOVERNMENT THINKS IT WILL BE .EASY TO CONVINCE PEOPLE THAT WE ARE WILLING TO DO IT AGAIN. IF WE HAD NOT PROTESTED - IF WE WERE NOT RESISTING THEIR CRIMINAL WAR POLICY - WE WOULD BE CONSIDERED HEROES ON THE BASIS OF OUR WAR RECORDS. LOOK AT THE VVAW RECORD AND JUDGE FOR YOURSELF. THE ONLY THING WE ARE GUILTY OF IS TELLING THE TRUTH. THE ONLY DANGER IS OUR PRESENCE TO THE GOVERNMENT BECAUSE WE EXPOSE THEIR HYPOCRACIES, LIES, AND CRIMINALITY BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE. THE GOVERNMENT WANTS TO DESTROY THE VVAW WITH THIS TRIAL. AT THE VERY LEAST, THEY WANT TO SILENCE US IN THIS CRUCIAL TIME BEFORE THE ELECTION. WE WILL NOT ALLOW THESE CHARGES AND THE THREAT OF JAIL TO HALT OUR ACTIVITIES. RATHER THAN DESTROYING VVAW, THIS TRIAL WILL MAKE US STRONGER. RATHER THAN SILENCING US, IT WILL ONLY MAKE US PROTEST LOUDER. WE HOPE THIS TRIAL WILL DEMONSTRATE TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE JUST WHAT THEIR GOVERN MENT IS DOING; THAT IT WILL BE A MAJOR STEP TOWARD ACHIEVING THE GOAL FOR WHICH WE ALL STRIVE: ENDING THE WAR IN INDOCHINA. Scott Ca.mll Alton FoAi Putt Uahoney Bill Va.tte.faon Von Pe.id.ue, John Knliiln Sta.n Mlchelie.n John Bitggi VIETNAM VETERANS AGAINST THE WAR - GAINESVILLE CONSPIRACY BOX 13179 GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA 32601 904-378-0774 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF DEFENDANTS Alton Foss was born in Miami in 1946. He graduated from high school in Hialeah, Florida, and at the age of seventeen he enlisted in the Navy as a Hospital Corpsman. After completing his training, he was sent to Vietnam with the 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines, 3rd Marine Division, in December 1966. In April 1967, in an ambush south of Da Nang, Alton received two rounds of gunshot in his left leg. He has had ten operations so far and is now in a Veterans Hospital undergoing two more operations. He receives a sixty percent disability from the Veterans Administration. For his service in Vietnam, Alton was awarded a Purple Heart, Viet namese Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Ribbon, Presidential Unit Citation, and National Defense Ribbon. He has been an active member of WAW in Florida for eight months. He is working toward a degree in Medical Tech nology at Charron Williams Para-medical College in Miami. Scott Camil was born on May 19, 1946 in Brooklyn, New York and moved to Florida at the age of 4. In 1965 Scott graduated from Hialeah High School and enlisted in the Marine Corps. During his four years in the Marine Corps, Scott spent 20 months in Vietnam as a Forward Observer with C Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Regiment, 1st Marine Division, operating in Da Nang, Hoi An, Dong Ha, and Quang Tri. He was wounded twice and received decorations from the U.S. and South Vietnamese governments. He was honorably discharged as an E5 in July 1969 and entered Dade County Junior College, from which he graduated in December 1970. He en tered The University of Florida in January 19 71 and expects to graduate with a degree in Philosophy in 1972. He joined WAW in January 1971 and has been working as the Southeast Regional Coordinator since then. John Kniffin was born in San Antonio, Texas in 1940. He graduated from Jefferson High School in San Antonio, where he was President of the Episcopal Youth Group. After completing two years at Texas A & M, John enlisted in the Marine Corpos for four years, of which he served 32 months in Vietnam. He re ceived decorations from the Government of the United States and the Govern ment of South Vietnam. He has returned these medals to the administration in protest to the war. John was honorably discharged as a Staff Sergeant (E6) in 1968. After his discharge he was employed by Southwest Bell Telephone Co., while attending college part time. In 1969 he moved to Austin, Texas, where he worked for Bell Telephone Co. and attended the University of Texas. He became active in WAW in the spring of 1971 , and has devoted all his energy since then to WAW activity. Peter Mahoney was born September 9, 1948 in Brooklyn, N.Y. He at tended St. Adrian School in Williston Park, N.Y., St. Anne School in Brent wood, N.Y. and St. Pius X Preparatory Seminary in Uniondale, N.Y. and graduated from Bishop Hendricken High School in Warwick, R.I. in June 1966. From 1966 until 1967 he attended Providence College where he was on the Deans List. He joined the Army in April 1968 and went through Advanced Infantry Training at Fort Dix, N.J., and Officers Candidate School at Fort Benning, Ga., from which he graduated as a 2nd Lieutenant in March 1969. He then went to Jump School, also at Fort Benning. While at Fort Benning he served as a Platoon Leader, Executive Officer, and Company Commander with A Com pany, (LRRP) , 75th Infantry. Advisor School at Fort Bragg, N.C., and Lan guage School at Fort Bliss, Texas prepared him for his job as Senior Advi sor on a Mobile Advisory Team in the Phu Thu and Phong Dien districts of Thua Thien Province in Vietnam from May 1970 to March 19 71.

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