Online Edition: December 2004     Vol. V, No. IV

ACTIONS FOR PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST
sponsored by Peace Life Center Middle East Committee. Public invited

Modesto Peace/Life Center Vigil for Peace:  Please call the Center for date, time, place, and message themes, 529-5750.

Dates to Save:

  • John McCutcheon concert, Wednesday, January 12

  • Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration, Saturday, January 22

CONTENTS

Peace & Justice

Around the Center: 

Articles

Living Lightly

Recipes from Connections

A Gathering of Voices

A monthly column of local poetry.  This month:  Lee Nicholson

Out and About

COMMUNITY CALENDAR --CURRENT & COMING EVENTS

Masthead and Back Issues

Letters to Connections

OPINION: Is our democracy being undermined?

While valiant efforts are made to keep guns out of our schools, military recruiters are allowed in. The military promises money, education, job training, travel and benefits, but recruiters are not obligated to keep any of these promises.

Local Counter-recruitment effort begins

By MARIANNE VILLALOBOS

Josh Sonnenfeld, of the Santa Cruz Resource Center for Nonviolence, presented a counter-recruitment workshop at the Peace Life Center on October 16. Two years ago, as a Santa Cruz High School senior, Josh successfully organized the School District opt-in campaign. Now at U.C. Santa Cruz, Josh is a well-prepared and dynamic trainer of counter-recruiters.

How brave, or perhaps naive of us to consider counter-recruitment efforts when the military has a 4 billion dollar budget for its recruiting campaign each year. According to the Washington Post, (September, 2000) this amounts to $411,000.00 per recruit for advertising and recruitment. Furthermore, while valiant efforts are made to keep guns out of our schools, military recruiters are allowed in. The military promises money, education, job training, travel and benefits, but recruiters are not obligated to keep any of these promises.

Our workshop started with a brainstorming session of reasons young people join the military. We concluded that typical reasons included opportunities for training and education, a way out of poverty, a bad home life or neighborhood when no other options seem available, opportunities for a life change, the challenge to be one’s personal best, or alternately, a way to turn over decision making to the military, patriotism, and in some cases, a fast track to citizenship. Josh then showed us a video, “Military Myths”, that put the lie to most of these reasons for joining the military. The video presents poignant interviews with soldiers and veterans, demonstrating that the reality is far different from the promises made to soldiers by recruiters.

During the second part of the workshop, we examined each reason for enlisting and compared the expectation to the reality recruits later face. For those who seek on-the-job training, apprenticeship or job placement, the military is not always the best choice. In fact, the eight years spent in the military could often have been more productively spent in civilian apprenticeship programs or working up the career ladder. Furthermore, under the President’s backdoor draft, the eight-year limit is by no means a sure thing. Just recently, the military called up Kauai resident David Miyasato, a Gulf War petroleum specialist who completed his eight-year term in 1996 and was honorably discharged. Apparently it is of no concern to the military that he will leave behind his wife, a seven-month old daughter and a small business.

Similarly, the military is not the best or only option for seeking educational funding. The video and handouts provided at the workshop presented the following information:

• G.I. bill participants must pay $100.00 per month in their first year of service toward the G.I. Bill and this money is non-refundable.

• Only 16% of those who complete four years in the military actually receive benefits under the G.I. Bill.

• According to a Rand study, between 1995 and 1999, college tuition increased by 65% while the maximum award under the G.I. Bill increased by only 16%.

The average federal financial aid or Pell grants and Stanford loans are usually 70% more than the G.I. Bill. Also, veterans who seek educational funding will find that Pell grant funding will be deducted from their G.I. Bill. Billions of dollars in private financial aid go untapped each year. Viewed from this perspective, one could take the extra time to look for grants and loans and still complete one’s education in less than the eight-year tour of military service.

Those who enlist to escape from problems usually do not find their wishes fulfilled. Enlisting in the military is not a way to obtain legal immigration, as only resident aliens may legally enlist. The video, “Military Myths”, pointed out that in many cases, problems only increase upon enlistment. 75% of blacks and 61% of Latinos reported experiencing racially offensive behavior and while people of color make up 1/3 of the armed forces, they are only 16% of all officers. In studies from 1995 and 1996, 90% of women reported sexual harassment, 1/5 reported being denied a raise due to refusal to provide sexual favors, and one in three reported being raped. In 2000, the Department of Labor stated that 421,000 veterans were unemployed and according to Veterans Administration statistics in 2000 and 2001, a third of the adult homeless population served in the armed forces and 72% of veterans who filed for pension and compensation said their claims were handled unfairly.

Where do we go from here? Josh suggested that the first step could be to address the threat to privacy imposed by the “No Child Left Behind Act of 2001”. We can safely assume that most parents of high school students do not know that their school is required by law to release information about their child to the military. (Modesto City School District explains this on page 40 of its “Parent Information Directory”). A more visible option might be to ask the school district to provide the opt-out option on student emergency card parents complete each year. Secondly, many students take the ASVAB on their high school campuses. This test, administered by the military, is presented as a career guidance measure. In fact, according to the video we saw, the test identifies military jobs the examinee could be trained for, thus targeting them for recruitment. We could ask how students are selected for this exam and whether parents are notified of its purpose.

Above all, this workshop provided a framework for talking with young people who are considering enlisting in the military. Josh pointed out that the most important first step is to listen to the reasons for joining and then without judging, help them evaluate these reasons and explore other options. He emphasized that it is critical not to base one’s argument on moral grounds (“thou shalt nots”), but rather on practical issues. If students feel they have no other options, then perhaps we can help them find some viable alternatives.

The Resource Center for Nonviolence offers a flyer “How to Pay for College Without Joining the Military”. Josh suggested, however, that a better plan is to develop a local flyer describing local opportunities as well as state and national scholarships and loans. Also, by talking with students we can help them cut through some of the myths they hear from recruiters and help them think clearly about what they commit to by enlisting.

The video, “Military Myths” conveys a powerful message and is available on loan from the Peace Life Center.

 

McCutcheon Concert: a treat for the senses

By SANDY SAMPLE

As the first whiff of my lentil soup wafted through my kitchen on a cold, foggy night last week, I found myself singing, “Smells like winter in our house, smells like winter in our house, smells like winter in our house, smells like soup!” And I chuckled, because in two months I’d be singing along with John McCutcheon on the chorus and so might many of you.

John is a brilliant folk musician who crafts songs, weaves tales, sings lustily and tenderly, and accompanies himself on guitar, banjo, hammered dulcimer, piano, autoharp, and sometimes even fiddle. He’ll be back for his fourth visit to Modesto in mid-January, a concert to benefit the Modesto Peace/Life Center, at a time when we most need to glimpse hope shining through the darkness.

Hear what a smattering of mostly-local folk have to say about John’s music:

•Van Potterton: “John McCutcheon writes beautiful and clever songs, and delivers them with heart: he entertains and inspires.”

• Nancy Link: “John’s music keeps me high all year. He’s so wonderful, I can’t wait for January!”

• Gail Stream: “There’s something about his playfulness that appeals to children and adults as well. When children have listened to his tapes, they can hardly wait to sing along with him.”

• Kathy Sierra (of Golden Bough): “John McCutcheon’s songs leave me in tears or in stitches.”

• Harriet Hills: “I wonder what new songs we’ll sing this year, since we won’t be able to sing my favorite: “I wanna be in Ashcroft’s army, I wanna be a spy!”

• Tim Smart: “John’s a wizard on the dulcimer. Hammers in hand, he spellbinds the audience with tunes so lovely you can hear a tear fall in the concert hall when he’s done.”

You won’t want to miss this opportunity to laugh, weep, stomp your feet, sing along, and support the work of the Peace/Life Center. Wednesday, January 12, 2005, 7:00 p.m., Modesto Church of the Brethren, 2301 Woodland Ave., Modesto. Suggested donation: $17 advance, $20 at the door, $5 children under 12 Tickets available at the church (209-523-1438) and at Richard’s Custom Framing, 1323 J Street, Modesto.

Grab all your friends and family and get yourselves to this concert! You’ll be glad you did!

 

 

The Gift of Peace: books for children

By SUSAN CASSIDY

How to choose from the thousands of children’s books for the young readers on your list? Here are some suggestions for preschoolers through teens.

For the youngest, Todd Parr has written and colorfully illustrated The Peace Book (Little, Brown, 2004, $15.99). From “peace is giving shoes to someone who needs them,” illustrated with a double page spread of a centipede, to “peace is planting a tree,” this is a timely and age appropriate selection for preschoolers and early elementary age children.

J. Philip Miller’s song, We All Sing with the Same Voice (Harper Collins, 2001, $15.99) is available in a picture book with lively illustrations by Paul Meisel. Included is a CD recorded by the Sesame Street house band in 1982, with a heartfelt chorus of children affirming that we are all the same inside, despite our outward differences.

Another exceptional picture book is Jeannie Baker’s Home (Greenwillow, 2004, $15.99). This wordless book features exquisitely detailed collage illustrations that depict the changes in a neighborhood over a generation, beginning with a couple expecting a baby and continuing as the baby grows up and is married in the neighborhood street. It carries an inspiring message of hope and the importance of community. This is a book for all ages, with its revealing details to discover and to follow from page to page, and much to discuss.

For middle grade readers, or a first chapter book read-aloud to a preschooler, try The Jamie and Angus Stories by Anne Fine (Candlewick, 2002, $15.99). Six warm and gentle stories about a young boy and his toy bull Angus reaffirm the bonds of family and the power of imagination.

Middle to upper grade readers (and their adults) will be moved by The Voice that Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights by Russell Freedman (Clarion, 2004, $18.00). The author, a Newbery Medal winner for his photo-biography of Abraham Lincoln, turns his considerable talents to the great African American vocalist. Her life and musical career are explored in the context of the civil rights movement. Profusely illustrated with photographs, this is a handsome and inspiring biography.

This year produced a bumper crop of outstanding novels for upper elementary and teen readers. The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place by E. L. Konigsburg (Atheneum, 2004, $16.95) tells the story of the 12th summer of Margaret Rose Kane, a determined girl who, after orchestrating her release from a stultifying summer camp, returns to the home of her great uncles to find that the beautiful outsider art towers they built in their yard many years ago are threatened by the new residents of their neighborhood. Margaret Rose turns her considerable talents to an effort to save the towers in the name of art, history and beauty. Unforgettable!

The People of Sparks by Jeanne DuPrau (Random, 2004, $17.99) is the sequel to 2003’s The City of Ember. Read together, the books tell the tale of a failed underground city that was built to preserve the human race. Doon and Lina escape the city in the first book, bringing 400 inhabitants with them. In the sequel, they all find themselves dependent on an above-ground town that is just beginning to see prosperity after years of deprivation. The two groups misunderstand each other nearly to the point of disaster before the uplifting ending. Fast moving and engaging, this is a good choice even for kids who don’t love to read.

Messenger by Lois Lowry (Walter Lorraine, 2004, $16.00) can be read as a companion to the Newbery award winning The Giver (1993) and Gathering Blue (2000), or it can be read alone as a haunting tale of corrupt power and the efforts of good people to use their gifts as weapons against it. All three of these books are unique, suspenseful and powerful, and provide excellent topics of discussion for families or classrooms.

Ursula Le Guin’s Gifts (Harcourt, 2004, $17.00) is the intriguing tale of a boy born into a community of feuding villages, where the balance of power depends on inherited, extra-sensory “gifts.” Orrec’s gift is so frightening and erratic that he blindfolds himself to protect those he loves. This is a compelling and thought provoking exploration of the power and responsibility of gifts from an award winning fantasy author.

Those who prefer gritty realism will be caught up in B for Buster by Iain Lawrence (Delacorte, 2004, $17.99). Set in the spring of 1943, this is an unglorified tale of combat told from the perspective of a 16-year-old Canadian who lied about his age to enlist in the Canadian Air Force. Night-time bombing raids over Germany are described in harrowing detail, and our hero quickly discovers that war is nothing like he imagined.

Another excellent novel that doesn’t flinch from portraying the human costs of war is How I Found the Strong by Margaret McMullan (Houghton Mifflin, 2004, $15.00). Shanks is only ten when his older brother and father join the Confederate Army, leaving him at home with the women, children, and old folks. The hardships suffered by the family and Shanks’ changing views on heroism, cowardice and slavery are simply and movingly portrayed. This story is based on the experiences of the first time author’s ancestor.

Finally, for the mature teens there is How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff (Wendy Lamb Books, 2004, $16.95). Set in the present time, fifteen-year-old Daisy is visiting on a remote English farm. Daisy and her cousins must cope without adults when her aunt becomes stranded in Oslo and terrorists invade and occupy England. This is a riveting story both of war and personal growth that lingers with the reader long after the last page is read. Contains mature themes.

All of these titles are available at the Stanislaus County Library, are all in print and can be ordered online. Happy Reading!

The author is a children’s librarian at the Stanislaus County Library.

Peaceful gifts for the holidays

By KEN SCHROEDER

Here are some ideas for holiday gifts from the Peace/Life Center:

• T-SHIRTS with a Modesto Peace/Life Center logo on the front and a quotation on the back. The shirts are U.S.-made union label and are white 50/50 fabric in sizes Small to X-Large, $12. Choose from:

   “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.” Gandhi, or

   “There is no way to peace. Peace is the way.” A.J. Muste

• RISE UP SINGING SONGBOOK. 1200 songs and guitar chords. The classic book for singing.$15.

• TICKETS TO THE JOHN MCCUTCHEON benefit concert on Jan. 12, 2005. $17 in advance. (Please see article on page 2.)

Call 526-2303 for information.

 

Your Elected Officials

Post Election Blues

By MYRTLE OSNER, local League of Women Voters:

Although we registered far more voters for this election than ever before, we found that the process of getting them into the system was slow. California’s 15-day deadline to register before any election meant that none of those new voters received a sample ballot, nor did they know where to vote. Because a large number of voters were not on the precinct rolls, and had to demand “provisional” ballots, as well as the very large number who vote absentee, we are faced with the possibility of a considerable lag in final counts in any elections. All provisional and absentee ballots must be checked for signature and validity after the election.

Nor was this the only problem: many voters who thought they had been registered by people working on the streets found their forms had not been turned in, and the process for changing voter registration via DMV often meant that their names simply were not forwarded to election departments. Thus, they were disenfranchised.

While the voting machines in Stanislaus County worked well, a new system is being contemplated. If the new machines function as demonstrated, they will be a step in the right direction. But that still won’t solve the problems of registration snafus.

Post Election Blues

From Church Women United and the NAACP:

Urge your Senators and Representatives to REJECT the Shelby/Bond provision to the HUD appropriations measure.

Senators Shelby and Bond of Missouri and Alabama have included a provision in the HUD appropriations that will keep Public Housing Authorities from participating in voter registration, a sneaky way to damage access to voting.

NAACP quote: “While I agree, whole heartedly, that federal funds should never be spent on campaigning for or against a particular candidate or party, I also support the long-standing tradition of public housing authorities providing residents with not only a home, but also a host of services aimed at creating stability and increasing their opportunities for the future.

“In many cases, these services have included voter registration and assistance in getting to the polls. Almost a third of the residents of public housing are senior citizens, many disabled. We should be encouraging them to vote, not discouraging them. It is, at the very least, divisive and could result in even more mistrust of the American electoral process.”

Kucinich inspires

By DONNA PHILLIPS

It was inspirational to hear Congressman Dennis Kucinich speak in San Francisco at Greens Restaurant and at the annual Green Festival while throughout the nation and the world, it was the fourth day of mourning over a possible stolen election!

“Going Forward with Resolve: How America’s political progressives can keep on the upward path as a new force in politics, working together for a better America” was the theme. That there IS a person in the political arena that carries the voice of “We The People” and has the integrity, the heart, the honesty, the intelligence and experience in action that supports truth not deception and who LIVES by spiritual principles IS an inspiration not only for me but for people across all political affiliations.

When Kucinich entered the restaurant, he moved through the excited crowd with a big smile more like a family member/friend than a politician. Remembering my mother sharing that her Uncle Sam was the highly respected Sam Rayburn—the Speaker of the House for 17 years throughout many presidential terms and importantly, Sam Rayburn considered “we the people” his extended family—Kucinich radiates such a presence!

As Kucinich came to my table we shook hands and I immediately handed him the recent copy of “Stanislaus Connection” stating I think he would find the article God is not a Republican or Democrat, (and Pat Robertson’s quote) of interest! He looked intently at the cover page as he moved to his table.

After breakfast Kucinich shared his appreciation for the great support he received in California throughout his campaign.

What I found extremely powerful, were his words, not to lull us into a numbed acceptance of what has happened or to make excuses but rather to fan the fire of action, positive, passionate action within each one of us, which can bring about new politics within the “Spirit of Community”. He suggests we organize to protect what is near and dear to us for our communities. We need to reclaim community life. So much in our society isolates us from one another. He stressed that community is being dissolved during Bush’s reign and then, with a playful spark in his eyes, “I can say this in San Francisco, we need to come from our Heart Chakra!”

“Why aren’t you a Green Party member when your issues are so similar?” Kucinich responded he felt it was important to revitalize and infuse the Democratic Party with a more progressive agenda. “This is a critical moment where everything we believe in is being tested and everything we stand for and hope for remains on the line. We need to move beyond the moment to create some new possibilities in America.” We are reminded repeatedly, that change comes through the people, their resolve to work together for issues they believe in and to maintain our grassroots engagement.

It was exciting to hear that eleven states: Alaska; Colorado; Hawaii; Iowa; Michigan; Minnesota; Ohio; Oregon; Texas: Washington and Wisconsin have passed resolutions within their State Democratic Parties in support of the creation of a Department of Peace—the progressive idea from Kucinich taking form “aimed at making non-violence an organizing principal in our society.”

Kucinich invites us to frequent his website (http://kucinich.us) where he shares tools to help organizations grow and help individuals stay responsive and active with current affairs.

My table was within several feet from where Dennis Kucinich spoke and I marveled at how genuine, confident, expressive, comprehensive and intelligent each statement was. When answering questions he was spontaneous, direct and relevant. He did not try and evade or dismiss any question and there were many. The time disappeared quickly and when it was time for him to leave for the Green Festival, he invited us all (approximately 120) to be his guest. It was good to hear him speak again, now to a crowd of over a thousand, lovingly with his words that filled not only the enormous room but each heart with promise and a call to continue the creation of a better nation and a better world.

Driving back to Modesto, I listened to the CD that was given to us, one of many tangible gifts received that morning. “If war was the answer then we’d be at peace and the battles in the distance would have all finally ceased”

DEADLINE TO SUBMIT ARTICLES TO CONNECTIONS.

Tenth of each month. Submit peace, justice and environmentally friendly event notices to P.O. Box 134, Modesto, CA, 95353, or call 522-4967 or 575-4299, or email to Jim Costello. Free listings subject to space, availability and editing.

12/03/04