BOARDWATCH: Vets for Peace against militarization of Chicago public schools... 'The military is about turning off your brain and doing as you are ordered. The military has no place in a school system. ..'
[EDITOR'S NOTE: The following statement was prepared for delivery on behalf of Vets for Peace at the Chicago Board of Education's meeting of May 28, 2014. Although the Board cut off the speaker despite his service to the people of the United States, the following is the entire text. George N. Schmidt, Editor].
TO: Chicago Board of Education and Rahm Emanuel
Vets for Peace spokesman Arny Stieber listed all of the militaristic activities that had taken place around Memorial Day, including the massive march of JROTC children in uniform in downtown Chicago. Stieber, a Vietnam veteran, denounced the Board for promoting the "military solution to every problem" by expanding military schools and JROTC. Substance photo by David Vance.My name is Arny Stieber. I�m a father, grandfather, retired CEO with an MBA, and an Army infantry veteran from the U.S. war against the people of Viet Nam.
I�m here today to speak to you about violence �- the violence of the military model that is being taught to over 10,000 of our children via your Cadet programs, JROTC programs, and your military schools.
This past weekend I was immersed in militarism. It began on Friday with an action against torture at Guantanamo Bay. On Saturday I stood along the parade route holding a sign of peace. I watched military vehicles, veterans, a militarized fire department, militarized marching bands, and most upsetting, wave after wave of mostly dark skinned children in military uniforms, pass by. On Sunday I attended a vet trauma course with mostly young veterans.
On Monday I spoke at a remembrance of all those killed by the futility of war. Following that, I visited the National Veterans Art Museum where vets have space to publicly display the real effects of war. After that I attended a BBQ with mostly young vets � virtually all of them dealing with the after effects of implementing the military solution to conflict. Later this week I will be administering to homeless vets at a Stand Down. When Dr. Martin Luther King asked street gangs why they committed violence, they told him that they were following the example of their government. From that moment on he said, �I knew that I could never again raise my voice against violence . . . without having first spoken clearly to the greatest purveyor of violence in the world � my own government.�
You are part of that government CPS. You are part of the greatest purveyor of violence in the world. You are directly responsible for the indoctrination of children into the concept that violence solves problems and the military model is the �American way�.
The military is about turning off your brain and doing as you are ordered. The military has no place in a school system.
Veterans For Peace is a nationwide 501(c)3 organization founded in 1985.
