A huge crowd of dozens and dozens of people showed up at Cypress College yesterday to protest against what they consider communist propaganda: The photography exhibit by Brian Doan, an Associate Prof at Long Beach City College.
This follows a four-person protest of last week and numerous and mostly unsuccessful attempts by Lactan Nuygen, the president of a non-profit corporation called the Vietnamese Community of Souther (sic) California to garner support from other community groups.
No takers so far. Apparently unwilling to take on a non-Vietnamese-American entity, none of the usual protest groups showed up. Not the Coalition Against Resolution No. 36 (Vietnamese: Liên Ủy Ban Chống Nghị Quyết 36, named after a document of the Communist Party of Vietnam) – the organizer of the protests against Viet Weekly. Not the Yellow Flag Youth (Vietnamese: Thanh Niên Cờ Vàng) – the organizer of the protests against VAALA for this same photograph by Brian Doan. None of the Viet elected officials showed up either, not even Assemblyman Van Thai Tran, who has filed a statement of intent to run for the 35th state senate district, which includes Cypress College.
Even most Viet-language media, once so brave to gang up on fellow Viets, shy away from “American” territory. Only a handful showed up. Viet Weekly was there, as was Nguoi Viet, which put its story on the front page as the lead. Vien Dong Daily and VHN-TV (still in litigation) came.
The most vocal and vociferous opponents of Brian Doan’s photo turned out to be all talk and no action. SBTN-TV (yes, that SBTN), Viet Bao daily newspaper, and Little Saigon’s most prominent protest instigator Viet Dzung‘s Radio Bolsa – all of whom were so heaping abuses upon Brian Doan when he was exhibiting at VAALA, were nowhere to be seen and not reporting one word on Cypress College.
What Lactan Nuygen did get, however, was grassroot support. Non-famous people came out in droves, chanting and raising signs. The college’s students and faculty also gathered to watch.
The signs are actually recycled from Nuygen’s 2006 campaign for Garden Grove City Council.
At one point, James Du showed up. He’s the individual who has been counter-protesting in support of Viet Weekly. 
He came and stood there with his sign and a quilt that meshes together the two flags of Vietnam – which is sort of easy to do because they’re both of the same colors: the color yellow and the color red. Except that one is red-and-yellow and the other is yellow-and-red.
MILITARIZATION OF A POLITICAL PROCESS :
Who are fighting communist now ? most are Vietnamese war vets or prisoners .
* The fight for Freedom in Vietnam should not ONLY be about your military experience of the war, should not ONLY be about your past moments of glory.
* Your selection of people is flaw : Only people with past war records could be trusted. The communist utilized the same background criteria for their own regime : people with war records. How are you different from them ?
* The fight for freedom in Vietnam is for better future for all Vietnamese.
* 65% of Vietnamese population were born after 1975, these generations have little concept of the war, and have little to do with the war.
* All Vietnamese demand more social justice, not another war.
* the current militarization of a political/social process has hurt the cause, instead of broadening out to include all Vietnamese from all walks of life.
* Street protest has become daily event which creates a stigmatized image of mob rule, of radicalism for general public. More street rallies are being staged against internal Vietnamese members for local and trivial political purposes.
* So, glorifying your past with prominent display of your military uniforms and medals has very limited political appeal (25% minority).
* The more you remind general public of the past war, the further away they move from you.
* if you want to show you are just an ordinary person : farmers, teachers, carpenters, or shop owners.
DROP YOUR MILITARY FATIGUES, AND PUT ON YOUR FARMER CLOTHES.
( Only if you honestly want to fight for farmers and teachers, and carpenters in Vietnam )
Do these people have a job?
These old farts should have use the same energy to fight the commies before 1975.
From the look of it, Only about 70 or so protestors showed up and they’re all eligible for Medicaid. Hero of the last protest, the red-panties-wearing hero Ly Tong, is predictably nowhere to be found.
pho 75
These people know very well their situation, then and now. If they fought the commies before 1975 with the same energy, the South Vietnam may have been saved, but their own lives may have been lost. But now, fighting those targets like Brian Doan’s photo won’t do a harm for them. They will go coffee day dreaming the next day, and still got an SSI check by the end of each month. Hope that explained your question.
Tooi viee’t tiee’ng Viee.t ddee? cho nhu*~ng ddoo`ng ba`o cu?a tooi hiee?u.
Ma(. a’o li’nh troong oai nghi thaa.t. nhu*ng ddi biee?u ti`nh tranh ddaa’u choo’ng ngu*o*i` daan su* thi` troong xaa’u hoo? la’(m. Viee.c mi`nh bi. Coo.ng sa?n ha`nh ha. trong qu’a khu*’ cu~ng khoong cho phe’p mi`nh la`m viee.c too`i ba.i trong hiee.n ta.i. Nee’u trong qua’ khu*’ bi. ha`nh ha. khoong co’ thi` gio*` ho.c dda.o ddu*’c thi` bay gio*` ra?nh roo~i roo`i, ha~y ho.c va` thu*.c ha`nh dda.o ddu*’c ddi, khoong bao gio*` tree~ hee’t.
“Ky? So*? Baa’t Du.c Vaa.t Thi U* Nhaan” co’ nghi~a la` ddiee`u gi` mi`nh khoong muoo’n ai la`m cho mi`nh thi mi`nh khoong la`m cho ngu*o*`i ta. Mi`nh khoong muoo’n ai dda`n a’p tu*. do tu* tu*o*?ng va` pha’t biee?u cu?a mi`nh thi` mi`nh ddu*`ng dd`an a’p tu*. do tu* tu*o*?ng va` pha’t bieeu? cua? ngu*o*`i kha’c!
Ha~y giu*~ su*. thu` haa.n coo.ng sa?n o*? trong nha`. Khi ra ngoa`i ddu*o*`ng thi` pha?i cu* xu*? nhu* ngu*o*`i va(n minh.
Maa’y chu.c na(m tru*o*’c tooi cu~ng hay ddi biee?u ti`nh choo’ng coo.ng. Sau na`y suy nghi~ va` kha?o cu*’u ky~ ca`ng, tooi thaa’y ca`ng biee?u ti`nh nhiee`u chu*`ng na`o ca`ng la`m cho Viee.t Coo.ng co’ chi’nh nghi~a nhiee`u chu*`ng naa’y!
Va`i lo*`i taam su*. tha`nh thu*.c., khoong vi` ghe’t bo?, ma` vi` ti`nh thu*o*ng ddoo`ng ba`o ruoo.t thi.t ma` thooi.
Another good coverage by Mr. Bolsavik; great pictures and narration. I have to give these protesters respect for their conviction – no supporting groups around. It’s a razor thin line being perceived as either a hero or a fool. In this case, not a hero nor a fool. Rock on gentlemen.
Red-panties-wearing hero Ly Tong is busy getting his rear end waxed. He’ll be ready for the next protest.
Hey, the sign in the big photo conveys two messages:
1. The man holding it could be a supporter of Brian Doan
2. Nobody tries to avoid the use of ambiguous language. Where were members of the Thanh Nien Co Vang when you need them.
Instead of fighting to win the release of Dieu Cay, The Bolsavik and Tien Huynh are lecturing the Viet community how to excercise their first amendment. Shame on you!!!!!!
@Gossipsaigon
Instead of fighting to win the release of Dieu Cau, you punks want to lecture the Vietnamese community about your past military glory.
@Gossipsaigon
SHAME ON YOU ! ! !
@Gossipsaigon,
You claim to fight for freedom and democracy, and you do not want people to talk about freedom and democracy ?
Fighting for the release of Dieu Cau, and many others in Vietnam requires some basic understanding of what kind of freedom we have here and how we can use it to our advantage. You have no clue about democratic process, you only want all to follow you, little dictator.
@Gossipsaigon,
You seems to be very slow to understand this basic political reality, after 30 years.
or you need another 30 years.
** The more you remind general public of the past war, the further away they move from you **
@Gossipsaigon
Instead of fighting to win the release of Dieu Cau, you punks want to use the protest to mask your true motive of promoting your local candidate Lac Tan
@Gossipsaigon
Instead of fighting to win the release of Dieu Cau, you punks want to attack powerless Vietnamese youths. Take on your own people who are supporting communist right now, like your local vietnamese banks, and real estate offices.
Shame on you for lying about your people supporting communist.
Everybody knows that the dice are loaded
Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed
Everybody knows that the war is over
Everybody knows the good guys lost
Everybody knows the fight was fixed
The poor stay poor, the rich get rich
That’s how it goes
Everybody knows
…
@Hoa Viet
Everyone knows the game is fixed.
Everyone knows all the money is there to pick.
Everyone knows politics could make one rich.
Everyone knows lies often enough to become true.
How come the Bolsavik and Tien Huynh don’t have the gut to lecture the protesters in this article how to excercise their first amendment??? Is that because it is American territory???? You guys only dare to pick on your own people. Why don’t you take on the mainstream America????? Shame on you!!!!!!!!
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/02/19/chimp.cartoon.apology/index.html
@Gossipsaigon,
Do try to get away.
Which of your friends are supporting communist ? the ones at the bank or the ones at you real estate office.
@gossipsaigon,
How come you punk don’t have the gut to lecture President Bush in this picture how terrible communism is.
You punks should pick on people of your own size.
Why dont’s you punks take on the mainstream American media which has portrayed SVN leadership as corrupt and incompetent for the past 45 years, as orchestrated by President Nixon as a way to leave Vietnam.
Shame on you for picking on little people.
http://www.knowyourpresident.org/bush%20ho%20chi%20minh2b.jpg
GOSSIPSAIGON:
Sir, while I applaud your sense of fairness on behalf of the protesters, I have to say that Mr. Bolsavik feels that Brian Doan has as much right to display his work as the protesters protesting. If you can, go back a few weeks, you will read these exact words verbalized by Mr. Bolsavik to a reporter from a mainstream (non-Viet) newspaper.
I think that Mr. Bolsavik does believe in individual expression without the sheep-like mentality, and if you read this article carefully, you will find the irony that these common folk risk public humiliation and embarrassment to speak their mind without the aid of “professional” protesters. For this reason, I respect these individuals immensely, but this does not mean that I agree with their action.
When both sides are screaming, I don’t think anybody is listening !
I hate both Brian Doan’s art, and the protesters.
I agreed, is is sad to see our own people go against each other ! If we only know better . . .
Ca_uong, if you have the opportunity to cross Central and Northern California where vegetables and fruits are grown, you will find the same striking beauty seen in some of Brian Doan’s pictures in his Echoes of the Land collection. He is correct to use the chromatic process to truly capture the vibrant contrast of the sky and land. I agree with his view that we human beings are part of the landscape.
I have seen and witnessed the panorama and vista, and they resemble Brian Doan’s pictures and message.
Li’l Saigon,
* I just do not like this particular Brian’s artwork, not his whole portfolio.
* I just do not like protester’s tactics, not their goals of freedom for Vietnam. They simple do not know how to do it.
My observations :
1. Older folks have too many ties with communist Vietnam, while claiming to be anti-communist. A number of anti-communist leaders are doing profitable business with red commie right now.
2. Younger group just do not care. They are confused by what being taught at school with what being told at home.