Voices for Peace give recruiters an earful Voices for Peace give recruiters an earful (July 15, 2005)

By Jon Wiener

Military recruiters have moved out of Mountain View, but they can't seem to escape Mountain View Voices for Peace.

The local activist group will join the Raging Grannies and other peace groups to demonstrate at the Sunnyvale recruiting station Saturday at noon. The protesters say they are planning to picket and sing for an hour and later attach a banner reading "Don't Die for a Lie" to the front of the recruiting office.

In a story that is playing out across the country, local recruiters have been failing to make their monthly recruiting goals for the first time in years, attributing the fall-off to parental involvement. A hoped-for boom period in the summer has yet to materialize.

Local anti-war activists are hoping the war's growing unpopularity, combined with an increased perception that the Bush administration lied to the American public and the United Nations about its prewar plans, will help them convince potential soldiers not to join.

"George Bush has made it clear that he has no intention of listening to the majority of Americans who want to end the occupation of Iraq," said Voices for Peace spokesperson Lenny Siegel. "The best way to turn around his disastrous policy is for young Americans to refuse to take part in a war based upon falsehoods."

The group is also continuing to hold Friday night vigils and is promoting its "We Won't Go" campaign, another counter-recruiting effort. Meanwhile, members of the Raging Grannies shadowed recruiters visiting local high schools and colleges this spring.

Military officials say such efforts are misdirected and that they don't pay them much attention. They were unaware of the plans for the upcoming demonstration when questioned by a reporter.

"We as military recruiters do not set policy on Iraq or Afghanistan," said Captain Chip Horn, commander of the Army's South Bay Recruiting Company, stationed at Moffett Field.

"Any grievances or disagreements with the current policies or situation in regards to Iraq or Afghanistan would be much better served by bringing them to the direct attention of our country's democratically elected leaders."

The Sunnyvale recruiting office houses Army, Navy and Marine recruiters. It moved years ago from downtown Mountain View to the shopping center at the southeast corner of Fremont and Mary avenues.

E-mail Jon Wiener at jwiener@mv-voice.com

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