The US Army's recruitment show, "Spirit of America" is returning to Worcester for two days. Local groups are organizing two demonstrations:
Morning (appx 9:30 am t.b.d.) Friday, Sept. 19th
THEME: END RECRUITMENT
Afternoon(appx 1pm t.b.d.), Saturday, Sept. 20th
THEME: END the WAR
Articles and photos from 2004
Initial Organizing UPDATES:
1/ Significant pre-event recruitment already occurring. Military recruiters putting up posters in Main South, Piedmont and other low income neighborhoods.
2/ Worcester Public Schools have not yet (Aug 25th) announced if city schools will be allowed to attend.
3/ Worcester parochial schools have not yet responded.
4/ Local group will take lead on organizing two demonstrations:
Morning (appx 9:30am t.b.d. Friday, Sept. 19th
THEME: END RECRUITMENT
Afternoon(appx 1am t.b.d.), Saturday, Sept. 20th
THEME: END the WAR
Please Explain To Me
How something that is essentially a history lesson can be considered "recruitment" in any way.
Here's an idea...take one of the free tickets...sit in the stands and behave yourself and actually learn what it is the show is about.
Or would that require more guts than any of you have?
The recruitment was out of hand 4 years ago!
The recruiters were everywhere four years ago. Here's one photo where one of the students displays Lt. Macloud's
And here's a whole slew of other photos here>
http://worcester.indymedia.org/news/2004/09/291.php
Add that to all the posters up and down the Piedmont and Main South neighborhoods and it's pretty irrefutable.
A business card and posters
A business card and posters promoting the show?
You're kidding right?
That's your "proof"?
Sounds like you need to re-read the definition of the word.
In fact why don't you talk to the head of "Rochester Against War".
She came in and watched the whole thing.
Spirit of America
Please......Get the facts straight!!! The show was AWESOME!!! Nothing about recruitment at all. Have a good day!
Reality
The fact is, schools are supposed to teach history--not our military. Sure, shows of explosions with cool vehicles and music can be pretty "awesome," but reality is deeper than a movie or a video game. Kids will definitely love to see that stuff, without understanding the other side of the story. And how about taking pictures? If it was just about pictures in Hummers, make them Polaroids, don't make a kid "willingly and happily" give you his/hers. Thanks, you have a good day too. I'll see you there.
The fact of the matter
The fact of the matter is...that from the very beginning the military HAS played a VERY important role in the history of this country and it's formation.
Or did you think Lewis and Clark worked for the Peace Corps?
Our first President was the first Commander in Chief of the military.
You're too narrow minded and intelectually shallow to comprehend how much the two are intertwined over the last 233 years.
Go ahead and wallow in your ignorance and what you think "history is".
All you're doing is lip synching tired old hippy slogans that were lame in the 60's and even more ridiculous coming from young punks now.
give em hell!
Spirit of America is some crazy jingoist propaganda. I hope the counter-recruitment demonstration goes well!
So how long did it take you
So how long did it take you to find "jingoistic" in the dictionary?
Given the intelligence level of the INdyIdiot crowd...there's no way you knew how to spell that or know what it even means without some serious help from a grown up
Hey Kevin why were you so
Hey Kevin why were you so nervous today when the soldier called you out by name?
How come you had maybe 10 people show up?
You and your group of trolls had the old folks out there shaking their head in disbelief at your stupidity.
But hey that's ok, the 7,300 people who laughed at you as you walked by were cheering loudly inside.
Sorry Kevin, you lose.
Response to Sgt. John
Actually I want to thank you for calling out my name at our demonstration and your recruitment event today. To be honest, it does always startle me when you folks do that stuff but I’ve learned it’s just part of your training to intimidate, harass people and spread misinformation.
You’ve been trained by the US military which historically has been the greatest human rights and civil rights abusers across the country and globe. More than anyone other group, and far worse than the St. Paul police, the US Army has attacked, beaten and harassed peaceful union workers and organizers, suffragists, global justice activists, Native American leaders, teachers, civil rights activists, anti-war demonstrators and many others.
It's always a good reminder though that you folks assemble dossiers on law abiding citizens engaged in free speech activities, that you spy on activists working in their communities and compile photo after photo on community organizers like myself. Ultimately, you always resort to intimidation when criticized and the truth strikes home.
Freedom isn’t free, it’s what the people have fought to achieve though beaten, harassed, targeted by misinformation and psyops, prosecuted, pepper sprayed, shot-at, water cannoned and clubbed. Each time we have returned to the streets, boardrooms, election conventions, seats of power and purveyors of death and destruction.
So thanks for posting Sgt. John. I appreciated the reminder. I'm sorry you feel so ashamed you need to anonymously sign your posts on Worcester Indymedia.
Thanks for inspiring me to snap a few extra photos. ; )
I have no need to hide
Kevin please state one lie that was told by anyone at the show?
Especially by me.
If anyone is distorting things it is you sir.
You are using the freedoms provided by the very people you mock and denigrate and have little appreciation for them.
The fact you can run your little spin machine without fear of being drug off in the middle of the night flies right over your head.
Dossier? Your paranoia is laughable.
St. Paul Police? Yo mean the same PD that arrested lunatics who pepper sprayed an 80 year old man, the same PD that arrested punks who dropped sacks of concrete on busses from and over pass and the same PD that arrested people committing felonies by setting police cars on fire?
Seems to me like they were doing their job of keeping law and order that people expect them to.
Funny that you find that wrong.
I haven't signed any anonymous posts here. This is my first one.
You addressed me directly so I am responding.
BTW I told you to get my good side. Guess you were too busy scurrying away to hear that huh?
On the Beauty of Struggle
Every precious freedom that we enjoy in this county was gained by the blood, sweat and tears not of the military and the fascist US government, but of activists, organizers, and ordinary people who not only recognize oppression and injustice in their lifetimes, but who use their lives to speak truth to those injustices. Acts of dissent are courageous and powerful and are the only things that have created historical changes toward social justice in this country. In the spirit of civil rights organizers, native american resistors, the anti- globalization movement, environmental and animal liberation movements, and labor organizers, I praise the action taken by activists in Worcester this week against the misrepresentation of history by events such as Spirit of America. Keep Fighting!
Anne Lewenberg
So basically you are down
So basically you are down with the struggle with every law breaking donestic terrorist group in the country?
You must be if you are stating your support for ELF and ALF.
The so called "activists" you support in Worcester numbered only 12.
They didn't show up the second day and Kevin, despite having a press pass to get the photo he wanted, failed to show up.
So much for having the courage of your convictions.
The fact of the matter is that no matter how much you want to revise history to fint your socialist/communist purview the military IS the reason this country is here today.
Unless you think King George would have just given up after we dumped a bunch of his tea in Boston Harbor.
And who was that guarding the school house door allowing the black children to enter the school in Little Rock?
WHy that was the Army.
So much for the military being oppressive to the civil rights activists.
Everything else you're slobbering on about is nothing more than cut and paste from HuffPo?Kos/DU.
Find something original can you please Ann?
Response #2 to Sgt. Wallston
John,
The problem with lies, deceit, disinformation campaigns and psy-ops is that it usually comes to light afterwards.
Here you are standing next to the demonstration:
And here's part of the demonstration after you went in to the arena:
Lie all you want, but the photos contradict your disinformation.
Say what you want, but the truth is there was significant opposition to "Spirit of America" recruiting in Worcester. The fact that the Worcester Public Schools refused to allow Worcester Public School students to attend says far more than your lies.
Counter Recruitment
Activists did a great job at the Friday protest I attended. I found it to be a great experience, and had a lot of good conversations with school teachers, principles, and young folks.
Military officers can continue to insult activists all they like - anonyously (pretty weak, Sgt) or otherwise. We've all heard worse.
For example, as a young adult, the horror stories I hear from my peers, their pain, PTSD, alcoholism, and sometimes suicides after their terms of service, are all the motivation I need to stand up to recruiters like Sgt John, who would put more kids in harms way. The argument that activists don't support soldiers is old and tired. Tell that to my friends who care for their loved ones alone, after they are too disabled for the military to give a crap about them anymore. I mean, if you're insensitive enough, that is.
Plenty of us weren't around in the 60s, Sgt. And we're still anti-war, we still protect our kids, we still stand up for our families.
Thanks to all the activists who made it out Friday. I know we're all busy with a million things, trying to make the world a better place. For those who could make it out, thanks for the support. And thanks Kevin, for taking pics, being a journalist, and standing for all our civil liberties by your example.
Great job!
Ya'll did a great job on Friday! I hope to see some good pictures from the demonstration.
Still don't see the 40
Still don't see the 40 protestors.
Still didn't stop the people going inside from laughing at you.
Still didn't stop the 7,500 folks inside from having a good time.
So Kevin...why didn't you show up on Saturday.
We called you and called you.
"John, The problem with
"John,
The problem with lies, deceit, disinformation campaigns and psy-ops is that it usually comes to light afterwards."
What did I lie about?
Please list the lies I told.
I wasn't the one saying there were 40 protestors out there.
Psy-ops? Please Kevin...go to your doctor and get your Meds adjusted...you're way to paranoid.
And you think wayyyyyyyyy too highly of yourself to even think you matter to anyone in the military to begin with.
Why didn't you come in and take your picture you wanted on Saturday Kevin?
I think it's hilarious that
I think it's hilarious that you freaked out the recruiters to such an extent that they would post so many nutso comments. Good job in 2004, good job in 2008, and good luck resisting this crap the next time it stinks up the city!
I think it's hilarious not
I think it's hilarious not to mention totally moronic on your part that you think it's nothing but a bunch of recruiters posting against your idiot organization.