32 orgs plan assault on Army Experience Center
There’s a plot afoot in Philly by 32 Leftist organizations to assault the Army Experience Center at Franklin Mills Mall near Philadelphia. One of my countless moles forwarded this notice to me;
Activists affiliated with several dozen groups on the east coast will again descend on the Army Experience Center at Franklin Mills Mall in Philadelphia at 2:00 pm on Saturday, September 12, 2009.
A protest on May 2, 2009 at the Army’s interactive video recruiting center was attended by 250 people and saw 7 arrests, but failed to generate mainstream print media coverage.
This time, demonstrators are being encouraged to form small affinity groups and enter the mall through one of several locations. Protesters are encouraged to express their outrage in creative, nonviolent ways.
At 2:00 pm people will come out of the woodwork and converge on the Army Experience Center. Organizers feel it may not be wise for participants to congregate into large groups before the demonstration or wear clothing that would suggest participation in the protest. Is it possible for hundreds to arrive at the mall without being detected? It probably doesn’t matter because police don’t have the right to bar entrance to the mall based on a person’s appearance.Privately owned spaces like shopping malls are not generally considered to be public property like streets, sidewalks and public parks. It’s a problem for folks not particularly enthralled with the status quo, with so many of today’s public spaces masquerading under private ownership.
In case military and civilian officials decide to close the Army Experience Center or the entire red section of the mall, demonstrators are encouraged to congregate at the intersection of Knight’s Road and Mechanicsville Road, directly in front of the red entrance.
Franklin Mills Mall is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its street address is 1455 Franklin Mills Circle Philadelphia, PA. Getting to Franklin Mills Mall is simple. Take Exit 35 off of Rt. 95 and merge onto Woodhaven Rd, (PA 63 West). Go a mile and take a right on Millbrook Rd which leads into Franklin Mills Mall.For more information, contact Elaine Brower – mermaid423@aol.com or
Pat Elder – patrickelder@verizon.net
We encourage you to join our Yahoo List Serve:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/franklinmillsmall/
I wrote about their last attempt to shut down the AEC here last May. And I wrote about Elaine Brower at about the same time.
My mole tells me that Matthis Chiroux will also be there. There’s some kind of tie between Matthis Chiroux and Elaine Brower – a quick check on the internet told me that she’s paying for his website out of her pocket, so who knows what else is going on there.
There are “32 organizations”, if you count them a couple of times like the hippies have done;
1. World Can’t Wait
2. CODEPINK
3. Student Peace Action Network (SPAN)
4. Peace Action Montgomery (MD)
5. Next Left Notes
6. American Friends Service Committee — Youth & Militarism Program
7. Movement for a Democratic Society, Staten Island Chapter (MDS/SI)
8. Gray Panthers, NYC Network
9. The Granny Peace Brigade, New York City Chapter
10. The Granny Peace Brigade, Philadelphia Chapter
11. Pacem in Terris, Delaware
12. Brandywine Peace Community
13. War Resisters League, Delaware Chapter
14. War Resisters League, Philadelphia Chapter
15. The National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance (NCNR)
16. Long Island Military Counter-Recruiting Committee of the Suffolk Peace Network
17. Citizens for Legitimate Government
18. After Downing Street.org
19. Buxmont Coalition for Peace Action
20. Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Bloomington, IN
21. Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Philadelphia Branch
22. Delaware Valley Veterans for America
23. Lehigh-Pocono Committee of Concern
24. Suffolk Peace Network
25. Woodstock Veterans for Peace
26. Veterans for Peace — Thomas Paine Chapter #152
27. Chester County Peace Movement
28. Veterans for Peace — Long Island Chapter
29. Pax Christi, Long Island
30. Veterans for Peace — Chapter 31
31. Veterans for Peace — Chapter 96, South Jersey
32. North Country Peace Group (Long Island)
In May they claimed to have 30 orgs at the protest and eye witnesses said there were less than 200 people there.
I’m guessing that they scheduled it for September 12th because most of the counter protesters that would be there any other day will be in DC. And since they’re passing this around in private rather than the way they used to on the internet, they must be pretty scared of looking weak like they did last time.
Category: Antiwar crowd, Code Pink, Phony soldiers
Too bad I live too far west (Utah).
I’d love to be there to counter-protest & support my former employer. That and to see what a dirty smelly ignorant long-haired tatted pierced (oohh such an EASY target for pain) hippie looks like up close & personal (sound of cracking knuckles).
I’d like to try to educate them that there is no more draft, that no one is holding a gun to these young people’s head to force them to enter the Armed Forces, etc, etc. But it would be like shouting down an empty well.
But who am I kidding? I just want to be there to raise some hell & bust some heads (but only if it came to that).
I know you’ll keep us informed on what actually happens out there. Thanks.
B Woodman
SSG (Ret) Signal Corps US Army
III
“Arguing with the infantry is like mud wrestling with a pig. You both get dirty, but the pig loves it.”
If you could get your mole to convince them to wear Dallas Cowboys jerseys, we could just let the fine citizens of Philadelphia take care of them.
Good heavens, what a target rich environment!
You know what would be really dirty, and tons of fun? If someone could convince the Army Experience crew, and the Mall owners, to have a “Welcome America’s Veteran’s” day on September 12th. Fill the mall with veterans who might not take too kindly to the sort of riff raff that would come to protest.
Heck, the cops might have to be there to take the protesters into protective custody for there own safety.. 🙂
Heh…
Wow, I agree with that statement, to a point. My son will post here soon and tell you all what he thinks
August 19th….still waiting
B Woodman – The act of recruitment is not what is being protested. There are people out there who believe that the AEC is a $12 million video game palace that glorifies war.
Well, to glorify it is the point. I am for LESS Government spending and the AEC is a waste of funds that could go to replace the latest tactical vest that falls apart all on its own (I know, I wore it only a few months ago) or better medical care for Soldiers.
I hate to admit it but…I don’t really care why they are protesting anymore. I am sick of the moronic convergence known as the “peace movement.” Anything they do deserves a counter-protest. I think AW1 Tim’s suggestion merits serious investigation. Does anyone know who owns the mall in question?
OK, so I did my own research rather than be lazy. It is owned by the Mills Group which was purchased by Simon Malls. I sent an email with the above information to the “contact the mall” linky and included AW1 Tim’s suggestion. Others may want to sent them info as well.
https://www.simon.com/mall/feedback.aspx?ID=1245
You’re completely right, Casey. It seems as if these AEC supporters would rather the government spend money on a video game den than for supplies that protect Soldiers serving overseas.
Susan – Please stop supporting places that waste my tax dollars on video games. You “tax and spend” folks really amaze me.
As Jonn noted: These yahoos are hoping to divert attention from what is going on in DC.
It’ll be interesting. I’m not sure what Jonn is referring to with: And since they’re passing this around in private rather than the way they used to on the internet, they must be pretty scared of looking weak like they did last time.
The ANSWER folks gave had their asses handed to them in the past. So dainty they are.
Passed along to Harry, Larry, and Chuck.
“And since they’re passing this around in private rather than the way they used to on the internet, they must be pretty scared of looking weak like they did last time.”
First, that info is posted on probably about 20 websites. Second, any real Soldier worth his weight in salt should see what the organizers were going for – the element of surprise. C’mon Jonn, these “hippies” take something straight out of “The Art of War” and you don’t even recognize that? I thought you said in your profile you were an infantryman…
I have no problem spending my tax dollars on this program. If it helps us to recruit the “Best and the Brightest”, or even that one solitary individual whose actions may save someone’s life, then it is money well spent.
Besides, Jessie, if you want to complain about wasted money, then take it up with the leftists in Congress, and the “I WON!” in the White House. They’ve spent literally 1000 times more money on their political shills and supporters than what was spent on this program, and ALL of that money came from OUR wallets.
Stop complaining about recruiting dollars spent on attracting new sheep dogs, and start considering the dollars being hemorrhaged to destroy our nation’s economy and reward the sycophants in the SEIU and UAW.
Good Lord, Jesse, open yer frikkin’ eyes! The money that was robbed from the taxpayers to give to GM could have been better spent on ALL of our active duty and veterans, rather than prop up a failing industry.
Jesse, I think that is the first (and hopefully last) time someone has called me tax and spend. I am very fiscally conservative, but these groups just steam me. I don’t think the Army Experience is such a great use of my tax dollars, but that is not why they are protesting it. Further, I would rather my money go to this kind of thing than 9/10s of the crap in the porkulus package.
I spoke with the folks that set up the Virtual Army Experience (VAE) at andrews AFB a couple of months ago. VAE is the mobile version of the Philly place. They told me that VAE generates 10 times the recruiting leads for the same cost of more traditional methods. So this is a very cost effective recruiting tool.
Well, Casey and Jesse, if you think that our tax dollars could be better spent on the tropps, I would have to agree, to a point. As Greg points out, the ROI (that’s return on investment) is higher with the AEC and VAE, which makes most government programs rather crappy in terms of ROI; wouldn’t you say? Then we have the porkulus, which gave $9 billion to ACORN, yet Obama wanted to stiff the Vets for $540 million? Did that make sense?
If there’s a problem with the new tactical vest, then maybe writing your congresscritter or senator would be something cheap you could do to make them aware of it? Or, why not contact a real VSO and explain it to them and have them pouind on doors up on the hill? You would be surprised at how they get results based on their size and the amount of respect they have garnered over 90 years.
There is always some way to trim some of the waste, but if Greg’s numbers are correct, then killing off something that works isn’t the smartest thing to do; wouldn’t you agree?
I live in the area and just cleared my schedule for the 12th.
I’ll take pics and send them to you, Mr. Lilyea.
Bless you, Maydayog. I look forward to seeing them.
Greg and Old Trooper – I wouldn’t be surprised if the VAE generated 10 times more LEADS per dollar than traditional recruiting methods. The leads aren’t the important number though. The important number is obviously the percentage of those leads that turn into actual enlistments. $12 million is a big chunk of change, and from everything I’ve read, the Center isn’t any more or less successful than the recruiting stations it replaced.
I’m not going to argue with anyone about our government’s irresponsible spending and compare this money to other money that’s being wasted. In my eyes, a wasted dollar is a wasted dollar, regardless of the entity that wasted it. And anyone who has served a day in a uniform knows that the military is capable of wasting money and resources. Regardless, I mainly disagree with the Center’s existence because I believe it glorifies war and gives recruiters too much access to young and impressionable children.
Finally, I don’t think that video games are going to attract the best and the brightest. The only way to increase the quantity and quality of our military is to increase the benefits to those who serve.
Maydaydog – Try to get my good side. Thanks.
A video games glorifies war? Ever seen “Call to Duty: The World at War”? I had to pull the plug on my business partner playing it because he was getting too many flashbacks. As to young and impressionable minds and recruiters, you been around a college much? We give lunatics and leftards much more access and power than this video game gives recruiters. Are you going to demonstrate against that?
Yet another fine example of Far Left/Communists seizing another opportunity to make themselves look like useless idiots. Of course I would be willing to take wagers that most of these Communist types are willfully ignorant of the facts that Communism is all about forcing militarization down it’s citizenry’s throats and is all about mandatory military service as well. Hmmmmm
Susan – Of course the video games glorify war. The kids aren’t walking out contemplating what it means to fight for one’s life – they come out saying “that was awesome!” They come out thinking that war is cool. That’s glorifying it.
I also think the word “leftard” – an obvious combination of “left” and “retard” – is offensive. One would think that conservatives would have more class than to use derogatory language like that – especially considering those with special needs are also God’s children. I’m sure Sarah Palin wouldn’t want your support after a statement like that.
The point, Jesse, is that this video game is no different than 100 others they are playing at home. Further, unless you are prepared to protest some of the absolute crap many tenured professors are spewing on college campuses to “impressionable youths” who through away years of their lives before they realize that a degree in Race and Injustice may be their professors idea of a life well spent but it does not put beans on very many people’s tables and that the four years their parents paid for prepares them for nothing, give this a break as well. Anyone I call retarded, which was a perfectly good word for slowed or delayed before the left started implying that it was derragotory, generally lives in the idealistic bubble you seem to be in rather than a person who, through know fault of their own, has a learning issue.