Boycott VVAWAI products
Vietnam Veterans Against the War
Anti-Imperialist tramples on artists' rights

For the past several years, Vietnam Veterans Against the War Anti-Imperialist (VVAWAI) have carried two items through their on-line store - a T-shirt and a bumpersticker with the appropriate slogan "I'd rather be smashing imperialism." The problem is, they have produced and sold this merchandise without crediting me, the artist who originated the slogan and has repeatedly protected its abuse from commercial vendors. The only authorized vendor for items bearing this slogan is Donnelly/Colt Progressive Resources. All of the royalties have gone to Groundwork Books in San Diego, a collectively-owned progressive community resource, of which I was a founding member.

All I have asked from VVAWAI is for name credit on the items, not for any royalty payments; I am generally supportive of movement organizations benefiting from the profits with my permission. Yet despite agreement to my request as far back as May 8, 2005 they have not complied or followed up on further correspondence.

Movement organizations must respect and support movement cultural workers. Because VVAWAI has refused to honor a basic request for artistic credit, I am taking the difficult step of asking progressives to boycott their products and challenge their actions until they comply. VVAWAI can be reached at <vvawai@oz.net>

Please contact me if you have any questions. Thank you.
Lincoln Cushing, Docs Populi, 12/22/2007 updated 4/23/2021
lcushing "at" igc.org