BAUAW NEWSLETTER APRIL 8, 2005

LYNNE STEWART WILL BE FEATURED SPEAKER
AT THE MASS RALLY FOR MUMIA ABU JAMAL,
2 P.M., SUNDAY APRIL 24
AT MISSION HIGH SCHOOL (18TH & DOLORES, SF)

Sunday, April 24: Lynne will be the featured speaker at a 2 pm
Mission High School mass rally (18th and Dolores) for Mumia
Abu-Jamal. The rally includes a concert by Michael Franti. Pam Africa
will also speak as well as Mumia's lead counsel, Robert R. Bryan and
Bay Area National Lawyers Guild Executive Director, Carlos
Villarreal. This will be the main event of Lynne's tour. Mumia will
record greeting for the rally.

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REPORT ON GEORGE WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL
COUNTER-RECRUITMENTTABLE, TUESDAY, APRIL 5

Dear Readers,

We had a very successful counter-recruitment table at George
Washington High School Tuesday, April 5.

We were able to hand out many flyers about the upcoming counter-
recruitment conference at City College this weekend
(see announcement #1, below.) Campus Antiwar Network helped
at the table, as did a few others from our group. Stephen Funk came
on his own wearing a "veterans against the war" T-shirt and
was fantastically effective in talking to young people considering
military service. When asked to leave the area near the military
recruiters' tables because it was reserved for the members of
the military, Stephen quickly pointed out that he, too, was
a member of the military. They left him alone after that.

We were stopped after about an hour and a half, from handing
out flyers in front of the military recruitment tables. Except for
this, the day was very positive. Most of the students seemed to
be against the war and not interested in joining the military.
It was interesting to see the how the military tables drew kids
over to them by having all kinds of key chains, stickers, and
other emblematic trinkets to distribute free. Of course, the
kids went for everybody's free stuff, including ours.

Here are some observations about the experience that will be
helpful to help make these tables more successful.

First of all, our table was arranged by calling the school career
counselor. We told the counselor we would like to set up
a counter-recruitment table and that we would have material
on the table designed to convince kids not to enlist in the
military and to recruit young people to the peace and anti-
recruitment movement. She and the principal agreed to allow
the table and were quite friendly to us. Both stated they
were against the war.

When we arrived there were helpers to bring the material
up to the location of the fair. We were assigned a table at
the opposite end of a long hallway far from the military.
We mentioned to the school career counselor that the object
of us being there was to approach those students who are
considering joining the military so we would like our table
to be near to theirs. She said it was out of the question and
they purposefully kept us as far apart as possible to avoid
any conflict.

We consulted amongst ourselves and decided that since we
can't move our table, we should flyer the students who
approached the military tables. We were not talking except
one-to-one with students who asked questions as they took
a flyer. We were in front of their tables for at least an hour
and a half without incident. Stephen Funk kept close by the
recruiters, also, and quietly spoke to students who approached
him because he was wearing a Veterans Against the War T-shirt.

At a certain point the school career counselor asked us not
to flyer near the military tables and asked us to go back to
our table in response to a complaint from the military
recruiters and were threatened with physical removal by
six police officers if we didn't stop.

We need to check if we have the right to flyer under these
circumstances. In fact, the whole issue of free speech at the
high schools has to be addressed by the movement. If the
students are old enough to be recruited to the military, they
are old enough to hear debate about the war and about
military on school grounds as well.

The ruckus the military made over flyering, itself, was
a clear sign of it's lack of faith in an atmosphere of free
thought and critical thinking-an atmosphere every school
should have.

A wonderful tool to show the principal was the U.S. Army's
own Recruitment Training handbook. It states clearly in
chapter 1.1 exactly why there is a military presence in our
schools, i.e., to have a school-recruiting program with the
goal, "to own the school".

We need to address the concerns of school administrators,
teachers, students and, very importantly, the students'
parents about the affect of military presence in our schools.
This school principal was sincerely against the war. There
was a huge peace sign facing outside the school building.
But his vision of equality was that we got this one table,
this year, at his school while the military had daily access
to students through JROTC programs. He had to acknowledge
that this was true. After reading the military recruitment
handbook, he began to understand where we were coming
from. And he is open to some educational suggestions for
inclusion of antiwar curriculum, etc. and will welcome us
back again to have a table at the next career day, or to meet
with him about other ideas we may have. We should establish
liaisons to the schools and begin to design curriculum for the
schools along these lines.

The counter-recruitment table was great. We need much more
close contact with these students and their parents and our
schools than we have now and this was a good beginning.
One idea we had was to visit parent-teacher conference evenings
and set up a table with the opt-out forms and information
about military recruitment at the schools and try to get the
parents who are opposed to the war involved in expressing their
opinion-so that the JROTC is not the only voice heard from. As
a matter of fact, the military is targeting parents in their latest
advertising campaign to convince them that the military will
give their kids all the opportunities that they can't afford to
give them.

It was very refreshing to talk to students one on one. We got
a very warm reception and people thanked us for having the
table there. One of the teachers even confessed that she didn't
sign her class up for career day because she didn't want her
students exposed to the military at all.

In discussing ways to reach the school community we came
up with the idea of having "Vermont-style" town hall meetings
at the high-schools in the evening so that parents are more
likely to attend with their kids; as well as assemblies in the
schools devoted to this issue. Again, this is another possible
chance to bring the peace movement up close and personal
with the entire school community, and not leave them to the
likes of JROTC.

The military has a virtually unlimited budget. We received
generous donations of printed material from groups for this
table, which made it very attractive to students. Yet we had
no budget for this. This shows how much more we can
accomplish when we work together.

Counter-recruitment is a very powerful aspect of the antiwar
movement. We can affect the number of new recruits the
military gets. It was very effective all of us working together
at George Washington High School last Tuesday.

We hope this is just the beginning of an ongoing and massive
program of counter-recruitment in the High Schools. These
kids are the meat and potatoes of the giant U.S. Military-
industrial monster. We need to pull its feeding tube, for sure.

Yours in peace and solidarity,

Bonnie Weinstein, Bay Area United Against War

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McLibel
COMING SOON TO A THEATER NEAR YOU!

PROMOTING UNHEALTHY FOOD
McDonald's promote their food as
'nutritious,' but the reality is that it is
processed junk food - high in fat,
sugar and salt, and low in fiber and
vitamins. A diet of this type is linked
to greater risk for heart disease, cancer,
diabetes and other diseases.
The food also contains many chemical
additives, some of which may
cause ill health and hyperactivity in
children. Modern intensive farming
and production methods are geared
to maximizing profits, resulting in the
widespread use of chemicals and unhealthy
practices which also affect
people's health (e.g. BSE and food
poisoning).
EXPLOITING WORKERS
Workers in the fast food industry are
paid low wages. Pressure to keep
profits high and wage costs low results
in understaffing, so staffs have
to work harder and faster. As a consequence,
accidents (particularly
burns) are common. The majority of
employees are people who have few
job options and so have no alternative
to being bossed around and
exploited - and they're compelled to
'smile' too! Not surprisingly, staff turnover
at McDonald's is high, making it
virtually impossible to unionize and
fight for a better deal. This suits
McDonald's who have always been
opposed to workers' rights and
Unions. Pay and conditions are even
worse for the workers toiling in
sweatshops in China to produce
McDonald's 'happy meal' toys.
DAMAGING THE ENVIRONMENT
Every year McDonald's uses over a
million tons of unnecessary plastic
and paper packaging, the production
of which requires environmentally
damaging chemicals and degradation
of forests. Most of the packaging
ends up littering our streets or polluting
the land buried in landfill sites.
The heavy use of chemicals in modern
agriculture and the effluent created
by intensive farming causes pollution
of land and water, harming
wildlife, plants and the soil.
CAUSING CRUELTY TO ANIMALS
The menus of the burger chains are
based on the torture and murder of
millions of animals. Most are intensively
farmed, with no access to fresh
air and sunshine, and no freedom of
movement. Their short lives are cruel
and their deaths are barbaric -
'humane slaughter' is a myth. We
have the choice to eat meat or not,
but the billions of animals slaughtered
for food each year have no
choice at all.
ROBBING THE POOR
The demands made by multinationals
for cheap food supplies result in the
exploitation of agricultural workers
throughout the world. Vast areas of
land in poor countries are used for
cash crops or for cattle ranching, or
to grow grain to feed animals eaten in
the West. This is at the expense of
local food needs. McDonald's continues
to promote meat products, encouraging
people to eat meat more
often, which wastes more food resources.
Seven million tons of grain
fed to livestock produces only one
million tons of meat and by-products.
On a plant-based diet and with land
shared fairly, almost every region
could be self-sufficient in food.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Food is central to our everyday lives,
yet we have virtually no control over
its production and distribution. The
way we eat and think about food is
being manipulated by these powerful
institutions' sophisticated marketing
campaigns. Yet, despite its strenuous,
feel-good marketing efforts,
McDonald's is widely despised, and
its 'reputation' and that of the fast
food industry in general - continues to
sink.
Every year, on Oct. 16, there is the
World Day of Action against McDonald's
and all they stand for - with pickets
and demonstrations occurring all
over the world. Together we can fight
back against the institutions, which
currently control our lives and our
planet, and we can create a better
society without exploitation or oppression.
Workers can and do organize
together to fight for their rights
and dignity. People are increasingly
aware of the need to think seriously
about the food our children and we
eat. Environmental and animal rights
protests and campaigns are growing
everywhere. People in poor countries
are organizing themselves to stand
up to multinationals and banks, which
dominate the world's economy.
Why not join in the struggle for a
better world?
Talk to friends, family, neighbors and
workmates about these issues.
Please copy and circulate this leaflet
as widely as you can.
McDonald's spends over US$2 billion
worldwide every year on advertising
and promotions, trying to cultivate an
image of being a 'caring' and 'green'
company that is also a fun place to eat.
Children are lured in - dragging their
parents behind them - with the promise
of toys and other gimmicks. But
behind the smiling face of Ronald
McDonald lies the reality: McDonald's only
interest is in making profits from

whoever and whatever they can, just like all
multinationals. The company's sales are
$40 billion a year. The continual
worldwide expansion of fast food chains
means more uniformity, less choice
and the undermining of local communities.
What's Wrong
With
McDonald's?
LEAFLET your local McDonald's!
Support www.McSpotlight.org
Go see the "McLibel" film and tell your friends about it!

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1) College Not Combat at the Campus Anti-war
Network (CAN) Conference
Where: City College of San Francisco
50 Phelan Ave., SF (by Balboa Park)
Creative Arts 313 (also known as A313)
(schedule below)
http://www.campusantiwar.net/
index.php?option=content&task=view&id=74&Itemid=34

2) Justice for New Americans Fundraiser
Sunday, April 17, 2005 2:00 p.m.
San Jose Repertory Theatre
"Making Tracks" is a rock muscial that tells stories
of seven generations of Asian Americans in America.
See www.makingtracks.com
J4na mailing list
J4na@justicefornewamericans.org
http://justicefornewamericans.org/mailman/listinfo/j4na

3) Benefit for Military Resisters
and Iraq Veterans Against the War
Old-Time Square Dance with LIVE Music! Saturday, April 30, 2005
Potrero Hill Neighborhood House
953 De Haro St., San Francisco
(at 22nd St. overlooking SF General Hospital)
Social & Introductions: 6 pm - 7:30 pm
Dance: 7:30 pm - 11 pm
$10-$30 sliding scale / $5 students
FEATURING
The Stairwell Sisters
http://www.stairwellsisters.com
with calling by Evie Ladin
"wild, hard dance music...infectious" - Oakland Tribune
AND
The Squirrelly Stringband
http://www.spectacularopticals.com/SQUIRRELLY.swf
The Bernal Hill Stringband and other special guests!

4) VOICES IN WARTIME
OPENS IN S.F. APRIL 15, 2005
Landmark Lumiere 3
1572 California Street
San Francisco, CA 94109

5) Caterpillar Free Zone
Please sign the online petition, Caterpillar:
Stop Bulldozing Palestinian
Lives no later than April 10 in time for Caterpillar
Inc.'s annual shareholders' meeting in Chicago on April

6) LOCAL UPCOMING ANTIWAR EVENTS:
*ANSWER Film Series on Vietnam
*Made in Palestine Art Exhibit
*Local 2 Hotel Worker Pickets
*Help organize for April 30 Rally
*ANSWER Activist Meeting
Call 415-821-6545 for more information on the following
upcoming events.

7) Anti-Recruitment Efforts Needed Now More Than Ever
By Jack Dalton
Feb 25, 2005
http://www.axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/article_15954.shtml

8) UPDATE ON THE CITY 4: STUDENTS REINSTATED!
CampusAntiwarNetwork@yahoogroups.com

9) Iraq is Becoming 'Free Fraud' Zone (LINK ONLY)
Corruption In Iraq Under US-Led CPA
May Dwarf UN Oil-For-Food Scandal
by Tom Regan
Published on Friday, April 8, 2005
by the Christian Science Monitor
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0408-09.htm

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1) College Not Combat at the Campus Anti-war
Network (CAN) Conference
Where: City College of San Francisco
50 Phelan Ave., SF (by Balboa Park)
Creative Arts 313 (also known as A313)
(schedule below)
http://www.campusantiwar.net/
index.php?option=content&task=view&id=74&Itemid=34

Hey All,

A wave of counter-recruitment activism is sweeping the
nation! Military recruiters continue to miss
recruitment goals and are stepping up their tactics in
order to hit their summer numbers. Because of this we
need to act with a sense of urgency if we are going to
continue to win this fight.

Please join College Not Combat at the Campus Anti-war
Network (CAN) Conference this weekend, as we present a
ballot initiative aimed at getting the recruiters out
of our schools and at raising money for education by
taxing the rich! This ballot initiative can play an
important role in helping to build a strong
anti-war/counter-recruitment movement, and can be a
real resource for students who are trying to go to
college. We shouldn't have to bargain with military
recruiters - jobs and education are our right!

The Details...

When: 1:00 PM Saturday April 9th

Where: City College of San Francisco
50 Phelan Ave., SF (by Balboa Park)
Creative Arts 313 (also known as A313)

9:00-9:30 Registration (donations very welcome as
the event will be "catered")
9:30-10:00 Agenda and Keynote Address
10:00-10:45 State of the Counter-Recruitment Movement
10:45-11:00 Break
11:00-12:00 Workshop Session #1
12:00-1:00 Lunch ("catered")
1:00-2:00 Workshop Session #2
2:00-3:45 Proposals/Discussion
3:45-4:00 Break
4:00-5-00 Voting

Educational workshops will be held on The Iraqi Resistance, History and
Future of US Imperialsim in the middle east, Palestine, and the Case
Against Recruitment.

Action oriented workshops will be held on "How to Kick Recruiters off your
Campus," "How to Start a CAN chapter," and "How to Opt out of Military
Service."

San Francisco City College is located at 50 Phelan Ave, San Francisco, CA.
It is accessible by BART and MUNI at the Balboa Park MUNI station. I've
attached a small map.

If you have any questions feel free to contact me at
damphouse@yahoo.com or 650-364-6156.
* To visit your group on the web, go to:
* http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MOOS-BAY/

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2) Justice for New Americans Fundraiser
Sunday, April 17, 2005 2:00 p.m.
San Jose Repertory Theatre
"Making Tracks" is a rock muscial that tells stories
of seven generations of Asian Americans in America.
See www.makingtracks.com
J4na mailing list
J4na@justicefornewamericans.org
http://justicefornewamericans.org/mailman/listinfo/j4na

Then followed by a fundraiser with reading of transcripts of the case that
highlights FBI's interrogation of Wen Ho Lee and Judge Parker's apology,
followed by an award ceremony and a reception.
Ticket available for sale at www.j4na.org

Cecilia L. Chang
Justice for New Americans
P.O. Box 120
Fremont, CA 94537
510 537-2929
510 537-3340 fax
www.j4na.org

J4na mailing list
J4na@justicefornewamericans.org
http://justicefornewamericans.org/mailman/listinfo/j4na

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3) Benefit for Military Resisters
and Iraq Veterans Against the War
Old-Time Square Dance with LIVE Music! Saturday, April 30, 2005
Potrero Hill Neighborhood House
953 De Haro St., San Francisco
(at 22nd St. overlooking SF General Hospital)
Social & Introductions: 6 pm - 7:30 pm
Dance: 7:30 pm - 11 pm
$10-$30 sliding scale / $5 students
FEATURING
The Stairwell Sisters
http://www.stairwellsisters.com
with calling by Evie Ladin
"wild, hard dance music...infectious" - Oakland Tribune
AND
The Squirrelly Stringband
http://www.spectacularopticals.com/SQUIRRELLY.swf
The Bernal Hill Stringband and other special guests!

ANTI WAR EVENT TO SUPPORT A CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR:
All dances taught! Beginners welcome!
The most fun you could have for the best cause!
All proceeds to benefit the defense of Pablo Paredes
(swiftsmartveterans.com) and Iraq Veterans Against the War
(ivaw.net). To protest the Iraq War, Petty Officer Third Class
Pablo Paredes publicly refused to deploy to the Middle East and
is now facing military courts martial. IVAW is a newly formed
organization of recent Iraq veterans opposed to the ongoing war
and occupation.

Benefit hosted by Not in Our Name, Code Pink, Iraq Veterans
Against the War, International Socialist Organization, College
Not Combat, Courage to Resist, Freedom Socialist Party, Queers
for Peace and Justice/SF, Radical Women, and Bay Area United
Against War.

Public transit: Muni 19 bus from Civic Center BART (8th Street) -
outbound toward Hunters Point.

"Combine this band's vocal prowess with skilled
multi-instrumental chops and a hellbent-for-leather attitude, and
you have a wild funky recording... Brittle, hard-edged, exciting
ensemble singing... in which the Stairwell Sisters rocket into
the high lonesome stratosphere." - Old-Time Herald

For more information and leaflets:
http://bayarea.notinourname.net
510-601-8000

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4) VOICES IN WARTIME
OPENS IN S.F. APRIL 15, 2005
Landmark Lumiere 3
1572 California Street
San Francisco, CA 94109

---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*

5) Caterpillar Free Zone
Please sign the online petition, Caterpillar:
Stop Bulldozing Palestinian
Lives no later than April 10 in time for Caterpillar
Inc.'s annual shareholders' meeting in Chicago on April 13.
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/stopcat/
Caterpillar Free Zone
loumorgan2003@yahoo.com

Tomorrow morning, Tuesday 29th
March, party leaders on Limerick City
Council will consider a motion put
forward by the Ireland Palestine
Solidarity Campaign to declare
Limerick City the worlds first
Caterpillar
Free Zone.

The motion calls on the City Council
to ban the use of all Caterpillar plant
and machinery on Council worksites
from January 1st 2006, and calls on
all traders in Limerick City to implement
a voluntary ban on the sale of
Caterpillar merchandise.

On April 13th Caterpillar shareholders
meet in Chicago and will discuss a resolution
on the sale of bulldozers to Israel. The
potential domino effect of a City declaring
itself a Caterpillar Free Zone will not go
unnoticed by the shareholders.

We need your help - please email the City
Council info@limerickcity.ie or better still
phone the Mayors office (353) 61 415799
and encourage the councilors to support
the motion and congratulate them for
being the first city in the world to
consider such a motion.

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6) LOCAL UPCOMING ANTIWAR EVENTS:
*ANSWER Film Series on Vietnam
*Made in Palestine Art Exhibit
*Local 2 Hotel Worker Pickets
*Help organize for April 30 Rally
*ANSWER Activist Meeting
Call 415-821-6545 for more information on the following
upcoming events.

Hanoi Tuesday the 13th
Filmed in Hanoi on December 13, 1966, this documentary records
the lives of people in the Vietnam capital and surrounding countryside
at the height of U.S. bombing. Their daily activities are presented in
a collage of images: building irrigation ditches, planting rice, fishing,
weaving...life continued despite the shower of U.S. bombs. During
these air raids, the people formed armed self-defense units so
efficient that the life of the nation was not interrupted. 40min.
1967, Spanish w/ English subtitles.

79 Springtimes of Ho Chi Minh
This film memorializes the leader of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh, on the
occasion of his death. It narrates the story of a life which is also
the story of a nation recounting his important accomplishments
in the struggle against colonialism and imperialism.The simplicity
of his ascetic life of study, work, and struggle is contrasted to
the pomp of his official funeral, where the film documents the
immense outpouring of grief by the Vietnamese people on the
death of their leader. The film's most impacting sequence is its
outcry against the Vietnam War, with scenes of anti-war protests
in the U.S. and battle scenes give way to disturbing images
of mutilated Vietnamese children. 24min. 1969,
Spanish w/ English subtitles.

Made in Palestine exhibition April 7-21
SomArts 934 Brannan St., San Francisco
Made In Palestine on view at SomArts,
San Francisco, April 7 through
April 21, 2005.

The exhibition showcases a collection of contemporary
art made by 23 Palestinian artists and refugees, who live in the
occupied territories and the Diaspora. The works on display cover a
wide range of media and present individual reflections on the
Palestinian contemporary experience and the political situation in
Palestine. The Station Museum, Houston, where the show originated,
described Made In Palestine as "the first exhibit of contemporary
Palestinian art ever displayed in the United States."
For more information, visit
http://www.justiceinpalestine.net/ or call 510-548-0542.

Support Local 2 Hotel Workers on the Picket Line

Join the picket lines and support the 4300 members of
Local 2 who have been fighting for respect on the job, decent
healthcare, fair wages and the right for non-union workers to
choose union representation in an environment free of coercion
and intimidation.

Fri. 4/8 Grand Hyatt, 345 Stockton at Post, 2pm-6pm
Tues. 4/12 Hyatt Regency, Embarcadero Center at Sacramento
& Fremont, 2pm-6pm
Thurs. 4/14 St. Francis, 335 Powell at Geary, 11am-1pm

Sat. April 9
Poster and petition for April 30 Rally
and Defend Social Security Campaign
Bush and Schwarzenegger intend to
slash virtually all remaining social services
to fund unlimited war and occupation,
while giving tax breaks to the rich. While
more than $200 million is spent every
day on war in Iraq, more than 150 vital
health, housing, education and other
programs are targeted fro complete
elimination. It must be stopped.

Help build for the exciting April 30
Mass Regional Rally to say "Defend
Social Security! Money for People's Needs -
Not War & Occupation!" Join a team with
others for an hour or two and get out in
the sun to poster for the upcoming rally
or collect signatures for the Defend Social
Security - Stop the Budget Cuts Campaign.
Time to hit the streets and organize!

San Francisco: Meet 11am at
2489 Mission St. Room 24 (at 21st St.)
East Bay: Meet 12noon 12:30 at
the MacArthur BART Parking Lot

Tues. April 12, 7pm
ANSWER Activist Meeting
2489 Mission St. Room 30 (at 21st St.), San Francisco

Join us for a political update, a report
back and discussion of recent protests
against the budget cuts and social security
"reform". Also, a report on April 30
organizing and how you can help.

A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition
Act Now to Stop War & End Racism
http://www.ANSWERcoalition.org
http://www.actionsf.org
National Office in Washington DC: 202-544-3389
New York City: 212-533-0417
Los Angeles: 323-464-1636
San Francisco: 415-821-6545
For media inquiries, call 415-821-6545.

Help the movement continue to grow strong.
You can make a tax-deductible contribution
to A.N.S.W.E.R. through a secure server by
clicking here, where you can also find
information on how to contribute by check.

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7) Anti-Recruitment Efforts Needed Now More Than Ever
By Jack Dalton
Feb 25, 2005
http://www.axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/article_15954.shtml

February 27, 2005 -- This past week here in Portland, OR, it was announced
there are eight more of Portland's schools on the chopping block to be
closed. This is not isolated to just Portland, as every state in the nation
is faced with federal funding cuts, and cut severely, necessitating even
more school closures around the country. That said, there still seems to be
enough money at the federal level for the Pentagon to spend $4 billion a
year geared toward young people 17, 18 and 19, in the military's effort to
get them to enlist.

A big chunk of the military's recruitment advertising budget is spent on,
and in, this nations high schools "selling" these young people everything
about the military and what it means to be in the military--except the
truth. Now, today, with BushCo preaching perpetual war world-wide, the
military has stepped up its efforts at selling enlisting in the military.

As these young people go off to boot camp they learn immediately how badly
they were lied to and deceived about what they would be confronted with and
ultimately have to do. Some of them have gone AWOL, some have committed
suicide, and some have developed deep depression. All have been severely
affected negatively. I have talked with too many of these young people to
not understand how badly they have been affected mentally and emotionally.

So what is this "rant", saying things you all are already aware of, about?
Just this: I've been receiving lots of emails asking me what can be done to
stop some of these recruitment efforts aimed at young people still in high
school by many people, including teachers in high schools. I wish I did
have an absolute answer to this, but like a lot of you, I am trying to
grasp all this also. That said, one thing that can and must be done, and
that is for dedicated and committed individuals to organize at the local
level.

This country, under BushCo, has driven the militarization of the nation to
an all new level, a level that is frightening, to say the least. While he
(they) preach that "...this is a time of war and sacrifices must be made..." we
all need to take a hard look at what he/they mean by that. Take a hard look
at what is meant by "sacrifices must be made", and exactly who the people
are that are making the sacrifices.

I do believe behind looking at that, you will, as have I, come to the
conclusion the only ones doing any sacrificing are the working poor, the
young people being "persuaded" into enlisting, reservists and national
guard personnel caught up in the back-door draft of "stop-loss," and you,
the working families of this nation who are being told, not asked, but told
you must send your sons and daughters into the "Heart of Darkness" that is
war currently taking place in Iraq and Afghanistan-with more wars on the
way, such as Syria, Iran, Colombia, Venezuela, the Philippines, Indonesia,
among other "targeted hot-spots" on the BushCo's agenda of control,
occupation and subjugation.

In the meantime, BushCo is doing everything possible to create the
conditions economically to, as Newt Gingrich calls it, "Starve the Beast."
A deliberate policy of creating deficits so high the only thing taxpayer
money can be spent on is the military. A deliberate policy that will create
the only open door for economic survival for the majority of this nation's
young people to be found in enlistment in the military. A few years ago
Henry Kissinger referred to those in the military as "dumb animals to do
with as we want..." Not much has changed since he made that statement, has it?

The Bush family is not sacrificing, as the Bush family is profiting nicely
from this war of choice; as are Dick Cheney and Halliburton; as are the
majority of those that are and have been a part of the BushCo promoters of
war; and as are those that are a part of Wall Street's "investor class" who
earn their living investing in the military/industrial complex. It is not
their sons and daughters that are bombarded by military recruiters in their
schools-it is your sons and daughters.

Pull together those of your friends who feel as you, that military
recruiters have no place inside this nation's schools; get together with
local veterans and veteran organizations like Veterans for Peace, Iraq
Veterans Against the War and put together an local anti-recruiter "task
force" aimed at countering the info, or lack there of, to counter the
recruitment efforts of distortion and misinformation aimed at these young
people.

Get the brochures the recruiters pass out and go down the list of
statements and create your own brochure disseminating truth and supportable
facts on every single thing the recruiters enumerate. Include information
for parents that explains that, if the schools do not allow recruiters
space during school hours, federal funding for the school can and will be
eliminated. Give them real-world examples of how they will be left to their
own devices if they go to war and come back physically and mentally injured
as those that sent them to war de-fund the Veterans Administrations Heath
Care system.

A great majority of this information is just not common knowledge, so bring
it to light. Also, all of us must be constantly on guard when confronting
those who essentially support recruiting kids and war not to get into
shouting matches, or allow them to draw you into a side discussion. Drive
all discussions right back to the topic at hand-recruiters in schools must
go, and why. A quick google search for "anti-recruitment efforts" may yield
a wealth of information that is appropriate, truthful, and factual to help
in your efforts at the local level. One thing of which I am pretty much
certain -- as local anti-recruitment efforts start taking hold, they will
spread. But it will take dedication and commitment and giving up some time
that would be spent doing other things.

Military Families Speak Out, Gold Star Families, as well as organizations
like the National Veterans Foundation, SNAFU and Citizen Soldier may be
able to help in some way with your local efforts; especially in advice and
suggestions in terms of focal points. Veterans organizations comprised of
Vietnam vets are an outstanding resource as most Nam vets understand first
hand how unwilling this nation is to take care of those it sends to war; a
lesson returning veterans of this American war in Iraq are unfortunately
now learning. They can provide an excellent counter to a great deal of the
disinformation put out by military recruiters, especially the returning
vets from Iraq and Afghanistan that are willing to speak out-and that
number is growing daily.


The only thing that will prevent anti-recruitment efforts to not only start
taking place in your individual local areas, but to start making an impact
as well, is and will be people's willingness or unwillingness to put forth
the time and effort.


As more information comes my way, I will be certain to pass it on to all of
you. As you learn of things others are doing around the country, please
pass it on to me, so that I in turn may pass it on to others-after all, we
are in this together, are we not? There is a quote from an old movie I just
absolutely love (every so often a script writer comes up with something
really good) and it goes something like this: "Change can come from the
many, but only when the many come together to form that which is
invincible-the power of one."

There are so many issues of great importance hitting us all at once and
from multiple directions that I fully understand the difficulty of trying
to sort it all out and figure out where efforts may best be applied to
maximize the chance for positive, effective change. But this we must do, or
we will become impotent to do anything. And getting behind and building
anti-recruitment efforts are things I really believe need to be at the top
of our "to-do" list, or at the least on our top ten priorities list.

The links below will give you a small idea of some of what is going on
nation-wide in various local communities, additional information on the
issue itself, and hopefully they will provide a little impetus to spur all
on toward becoming more informed about recruiting on the nations schools
and the absolute need for many more to become publicly visible and vocal in
a coordinated, concerted effort at to get recruiters out of this nation's
schools.

War -- any war -- is bad in and of itself-but a war such as in Iraq, that
was started behind lies, deceptions, misinformation, disinformation, greed
and hidden agendas makes anti-recruitments efforts that much more imperative.

American Friends Service Committee
http://www.afsc.org/youthmil/resources/Default.htm
Before You Enlist
http://www.objector.org/before-you-enlist.html
Quaker House: Anti-Recruitment
http://www.quakerhouse.org/counter-recruiting-02.htm
Not In Our Name: Stop Recruitment Efforts in Our Schools
http://www.notinourname.net/~youth/arhome.html
Children Are Not a Commodity
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?sub=46&list=sub
The military spends about $3 billion each year to convince young people
that enlistment will give them college money, job training and an
alternative to working at McDonald's.
http://www.amsterdamnews.org/news/Article/Article.asp?NewsID=54103&sID=4
Is The Army Focusing On Black Youths?
http://www.sbusja.org/sja_files/armyaction.html
Military Recruiters Out of Schools
http://www.socialistalternative.org/justice40/9.html
Anti-War Group Targets Military Recruiters on Campus
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/210741_protest04.html

Should parents have the right to choose to protect a child from being
targeted by military recruiters in school? Is it an inherent part of public
school education to be pressured to sign an irrevocable contract and join
the U.S. armed forces?
http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/columnists
Jack Dalton is a disabled Vietnam veteran, activist for military and
veterans affairs, independent writer and co-editor of the Project for the
Old American Century web publication
http://oldamericancentury.org/index.htm
He may contacted thru the POAC web site or directly at his email address at:
jack_dalton@comcast.net

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8) UPDATE ON THE CITY 4: STUDENTS REINSTATED!
CampusAntiwarNetwork@yahoogroups.com

A big victory for the antiwar movement...

UPDATE ON THE CITY 4:
STUDENTS REINSTATED!

The City Defense Campaign is proud to announce that
the three students who were arrested and suspended for
protesting military recruiters are set to return to
campus this Monday, April 11th!

The disciplinary hearing scheduled for the morning of
Friday, April 8th has been cancelled. All those who
were planning to attend the hearing are invited to a
strategy meeting instead (see details below). We will
need to strategize about next steps in regards to our
criminal charges still pending, Carol Lang's
suspension, and other matters which have been left
unresolved.

THANK YOU to everyone who donated time, energy, and
money to this effort. The countless letters, emails,
faxes, phone calls, leafletting, protesting, speaking
out, and even hunger-striking have been critical in
building support for the right to protest on campus.

City Defense Campaign
www.citydefensecampaign.org
cityfreespeech@earthlink.net

JOIN US AT AN AD-HOC STRATEGY SESSION:
10:15AM Friday, April 8th
417 W. 141st Street #2
(2nd buzzer from the top)
between St. Nicholas & Hamilton Terrace
Folks will also be on campus to greet anyone who had
not heard of the hearing's cancellation.

This listserve acts as a common ground for national CAN
organizational discussion; please reserve this list for important
organizing annoucements, reports, or questions that are
intended for a national audience. The CAN listserve is not
a posting place for articles or announcements of local events
that do not directly effect the network nationally...
[ www.campusantiwar.net ]

Yahoo! Groups Links

• To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CampusAntiwarNetwork/
Charles Jenks
Traprock Peace Center
103A Keet Road
Deerfield, MA 01342
413-773-7427 (Traprock office line)
http://www.traprockpeace.org

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9) Iraq is Becoming 'Free Fraud' Zone (LINK ONLY)
Corruption In Iraq Under US-Led CPA
May Dwarf UN Oil-For-Food Scandal
by Tom Regan
Published on Friday, April 8, 2005
by the Christian Science Monitor
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0408-09.htm

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