Committee Opposed to Militarism and the Draft (COMD)

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From Draft NOtices, July-August 2003


    

Almost 200 activists came together during June 27-29 for the first national counter-recruitment conference, titled "Stopping War Where It Begins: Organizing Against Militarism in Our Schools." With the tremendous amount of information that was exchanged, the high concentration of organizing experience that was present and the powerful energy that was generated, it may prove to be a significant watershed event for not only those organizations that focus on youth and militarism issues, but for the overall peace and social justice movement, as well.

Held at the Friends Center in downtown Philadelphia, the conference was sponsored by 11 local, regional and national organizations: the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) National Youth and Militarism Program, AFSC Washington D.C., AFSC San Francisco, Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors (CCCO), Center on Conscience and War, the D.C. group CHOICES, the San Diego groups Committee Opposed to Militarism and the Draft (COMD) and Project on Youth and Non-Military Opportunities (Project YANO), ROOTS/War Resisters League, the college-based STARC Alliance, and the Teen Peace Project of Port Townsend, Washington. A longer list of local and national organizations endorsed the conference; AFSC and CCCO were the local Philadelphia hosts.

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From Draft NOtices, July-August 2003


— Rick Jahnkow
 

Having worked on Eugene McCarthy's campaign in 1968, George McGovern's in 1972, and several congressional races (including one for a third-party candidate), I am aware of the old — and continuing — debate on the relationship between social change and the electoral process.

Some argue that we should work within the Democratic Party to move it leftward; that we should support electable moderate candidates who will reward our campaign efforts in their behalf by giving a hearing to our views; that we should back progressive candidates who will, at least, stimulate public discussion of the issues we want to have raised.

Others contend that our electoral efforts ought to be confined to radical or third-party slates; that we should ignore national campaigns and work only for local candidates and referenda; that we should limit our participation to the casting of ballots on election day, or that we shouldn't even bother doing that.

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From Draft NOtices, May - June 2003



— Mernie Aste and Molly Morgan
    

Waging empire abroad requires a propaganda war at home, and peace activists have been challenged by a powerful sound-bite blitz since 9-11. As Bush, Inc. moves from its war of conquest to occupation and exploitation, the rest of us can reframe our strategies and language, including unpacking one of the most vexing phrases —"support the troops."

For centuries a dominant feature of U.S. political culture has been dualism: framing all issues as black or white, good vs. evil, with no opportunity to be neither, both, or something else altogether. Framing debate in this way not only serves as a red herring to keep people from asking deeper questions, but is also part of a classic divide-and-conquer strategy that keeps the majority of people from making common cause against the oligarchy. Part of the brilliance of such jingoistic phrases as "united we stand," "these colors don't run," "freedom isn't free," and "support the troops" is that they are ambiguous, implying a political stance without being specific. They also allow a speaker to set a trap for responders.

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Ninth CIRCUIT COURT RULING: CONFRONTING MILITARISM BY USING EQUAL ACCESS TO HIGH SCHOOLS

When the military comes to your local high school, you have a legal right to give students an opposing view. This has been the position taken by federal district courts in Florida, Pennsylvania and Illinois and two federal appellate courts. The most broadly-worded decision came from a case that COMD took to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in the 1980s. Here is the background:

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