[Peace-discuss] AWARE's outreach to other groups

[Phil Stinard]

Hi Ricky,

You've raised a very important point, one that I made previously with regard 
to the AWARE church presences.  You are trying to reach out to a group 
without alienating them.  You've made an important first step, which is 
realizing that you have feelings of discomfort (e. g. frowning on military 
service, disapproval of religious views) towards the group you are trying to 
work with.  I think that it's important to understand the people you are 
trying to convince.  Otherwise, you're speaking past them and not 
communicating.  With regard to the church, it could be attending the church 
in question and trying to see things from their perspective.  For the 
military, it could be realizing that the US soldiers in Iraq are not your 
enemy (despite plenty of propaganda to the contrary--see Mort's posting of  
Doug Soderstrom's  "Why I Cannot Support The Troops In Iraq" for an 
example).  I'm not saying that you have to attend VFW meetings, but I think 
it would be helpful if AWARE members were to attend a homecoming celebration 
for returning veterans and speak to these people and welcome them back.  
Then you'll be able to see their humanity.  Just a suggestion.

--Phil


>Date: Thu, 2 Mar 2006 13:50:25 -0800 (PST)
>From: Ricky Baldwin <baldwinricky at yahoo.com>
>Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] Zogby- troops want to Exit
>To: peace discuss <peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net>
>Message-ID: <20060302215025.48258.qmail at web31005.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
>
>Carl has an excellent point (with a good graphic).
>
>Recently I came to know about a conversation between a
>an anti-war veteran and a friend who is also anti-war,
>the upshot of which is that -for our part of the
>blame- one barrier is that anti-war vets are often
>turned off by some in the peace movement who frown
>upon military service (which I admit I do, too) but in
>a rather judgmental way -- regardless of "the economic
>draft" and other realities of military service.
>
>For example, I understand that some people, my
>stepfather being one, go into the military as gung-ho
>patriotic sheep and come out quite otherwise.  My
>friend who was in the US Army in Baghdad is always
>reminding me how many folks there think the war in
>b.s. - and this poll certainly backs that up.
>Certainly there are other obstacles to communicating
>with "the troops", even larger ones, but this is one
>we can work on quite easily.
>
>Just a thought.  I think we could keep this in mind
>when we do our counter-recruitment work, for example.
>Maybe we could solicit some creative input on it?
>
>Ricky
>