Grannies' Stories

A Birthday Surprise: A Wishful Fantasy

By Corinne Willinger - August, 2006

On October 17, 2005, the good Ggrannies of the Granny Peace Brigade celebrated my 78th birthday by trying to enter the Times Square Armed forces recruiting Center to attempt to bring me the best birthday gift I could wish for: the return home of U.S. personnel from Iraq. They were willing to pay for that enormous gift by sacrificing themselves; by volunteering to join the armed forces and go to Iraq to replace the young men and women fighting and dying there for no observable or rational reason.

The GPB grannies knew of my wish for the return of the young people to their homes and families, where they could continue developing their skills and abilities and continue on their paths toward producing families and watching their children grow would make me and all the grannies very happy.

They knew how unhappy I’ve been as have they, to see how this country has betrayed all of its promises for correcting, continuing and enlarging its quest for democratic government, fair treatment, honest judgment, equal evaluation and determination, and principled conduct. They knew how the actions of this government have endangered us all, condemned innocents to prison, conducted persecution and torture, lied, trampled on our constitutional rights, and remained secretive about its functions. And how they committed the worst crime to justify these despicable actions: the invasion of a sovereign country thousands of miles from our shores, and the concomitant commitment of young people in the prime of their lives.

But alas, the good grannies were prevented from presenting me with this wonderful gift of helping to end the disastrous occupation of Iraq. The recruiters at the Times Square Center had locked their doors. The grannies sat down in front of the Center, shouting, “We insist that we enlist,” to no avail. Police warned them to go home, and when they remained seated, they were arrested and jailed for disorderly conduct and blocking the doorway of the Recruiting Center.

The GPB grannies suffered serious hardships to present me with my birthday present, which could also have let the world know that the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq has been used to trample on the democratic principles of this country. They felt that my birthday present would include the resurrection of the dying principles of this country.

They protested their forced detention and the belligerence of the United States in warring against another country and dictating how the world must conduct itself, and of ignoring the needs and rights of its own people in the service, maintenance and control of the world’s wealth, kept in the hands of the already wealthy and powerful.

During the late fall and long wither they were ordered to appear before a judge several times. Before each arraignment they protested with speeches, songs, dances and marches. On Valentine’s Day, February 2006, they were joined across the country by many other women and granny groups demonstrating to end the Iraq War. Some tried to join the Armed Forces as we had done.

The trial of the GPB grannies began April 20th and ended April 28th . The GPB Grannies were found “Not Guilty” of all charges. We celebrated our acquittal the next day by helping to lead a huge Anti-War march in New York City.

The grannies have continued their demonstrations: they went on an eleven day “Trek” beginning at the Times Square Army Recruiting Center on June 24th and ending on July 4th 2006 in Washington D.C., visiting ten towns and centers along the way, and demonstrating for peace with anti-war groups. In Philadelphia, they helped their sister GPBers get arrested. It is hoped that by October 17, 2006, all armed forces personnel will have left Iraq.

On that birthday, I’m going to request that the Granny Peace Brigade grannies give me a birthday gift of returning all U.S. armed personnel home from bases in Afghanistan, Germany, South Korea, Pakistan, Okinawa in Japan, Britain, Israel, Kosovo, Uzbekistan; from the Persian Gulf States of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates, in addition to the 14 bases being built in Iraq, and in other countries, totaling almost 800 overseas bases. This doesn’t include bases in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories, nor the over 2,000 bases within the United States.