[Peace-discuss] YMCA partners with ARMY

[jandurl]

Peace list:
Becca at the Y has responded (farther below) to my concern regarding the
rental of the lawn at the University YMCA for Military recruitment.  Here is
what I wrote in return.  (I have tried to remove all irony from my
response.)
JAN K

Hi Becca:
I appreciate your thoughtful reply.  When I heard what happened on the YMCA
lawn from the perspective of the student Kate, I was troubled.  I, in no way
want to limit free speech. However, I was also picturing my daughter
Meridith as she gave her account of her time in Guatemala last fall from the
podium at the University Y.  I  understand that Kathy Kelly will be a
speaker at the YMCA sometime next semester also.  I feel that the Y has
always been seen as a place for those who care about human rights to be in a
safe and dynamic place where you can come to hear and participate in social
justice issues.  The idea that the Y lawn was a site for recruitment of
young people for the military sends me a different impression as to what the
Y stands for.  If the University YMCA ever does rent to the ARMY again all I
ask is that the counter recruitment folks from AWARE be given the
opportunity to also be present on the free and public space near the lawn to
offer an alternative message. We would appreciate the chance to offer
students the possibility of contemplating that there are people opposing the
ARMY and that there are ways to "serve" your country in a positive and
peaceful way and not just as a member of the "armed forces"!
Thanks for your response and keep the local peace groups in mind if the lawn
is ever rented to the military in the future! We have a peace and social
justice message that very much is compatible with what I understand the YMCA
has in the past always stood for!
JAN Kruse




> Hi Jan-
>
> I'm sorry that you still feel troubled. I hope that you do not
> question the Y's commitment to social justice causes. For every one
> mishap (like Friday may have been), the Y remains a VERY strong
> center and an ACTIVE participant in encouraging social action in the
> community.
> If you and other members of our community peace organizations would
> like to formally lodge a complaint against the Y renting out the lawn
> to the ARMY, I would be more than happy to bring it to the Y Board so
> we can come to a resolution on whether this really is a conflict of
> interest. I do hope you understand that I am trying to come to terms
> with this, and not dismiss you and others' concerns. Hopefully we can
> work together with regard for one another and for regard for the work
> that that we do every day.
>
> -Becca








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