Peace
High School: Grades 9–12
Story
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Julia stopped abruptly and started to tickle her sister. "I knew you couldn't sit still."
Lydia stopped laughing and said, "I just don't get it. What is all that supposed to mean? I know the 'National Death Party' is the National Democratic Party and 'Death Convention' is the Democratic National Convention. But what's wrong with the Democrats holding a convention? What's 'Yippie?' What does 'creeping meatball' mean? I don't understand how dancing, making love, and body paint is going to change anything."
.'))
"Slow down," Julia said as she smiled at her excitable sister. "I'll explain. This is the Yippie Manifesto. The name Yippie was made up by Abbie Hoffman and other members of the Yippie movement. Yippie is an acronym for Youth International Party. Their manifesto is a document that states what the Yippies are all about. You know, what they feel, what they believe, what they want to accomplish. The Yippie movement is about drawing attention to the anti-war effort not by sending out letters or asking for donations, but by doing strange, kooky things. What they do isn't supposed to make a lot of sense; it's supposed to attract attention.
"The Yippies (and a lot of other people)," Julia continued, "think the problem with the Democratic Convention is that the majority of the delegates there don't seem to be representing how a lot of people are feeling in this country right now about the Vietnam War. And you know it is at the Democratic Convention that the states' delegates choose who will run for president against the Republican's candidate."
"Do you really believe that Yippies doing crazy stuff will get people to change their minds?" Lydia asked.
Julia responded, "The Yippies are just getting people to look, and maybe think. I put the manifesto up because I dig the way Abbie Hoffman talks and writes. He's a political activist and he's one of the founders of the movement. He's cool. I personally think the way to change things is by marching peacefully, you know that. That's why I am going to go to Grant Park to hear David Dellinger speak. He's really cool too. He's one of my heroes. He has been a political activist for years. He believes in pacifism. He spent three years in jail during World War II because he refused to register for the draft way back then! Anyway, I want to hear him talk and I want to march on the Amphitheater where they are holding the Democratic Convention." 2
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Lydia raised her eyebrows in surprise. She was taken aback at the thought of her sister in a protest march. She had already heard her parents talking about clashes between protesters and police in Lincoln Park.3 , She didn't want to think of her sister in harm's way. She was also not looking forward to Julia bringing up the topic with their parents at dinner that evening.
Lydia put the thought of her sister going to Grant Park out of her mind. "You still haven't explained what 'creeping meatball' is," she said mischievously.
"I think it means it's time for dinner," Julia replied, throwing a pillow at Lydia as she ran out of the room.
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