Granny Peace Brigade Blog

On October 3rd Peace Action Staten Island at a festive event made reference to four of its members, mentioning their activities in promotion of peace – Hesham El-Meligy (Community Activist), Thomas Good (Editor of ‘Next Left Notes’ and photojournalist), Sylvia Zaage (Peace Action Membership Coordinator), and me, Barbara Walker (Granny Peace Brigade). I had an opportunity to say the following about the problem of our high schools as a focus for military recruitment:

We are extremely concerned about the military recruitment activities in our high schools — especially knowing the horror of the on-going unwarranted wars in Iraq and in Afghanistan. There is of course warfare, with heroics, of the Hollywood movies (two exceptions being the realism of “Saving Private Ryan” and “The Hurt Locker”). But the military mother of a marine serving in Afghanistan wrote this — “The most dangerous enemy in the form of roadside bombs can neither be engaged nor defeated.” In these wars our young military are mainly cannon fodder. Young people usually look at me blankly when I say this and so I explain — earlier definition: soldiers subject to the risk of being wounded or killed by artillery; now there are so many more means of being wounded or killed. These days non-military, well paid contractors often hold down the less deadly categories of jobs. As of May 2009, 54 per cent of our military killed were younger than 25 years old. A very fit looking army veteran said to me one day when we were protesting Junior ROTC – he said “I agree.” I thought he agreed with the JROTC Prgram but he did not. He said high schoolers should not be a focus for military recruitment.

I am certainly aware of the current shrinkage in job opportunities and so are the recruiters. But there are options other than military enlistment for life after high school, such as community service, for example, AMERICORPS; there are scholarships for training.

Please be certain that “Opt-Out Forms” are turned in each year to the principal’s office to block the school’s provision of the student’s contact information to military recruitment offices, as is otherwise required under the “No Child Left Behind Act.”

Of course the military spends billions of dollars and has many means of achieving its recruitment goals — so your savvy is required.

- Barbara Walker
for the Granny Peace Brigade

I sometimes wear a pin that I have from the early 1970s – Boycott War Toys.  Much has changed since then in the design and development of war toys.  The Pentagon has an active role and enormous budget for developing, along with public relations and advertising firms,  the military message through children’s toys, teen games, video and movies.  Military personnel were involved in the making of the film Transformers in adding authenticity to the battle scenes.  The military has partnered with Sears allowing the company to use a military insignia on camouflage  clothing they sell, making it more appealing to kids.  We are all aware of the Army Experience Center in the mall outside of Philly.  There, youth are encouraged to try out her/his skills, ‘win’ against the enemy, rack up more dead terrorists than your friend, and give us your personal information.

Schools have JROTC with a military presence in the hallways and assemblies.  The NYC Department of Education has agreed to an after-school  military lifestyles athletic program at 9 local HSs.  The question of access and recruitment  becomes paramount whenever military are inside the schools.

Nowadays, there are few outlets for many kids to escape war toys, battle challenges, and violent games – it’s exciting, macho and everyone does it.  “We know the difference between real killing and video games.”  “Some of the games are really not so bloody – they’re boring.”  But do they know that there is no reset button in war?

Winning the hearts and minds of youth is at the center of  the Pentagon’s advertising initiatives.  They don’t give something away for nothing.  Military personnel have noted that even if the kids don’t enlist, they will have been exposed to a military mode  of thinking.  Their heads and hearts will have been won over for future wars.  Students will understand military initiatives, the battle of good and evil, the need to win, war as a game, patriotism, authoritarian leadership.

It’s not the old game where kids made up there own stories and scenarios – soldiers, guns, knights, swords,  cowboys and Indians, no matter how much we detested it back then.  Now it’s about ongoing war, ongoing training, and development of positive attitudes toward the military.  The myths and adventure live on – how long will our kids be safe from the military, industrial, entertainment, media, corporate culture.

The GPB stands firmly to end wars, to stop the next war, and to bring our troops home. We should stand just as firmly to protect our kids’ minds, bodies and well being from the Pentagon’s on-going crusade to win them over – whether in school, at home or at the movies.

Peace,
- Barbara Harris
for the Granny Peace Brigade