Radiator Bugs

It disturbs me greatly that my son may have suffered repercussions for my activism.

Photo by Vic Pittman

(SALEM, Ore.) - Here is a somewhat weird analogy that I came up with regarding the struggle to change a failed or tyrannical society... the radiator bug.

Imagine a Mack truck that daily goes up and down the highway, hitting and killing hundreds of bugs every trip. The bugs dont like it, but what can they do to stop a Mack truck?

Well, if enough bugs flew into the radiator, the truck would overheat and eventually the motor would seize and the truck would roll to a stop.

The first people to confront and try to change an entrenched, self-serving system usually end up in prison or dead. They are the radiator bugs.

Sometimes their deaths are the catalyst that sparks change, like the Kent State students, or MLK. But many times, their demise is just a few second spot on the news, or maybe not even that.

In order for a radiator bug to have any measure of success, there have to be more behind it, willing to do whatever they can to stop the truck. I am not necessarily talking about violent attacks or armed revolution, but open resistance.

Covert resistance has its place, but what I feel moves people is when other people stand up, unafraid and unwavering and state that they will no longer cooperate, and in fact will work to "stop the truck".

Only through mass action, or in the case of a general strike, mass inaction, will any change take place. I remember the words of Richard Nixon "when I looked out of the window and saw 100,000 protesters in front of the capitol, I knew the Vietnam war was over."

The powers that be today wouldn't even flinch at 100,000 protesters... millions around the world marched against the Iraq/Afg war, but it accomplished nothing. The truck rolls on - with a new and improved radiator.

On June 23, 2008, three black sedans, each with two men inside pulled up to my son's house in Salem. Two of the cars blocked off each end of the block while the third came up to the house. Three of the men came up to the house. I was not there, nor was my son, only his girlfriend was there.

They asked for me, would not identify themselves or leave a card. She told them that if they left a number that she would get it to me, they replied "That's OK, we will find him."

Now my first name is not Vic, it is Don. Victor is my middle name. I have always gone by that, always.

My son's name is Josh, and his middle name is also Victor, but he goes by his first name. They evidently got us confused. My son is not an activist nor is politically active at all.

Who were these guys? And what if my son had been home that day? I post my ramblings on a number of sites, but I always use my name. We have done Free Sticker offers... "Support our Troops, Bring Them Home", "Peace or Revolution" and "Waterboard Cheney"... that kind of stuff.

My address is on every sticker offer. It disturbs me greatly that my son may have suffered repercussions for my activism.

We have also put up highway signs, like "9-11 Was An Inside Job"... "Arrest Bush and Cheney" etc. and posted pics online, always taking credit for it. My address is not hard to find, nor do I take any effort to be anonymous or secretive. My address is 19754 McKillop Rd., Scotts Mills, Oregon.

The "men in black" never returned, which troubles me... who were they? I assumed Secret Service, but if I were deemed dangerous enough to warrant a six-person visit by the Secret Service, would they just drop it when their first attempt failed? Mossad?

I write quite a bit criticizing Israeli policies and calling for an end to unconditional support for Israel. I have kept quiet about this for some time, but now I want to know who these men were, and why they never returned.

I was scared at first, and backed off writing for a couple of months, but now I'm just mad. If anyone wants to talk to me, I am here, at the address I have had for nine years. I have no guns, the worst thing anyone would find here would probably be a bag of weed.

If this was not the Secret Service, it is even more disturbing to me. I was raised to believe that when I see injustice or evil, that I HAVE to resist it, or I become part of it. I will continue to do so.

When this happened, I told a friend of mine who often writes for S-N. He encouraged me to go public with this, but at that time I was apprehensive and did not want to. I realize now that I was being cowardly, but no more. I will be a radiator bug. There are many more of us, and we WILL stop the truck.