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Nation of Apathy: How I learned to stop worrying and love the draft

published by Emily Yates on 11/10/12 4:33pm

Nation of Apathy: How I learned to stop worrying and love the draft

By Emily J. Yates, an Iraq veteran against the war

The phrase “no, thank you” is ubiquitous to American culture. It’s used to deflect all manner of advances – a simple, standardized mantra of dismissal, indicating politely, “I’m not interested, and please leave.” Have time for a quick survey? Can I tell you about our long-distance plan? Have you thought about a career in the U.S. Army? We toss a “no, thank you” over our shoulder, moving briskly past all that is undesirable, uninviting, uninteresting – in other words, unworthy of our attention.

I heard a whole slew of “no, thank you”s recently. It was down at the wharf in San Francisco, where thousands of tourists had flocked for the festivities of Fleet Week – a red-white-and-blue-spattered celebration of the American military, complete with taxpayer-funded flyovers by the Blue Angels. Hundreds of sailors and Marines in crisp dress uniforms flooded the piers, and military recruiters lined the pathways, almost visibly salivating over the prospect of making their quota early this month. An Iraq veteran myself, I stood in the midst of the crowd with several other veterans and allies of Iraq Veterans Against the War, handing out informational flyers containing military suicide statistics.

“Support the troops’ right to heal!” we called out above the roar of the jets passing over our heads for the umpteenth time. People swerved around us, gripping plastic souvenir bags emblazoned with variations on “GO ARMY.” Avoiding eye contact. “Stop the deployment of traumatized troops!” Faces forward, they kept moving – young, old and middle-aged alike – and if the Angels weren’t roaring overhead, I’d hear a “No, thank you” as they passed by. They weren’t interested in hearing the unpleasant things we had to say, the gentle reminders that the bright and shiny military wooing them with its seemingly bottomless budget is comprised of actual human people who are not, shockingly, invincible. But why should they listen? Why should they care? After all, they have the option of “no, thank you.”

The problem of American apathy, particularly toward ongoing U.S. overseas military involvement and its consequences, has not always existed. During all American wars before 1973, ... The full text is here: http://emilyyatesdoeseverything.com/nation-of-apathy-how-i-learned-to-st...

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Independence Day Message from Tom Morello

"For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others."  - Nelson Mandela Dear Friend, Tomorrow, many people in the United States will celebrate...
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On the Occupation of Mosul and the Cities of Western Iraq - Guest Blog by Yanar Mohammed

The Iraqi society is suffering unprecedented crisis that threatens the future of peaceful co-existence of citizens, and augments genocides and civil conflicts based on the sectarian identities that were established on the...
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A Letter to John Kerry from the Right to Heal Initiative

June 19, 2014 U.S. Department of State Attention: Secretary John Kerry 2201 C Street NW Washington DC 20520 Fax: 202 647 3344 Dear Secretary Kerry: The US invasion of Iraq in 2003 incited a previously unimaginable deepening...

Iraq Veterans Warn Obama: Military Intervention Will Be a Disaster

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Thursday, June 19, 2014 Contact:   Matt Howard,  IVAW Communications Director,       415-819-6430,  [email protected] Gerry Condon, Veterans For Peace Vice President,   206-499-1220,  [email protected]
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IVAW Statement on the Crisis In Iraq

Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) – an organization comprised of individuals who served or continue to serve in the US Military following September 11, 2001 – calls on Congress, the President, and his administration to...

A Fond Farewell and a New Opportunity

Dear Friends of IVAW, I hope this letter finds you well. Some of you I have gotten to know fairly well, others I have only just met, and for many of you this is our first introduction, but I write to let all of you know of...

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