pre-schoolers protest iraq claim its all about oil!!!

[underwater]

what a joke....

[underwater]

sorry...

Pre-schoolers protest possible war in Iraq

Allegations of exploitation arise

By Steve Sexton

They still believe in the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus. They don’t know how to spell their last names or tie their own shoes. But they do know that “war is bad,†and that “Bush is a bully.â€

The next generation of Berkeley peaceniks gathered on the steps of City Hall Tuesday to demonstrate their opposition to a pending war in Iraq- after school, of course. Armed with protest signs, microphones, and Harry Potter lunch-boxes, elementary and pre-school children demanded city leaders contact President Bush and halt his hawkish “war for oil.â€

Two hundred students from Berkeley schools met local dignitaries, including Mayor Shirley Dean, city council members and a representative for Congresswoman Barbara Lee, D-Berkeley. Surrounding a ‘peace bell’ fashioned out of melted guns taken off of East Bay streets, children took to the microphone saying, “I don’t want people to die,†and, “we can’t keep killing each other. Then we will all die and suffer.â€

Though most students at the rally could not even name Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, many seemed certain the pending U.S. led war in Iraq is about oil.

Celia, age 6, who could not spell her hyphenated last name, told the crowd President Bush “wants to make war because he wants oil.â€

“What is so important about cars anyway,†she asked.

Later, when asked if she could name the president of Iraq, Celia, stumped, turned to a friend and asked, “Is it a boy or a girl?†Her friend, equally puzzled, responded, “I think it’s a boy.â€

Noah, who declined to give his last name, also age six, asserted the looming war is not only about oil, but also “other things, like Bush wanting land.â€

“It is like us squashing ants,†he said.

With city officials looking on, the children sang a song about “peace in the world-that means no fighting.†They held colorful homemade signs calling for peace and no war. One boy had a blue bumper sticker emblazoned on the front of his t-shirt that read: “War in Iraq: NO.†Another held a sign saying, “No War on Children.†With her mother holding a bullhorn, one child shouted a chant for peace across the City Hall plaza, as if taking cue from UC Berkeley students on Sproul Plaza.

The delegation of city leaders addressed the amassed children, telling them “we heard your message.†Berkeley City Councilmember Linda Maio said, “We hear it loud and clear. Bush needs a time-out.â€

The elected leaders then signed a pledge to call President Bush and tell him “children want peace†and to urge him to “use words to resolve conflicts as we are learning.â€

The rally was organized through several Berkeley pre-schools that pride themselves on their alternative curriculum. At New School, academics are set aside for physical activities like yoga. And at Berkwood Hedge, a private K-5 school with 115 students, the curriculum focuses largely on issues of social justice. This year’s theme at the school is peace. Students in after school programs at public elementary schools in the city also comprised the congregation of young peace protesters.

Sandy Morrill, mother of a seven year old at Berkwood Hedge, accompanied her son to the protest, saying it is important for the children to have a voice in politics.

“This is what they’ve been learning at school,†she said. “They have been taught about conflict resolution, and here they see it in action. The kids get to wrestle with bigger questions.â€

Director of New School in Berkeley Susan Hagen said the children are “very concerned about what is going on in the world.†“They don’t want war. We teach them about talking, discussion, and negotiation.â€

But Skyler Johnson, 5, hadn’t learned much about the conflict in Iraq. When he was asked who is the President of Iraq, he shrugged his shoulders and said, “My mom might know.†After she came over and gave him little coaching, he was able to muster, “We don’t want war. Oil kills lots of people.â€

The rally, which seemed a logical extension of classroom learning to organizers, struck Berkeley College Republicans Treasurer Andrea Irvin as exploiting the children for their parents’ political beliefs.

“It is incredible that these parents are using their children to advance their political agendas,†she said. “That these teachers are indoctrinating the young children is unconscionable. They are using the kids as puppets.â€

Mayor Dean said she didn’t think the rally was exploitive though. She said the kids instinctively know about solving conflicts. “They know the best way to do it is to talk things out,†she said.

The rally ended after an hour with students ringing the peace bell and then marching back to their schools waving their signs.

[dnice35]

[dnice35]

this is such bull shit! I cant believe people would use kids in such a manner. I bet 99% of those kids dont know where Iraq is, or dont even know what oil is used for.....

[underwater]

check out the pictures....sombody needs to smack these berkley parents upside their head....

http://www.calpatriot.org/

[underwater]

[underwater]

[dnice35]

Great just what we needed, a new generation of tree hugging hippies.....

shit I just tought about it, there might be a breed of "normalnoice" people amongst those bugers..... NOW WE'RE REALLY FUCKED!

[underwater]

well...if anything that is better then dressing our kids as suicide bombers and giving them toy guns and flags to burn.....its such a shame to see such brain washing of innocent minds....

[dnice35]

Originally posted by underwater

well...if anything that is better then dressing our kids as suicide bombers and giving them toy guns and flags to burn.....its such a shame to see such brain washing of innocent minds....

good point.......

[underwater]

it would have been much cooler if they had a guy dressed as saddam and then set up a wrestling ring in front of the building and then let the kids beat the shit out of him.....all the little kids could be dressed in red white and blue and chanting down with the saddam the pig.....that would been entertainment...

[nycmuzik]

Any kid that made a poster got some extra credit and a smiley face sticker.....

[dnice35]

Originally posted by underwater

it would have been much cooler if they had a guy dressed as saddam and then set up a wrestling ring in front of the building and then let the kids beat the shit out of him.....all the little kids could be dressed in red white and blue and chanting down with the saddam the pig.....that would been entertainment...

I like that idea.....

[dnice35]

Originally posted by nycmuzik2000

Any kid that made a poster got some extra credit and a smiley face sticker.....

I would have pulled my kid out of school if they make him go to that bull shit......

[siceone]

This is disgusting

[sassa]

awwwwwww....HOW CUTE IS THAT!

Does it say where in California?

[underwater]

sassaland, CA........just kidding.....its the little prep school Berkeley kids....they take yoga instead of gym class.....

[dnice35]

Originally posted by sassa

awwwwwww....HOW CUTE IS THAT!

Does it say where in California?

That aint cute.... its sick how they are using those kids.

[sassa]

Sassaland is south of Berkeley. Berkeley is cool...and if their parents want to raise them as tree huggers or liberals, that's their business. I'm sure they won't raise a ruckus if you raise your child to be a Republican...

[monicac]

When I was in HS we had anti-gay activists come and protest my school...there was a little girl with a sign bigger than her. It was sad, but unfortunately I think it is the same....whether you agree with it or not, propaganda is propaganda and the left does it just as much as anybody else. Besides, to say that this is all a selfish bid for oil is gross oversimplification at best...you know that Sassa!

[sassa]

Originally posted by monicac

When I was in HS we had anti-gay activists come and protest my school...there was a little girl with a sign bigger than her. It was sad, but unfortunately I think it is the same....whether you agree with it or not, propaganda is propaganda and the left does it just as much as anybody else. Besides, to say that this is all a selfish bid for oil is gross oversimplification at best...you know that Sassa!

of course....i was just trying not to think too much politically for once... seems hard sometimes

[normalnoises]

Originally posted by dnice35

That aint cute.... its sick how they are using those kids.

Would it be sick if those same kids were "used" to counter-protest in support for the war?

I don't think it's sick. Why? Because they peacefully assembled and expressed their freedom of speech by protesting against the war just as much as that child anti-gay protester (posted above by another person of whoms name I can't think of at the moment) has the right to express HER freedom of speech by counter-demonstrating against gays.

And Sassa, I find it hard not to think politically myself .

I'm proud of those pre-school children for the effort they put out. That was a very courageous thing they did by getting out there and protesting against something they believe is wrong.

[siceone]

Originally posted by normalnoises

Would it be sick if those same kids were "used" to counter-protest in support for the war?

I don't think it's sick. Why? Because they peacefully assembled and expressed their freedom of speech by protesting against the war just as much as that child anti-gay protester (posted above by another person of whoms name I can't think of at the moment) has the right to express HER freedom of speech by counter-demonstrating against gays.

And Sassa, I find it hard not to think politically myself .

I'm proud of those pre-school children for the effort they put out. That was a very courageous thing they did by getting out there and protesting against something they believe is wrong.

You're a Fucking moron and a coward.. how the hell can you justify using Children who have no Capacity to make rational decisions for themselves, who obviously don't understand anything of forign policy and dictatorships and OBVIOUSLY get thier information from one source their leftist peacenik parents.

No Conservative has a problem with the fact these children are protesting the war we have a problem with these children protesting in the first place.... thats the problem with you bleeding heart narrow minded liberals.. you see the world the way you want to see it and anyone who doesn't see your message is fucked up.. It's not the message it's the Principle that's important..

The message at that protest is perfectly clear " some people don't like the war" but the principle behind that message is clearer " We will use innocent children who don't even have the capacity to undertand the issues they are protesting" In essence those kids are just Boddies.. they aren't educated and are incapable of making such complicated decisions...

This was total usery by the parents plain and simple

[sassa]

Originally posted by siceone

You're a Fucking moron and a coward.. how the hell can you justify using Children who have no Capacity to make rational decisions for themselves, who obviously don't understand anything of forign policy and dictatorships and OBVIOUSLY get thier information from one source their leftist peacenik parents.

No Conservative has a problem with the fact these children are protesting the war we have a problem with these children protesting in the first place.... thats the problem with you bleeding heart narrow minded liberals.. you see the world the way you want to see it and anyone who doesn't see your message is fucked up.. It's not the message it's the Principle that's important..

The message at that protest is perfectly clear " some people don't like the war" but the principle behind that message is clearer " We will use innocent children who don't even have the capacity to undertand the issues they are protesting" In essence those kids are just Boddies.. they aren't educated and are incapable of making such complicated decisions...

This was total usery by the parents plain and simple

i think it is fair to say that you right-wing people would do the same...

look, if these leftist parents are going to teach their children that war is wrong and to stand up and protest against it, what are the right-wingers teaching their children?

just because you don't agree with what they're saying doesn't mean these children are being exploited. i think that children know what war is and they know that is means a lot of bad shit will happen to a lot of people. and THAT, is evident, NO MATTER what age you are.

[siceone]

Originally posted by sassa

i think it is fair to say that you right-wing people would do the same...

look, if these leftist parents are going to teach their children that war is wrong and to stand up and protest against it, what are the right-wingers teaching their children?

just because you don't agree with what they're saying doesn't mean these children are being exploited. i think that children know what war is and they know that is means a lot of bad shit will happen to a lot of people. and THAT, is evident, NO MATTER what age you are.

pure speculation with out the fact to back it up

you know these kids were exploited you just don't have the courage to admit that.. and Im a registered democrat I think Im switching my affiliation..