[Peace-discuss] Re: [Wefta] military recruitment on WEFT (!)

[John Wason]

At 08:04 AM 09/05/03 EDT, Dlind49 at aol.com wrote:

[ ... ]


>Now, how about helping make a real difference? If 
>you do not like something help change it, do not just attack it.  Join me in 
>helping me and my team members prepare and conduct lectures, radio
interviews, 
>television documentaries, newspaper and magazine stories, congressional 
>briefings, and help us / me write research papers to change and improve
the >quality and functioning of the military and police personnel and
systems. You may >not like either and wish they were gone but they are here
to stay because they are 
>both necessary, reality not wishful utopia, and thus you can either help
change 
>them and improve them or just ignore them and continue to complain about
them 
>without effective action.  

Would it be a safe assumption that all this research and writing doesn't
PAY anything, Dr. Doug?  Or that certain people get paid while others are
expected to be "a thousand points of light" and volunteer their time?


>This entire discussion that started after a PSA on U.S. Marine Corps
recruiting >that was broadcast on WEFT has been frustrating. I asked for
help to write a short >anti military recruiting annoucement that we could
have broadcast and/or propose a >radio show to discuss the realities,
immediate and long problems and reasons why >individuals should not join
the military today. But just like I have found over >the past few years
very few want to help do the work that can make a difference >but toooo
many just complain and argue and talk about it.  So once more - who >wants
to help me?  Do you want to make a real difference?  If so please help me.   

One inspired person did write an anti-military PSA for WEFT, and it's been
read over the air and is available to be read further.  There are actually
two or three AWARE PSA's in the WEFT PSA box at the moment, and a couple of
IMC ones.  That's not to say that more couldn't be written, or that other
things can't be done.  

Next summer, if we're both around, Doug, I'd be delighted to propose a
public affairs show or three on WEFT - Friday Forum, I think it's called -
in which you could be the guest or one of several guests of your choosing,
and I'd interview you about your area(s) of expertise.  Of course we'd have
to do that dreaded thing called "preproduction", which a lot of folks,
including not a few WEFTie public affairs people, don't want to do.

And for over two years - or is it three now? - I've been a part of a
pitifully small coalition of people who are working to get citizen police
review boards in Champaign and Urbana.  We could certainly use a great deal
of help with that.  

Whatever we do, I'm not sure we're going to stop Bush's juggernaut, the
Military Industrial Complex gone completely amok.  But we can sure as hell
try, can't we?    As Dylan Thomas famously said,

"Do not go gently into that good night.
 Rage! Rage against the dying of the light!"

I'll rage with you, Doug, in some form or fashion.  At the same time, I'm
not going to discount everything that Rob Dunn and Bill Gorrell have said.

Respectfully,

John Wason