Eugene weekly., June 17, 2004, Page 13, Image 13

At the front of the display, CFPJ mem-
bers take turns reading from a notebook con-
taining the names of these dead. They don’t
call out to be heard; they don’t demand the
attention of passersby. Instead, they read the
names with quiet reverence, with the inflec-
tion and focus of a meditation. The people
walking by at first avert their glances, afraid
perhaps of being accosted, of being solicited.
But when they realize that the group is sim-
ply reading, and when they realize what they
are reading, these passersby stop. They stop
to look closer at the names and photos on the
sheets of cardboard. They stop and listen to
the names read out loud. Some even
approach the faculty members behind the
display. They have tentative questions, and a
certain degree of alarm at the number of
dead. They offer support and thanks — there
is dialogue between the demonstrators and
the public at large.
Twenty-nine-year-old James Raasch, a
chemistry student and National Guardsman,
stops to look through the names with his
friend, 30-year-old Anthony, who served
through the Navy on the U.S.S. Kittyhawk.
When asked why they are scrutinizing the
board so closely, Anthony answers, “I think
it’s important to check and see if any of your
buddies has died.”
Raasch explains, “You join up because
you’re the poorest of the poor. Nobody real-
izes — nobody goes in with the idea that
you believe in anything. How can you
know? They [military recruiters] can get
you excited with propaganda, but there’s a
price to pay. And the dead,” he says
solemnly, “ are only part of that price.”
Geography professor and CFPJ member
Shaul Cohen, who initially suggested the idea
of reading the names of the dead each Friday
afternoon, agrees, saying, “Many of the costs
of the war are hidden from this country.
These deaths are not the total cost, but being
here and reading these names … we want to
do this so people can be engaged by it.”
Cohen explains that the CFPJ display
also includes notebooks that the public can
sign into — one is a book of comments and
concerns about the war for the White
House, and the other is a book of condo-
lences for American families whose loved
ones have been killed in the war. The book
of condolences is particularly touching, full
not only of said condolences, but of
remorse: “We are sorry we couldn’t do
more to stop this … We are sorry to sacri-
fice your children … We are sorry.”
In late May, Eugene PeaceWorks’ Craig
Mahaffy worked with CFPJ’s Bo Adan to
coordinate a CFPJ reading of names with
The Viewing Project, an installation of 105
symbolic coffins representing those killed
so far in the Iraq War. To illustrate proper
proportions, 100 of the coffins were draped
in black to represent Iraqi civilians killed,
and five of the coffins were covered with
American flags to symbolize American and
coalition deaths. The Viewing Project and
that day’s reading were presented on the
quad north of the UO Knight Library. The
scale of the presentation was dramatic.
Daniel Pope, history professor and
spokesperson for CFPJ, says, “This was a
really effective way of getting people’s
attention. A significant part of what is going
on is getting people to pay attention, getting
people to refocus on this. The Viewing
Project and the reading of names helped to
get this point across.”
Other groups are working to mobilize and
inform an even younger set of the population
about the war with Iraq. Notably, CALC’s
Carol Van Houten and Eugene Peacework’s
Phil Weaver are collaborating on the
Committee for Countering Military
Recruitment program, which aims to protect
student privacy from the prying eyes of gov-
ernment (and military recruiters), as well as to
educate and counsel students on the realities
of military duty as a life choice right out of
high school. With as deeply entrenched as the
U.S. is becoming in Iraq, and with as pro-
tracted as this war looks to become, the ques-
tion of human power to fight the war looms
large. The question of a possible military draft
is a serious one, and Van Houten and Weaver
are working to put out accurate information to
stave off panic while keeping students and
their families informed on the issues (see
accompanying story, “New Recruits”).
The efforts of CFPJ, Eugene
PeaceWorks, The Viewing Project and
Countering Military Recruitment not only
protest the warring actions of the Bush
administration, but they also inspire and
hopefully mobilize the next generation in
the work toward peace and justice.
Something for Everyone
Don’t be fooled because you don’t see
the huge peace demonstrations and rallies
you saw a year ago on the streets of Eugene
— activity is continuing in smaller, more
focused groups. Longtime local activist
Michael Carrigan sees much hope in the
UPCOMING EVENTS:
• Noon, June 19, Federal Building at 7th Avenue and Pearl Street: Progressive
Response’s teach-in/rally “Iraq After June 30: Can We Get Out … How?” Exploring
the key ideologies that got us into Iraq and how to get out. Speakers: Ibrahim Gassama,
Associate Professor of International Law; Susan Cundiff of WAND; Gordon Lafer,
Associate Professor, Labor Education Resource Center.
• 7 pm, June 19, Washington Park Community Center: Eugene Middle East Peace Group
presents Moments , a series of short films by Israelis covering the diverse spectrum of
perspectives and interpretations of modern-day life in Israel.
• June 28: Progressive Responses/CALC will run a call-to-end-the-war-
in-Iraq ad in The Register-Guard. To find out how to add your name to the
ad, contact Carol Van Houten at vanhoute@onlink.net
• 7 pm, June 30, Broadway Plaza: Faith in Action’s “Call for Transformation: An
Interfaith Prayer Service for Peace in Iraq.” A service of reflection and healing.
Scheduled to coincide with the official handing over of power to a new Iraqi government.
New Recruits
L
ocal social worker Steven Merwin knows firsthand about military recruitment and the
draft: Having grown up poor in upstate New York’s dairy farm country, Merwin was
drafted into the Vietnam War when he was 20 years old. “It was terrifying,” he
says. “It just struck me, ‘This is real. I can’t get out of this.’”
Steven and his wife Amy Pincus Merwin, an independent citizen video and audio jour-
nalist, are now parents of a daughter, 16-year-old Leanora, and a son, 19-year-old Orca.
The fact is that this protracted war may well require more and more human power to sus-
tain it has the Merwins facing the question of another draft. “It’s my worst nightmare,”
says Amy, who protested mightily during the Vietnam War. “To have this cycling back — I
never wanted to see this happen.”
For families like this, and for students who find themselves being solicited by military
recruiters as early as middle school, CALC and Eugene PeaceWorks are collaborating on
the Counter Military Recruitment Program. Part of the focus, says Phil Weaver of Eugene
PeaceWorks, is to have students, their families and school administrators understand the
role of the No Child Left Behind Act. NCLB allows government access to student records
and makes it possible to target certain students for military recruitment. Says Weaver of
this breach of privacy, “This is a reversal of how student information is usually treated.”
Van Houten has done school and community visits to talk over the issues of military
service and recruitment. She does believe there is the possibility for a small draft, espe-
cially if Bush is reelected, and that this warrants true concern. However, this war has
sharpened many of the standard draft statistics, causing a certain amount of panic for
families of possible military recruits.
For example, there is much talk of Charles Rangell (D-NY), who has submitted draft
bills every year for a couple of years calling for universal service for men and women,
either military or otherwise, all of which would be highly controversial. This bill is aimed
not at passing a draft, but at making the government face the “poverty draft” issues: that
the military is largely made up of people of color and poor youth — and offspring of mil-
itary families.
As well, the Selective Services System budget figures and the effort to fill vacancies
on the draft board have the public worried that new action is happening in anticipation
of a draft. In fact,
says Van Houten,
“Each year some in
Congress (including
De Fazio) try to end
the SSS … This year,
to defend their need
for so much money,
[SSS] developed a
work plan that would
outline how to do a
small selective draft.
The plan for a short
turn around, should a
draft be authorized
by Congress, already
exists and is nothing
new.”
Regarding
draft board vacan-
cies, Van Houten
explains that the
vacancies are noth-
ing new. “Since terms
are 20 years and the
SSS was re-upped in
1980, there are a lot
Leanora, Steven and Amy Pincus Merwin.
of vacancies [right
now],” she says.
Van Houten says it’s true that extradition treaties have been written to eliminate the
option of going to Canada or Sweden. “But,” she adds, “there is a case due to go to trial
in Canada next month of a deserter arguing he needed asylum. The outcome of this case
could make a difference here.”
Finally, it’s true there will be no educational deferments if and when a draft is re-
instituted.
For families like the Merwins, whose children may be at risk in any future draft, such
information provides little comfort. But, having accurate information about a possible
draft, along with knowledge about student privacy rights, recruitment techniques, and
alternatives for students after high school allows them to fight a stronger, better
informed fight. — Bobbie Willis
JUNE 17, 2004 13