2008 Woodie Awards
Students protest military recruiting
Recruiters: We give them the freedom to do what they do
Terry Badman
Issue date: 9/26/07 Section: News
RUTLAND - Castleton State College senior Matt Kimball should have been studying for class during the waning hours of a cool September afternoon in Vermont's second largest city -- but he wasn't.
Instead, Kimball, among roughly 15 other anti-war activists from the area, including members of SPARC, the Student Peace Alliance of Rutland County, took to the streets of Rutland on Sept. 17 as part of National Truth in Recruiting Day.
Opponents of the Iraq War protested outside military recruiting facilities across the country, denouncing the military's attempts to recruit young adults from college and high school campuses.
Although the protest was taking place on a national level, few people in attendance had heard about it until just a few days beforehand.
"To be honest, we didn't know there was a counter-recruiting day," said SPARC organizer Diana Bessette. "But because we [SPARC] do go into schools and counter-recruit, we thought maybe we should come. We're happy to be here."
Local war protestors lined up across the sidewalk just outside the recruitment center, which is sandwiched between a Japanese restaurant and an investment company in Rutland's North End Plaza. They carried signs that read "Books Not Bombs," banged loudly on drums, and waved happily to the numerous cars that sped by blasting their horns in agreement.
"It's been great. I haven't got one nasty reply," Kimball said in response to the reactions of the passersby. "That token guy with the N.R.A. sticker going 'nuke 'em all' -- I haven't heard that at all."
One activist held a sign that read "free brainwash," a reference to his view that the military is out to "manipulate the minds" of the underprivileged youth of America, bribing them away from school with dreams of a free education and giant paychecks.
"F----n' A! You hand 'em free pencils and you hand 'em free shit, they're gonna get interested," he said, as his .50 caliber bullet belt clung loosely around his hips.
Instead, Kimball, among roughly 15 other anti-war activists from the area, including members of SPARC, the Student Peace Alliance of Rutland County, took to the streets of Rutland on Sept. 17 as part of National Truth in Recruiting Day.
Opponents of the Iraq War protested outside military recruiting facilities across the country, denouncing the military's attempts to recruit young adults from college and high school campuses.
Although the protest was taking place on a national level, few people in attendance had heard about it until just a few days beforehand.
"To be honest, we didn't know there was a counter-recruiting day," said SPARC organizer Diana Bessette. "But because we [SPARC] do go into schools and counter-recruit, we thought maybe we should come. We're happy to be here."
Local war protestors lined up across the sidewalk just outside the recruitment center, which is sandwiched between a Japanese restaurant and an investment company in Rutland's North End Plaza. They carried signs that read "Books Not Bombs," banged loudly on drums, and waved happily to the numerous cars that sped by blasting their horns in agreement.
"It's been great. I haven't got one nasty reply," Kimball said in response to the reactions of the passersby. "That token guy with the N.R.A. sticker going 'nuke 'em all' -- I haven't heard that at all."
One activist held a sign that read "free brainwash," a reference to his view that the military is out to "manipulate the minds" of the underprivileged youth of America, bribing them away from school with dreams of a free education and giant paychecks.
"F----n' A! You hand 'em free pencils and you hand 'em free shit, they're gonna get interested," he said, as his .50 caliber bullet belt clung loosely around his hips.
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David Kirk
posted 9/26/07 @ 12:22 PM EST
Student Protesting Ignorance
I'm not brainwashed, I'm not a member of the NRA, but I am grateful to have had the honor of serving in the United States Army and also serving as a rifleman in Tikrit, Iraq. (Continued…)
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