Quieter Lives for 60’s Militants, but Intensity of Beliefs Hasn’t Faded

From The New York Times, an article about the Weather Underground.  I was particularly interested in the quote late in the article from Brian Flanagan.  He did appear to be more “rueful” than the others in the film, something he says isn’t a true portrayal.  This article also highlights some of those who are anti-Weather Underground, feeling they got off easy for their crimes.  But, then, the WU members would say that is typical:  while black radicals were killed outright, these young often well-off white kids did their deeds, went underground, then emerged later only to have their charges dropped.  Flanagan gets quoted a lot: “When you feel you have right on your side, you can do some pretty horrific things.”  So, it seems that the filmmakers used Flanagan as a way to show a different side of the Underground.  And, unlike the NY Times article, the film doesn’t interview any WU members who are now completely negative towards the group.