Grandmothers Try to Enlist - Recruiters scared of little old ladies?

[The Straight Story]

Grandmothers Try to Enlist By Judith Scherr

The people banging on the door of the downtown Oakland Army recruiting center on St. Valentine’s Day weren’t your typical military wannabes.

They were mostly women, mostly over 60. Some sported flowered broad-brimmed hats covering grey or white or tinted hair, others dressed for the occasion in camouflage chic or valentine red. A few steered walkers steadily through the crowd, others stood in silent vigil, while some leaned on friendly arms or rolled along in wheelchairs. Some held the hands of small children.

“Let us in!” the women yelled at the locked glass door, with no person visible on the other side. “We want to enlist! Are you afraid of a bunch of old ladies?”

The noon-time event, sponsored by Grandmothers Against the War, Women for Peace, Bay Area Women in Black, and other organizations attracted some 300 women and a dozen or so men to the Armed Forces Career Center at 2116 Broadway. Similar protests were held in 13 cities around the country.

“I want to try to enlist, but they locked the doors,” said Barbara Ellis, grandmother of a 7-year-old and a 10-month -old. Tongue in cheek, of course, Ellis said she had come hoping to trade places with a soldier fighting in Iraq.

“I want to bring home one of the young people,” she said.

Great-grandmother Mary O’Donnell carried a sign that read, “Great grandmother, take me, bring two home.” The sister of celebrated Berkeley peace activist the Rev. Bill O’Donnell, who died two years ago, O’Donnell said she was protesting in the spirit of her brother.

http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/article.cfm?issue=02-17-06&storyID=23439

[The Straight Story]

1. Shameless self kick (nt)

[knitter4democracy]

2. Looks like they are scared of little old ladies.

Sheesh. Why not humor them and spare themselves the bad press?

[The Straight Story]

3. They want your kids to go fight in iraq, but they cave to old ladies

go figure :)