So, exercising Freedom of Speech is not a freedom we fight for but, one that is punished for?!

America is a farce that becomes more and more less relevant for everyday that we tolerate Corporatism.

The only freedom was fight for is consumerism and that will be our end.

It is unfortunate that the government will go far out of their way to police individuals who consider aggressive wars on other countries that aren't really doing anything to be economically unfeasible and wasteful. Nothing wrong with supporting troops and hating their leaders. What they don't realize is what the state of Vietnam Veterans are these days. That they will return home broken, traumatized, uneducated, and in a recessive country that will inevitably begin to take its toll on their psychological health. They don't realize that it will be pacifists and peace advocates that will fight the hardest for them to have full support from the VA, homes and jobs. Just have them look at stories like Army Specialist Alyssa Peterson, or Corporal Andrew White, or Guardsman Gary Pfleider to realize that it's not the civilian population that needs encouragement to support the troops.

This story is an almost proto-typical consequence of the sorry state to which the United States has sunk. As Peter and Adoregon have stated above: America has become a farce -- a destructive farce, of course, but a farce nonetheless -- and we ARE NOT FREE.

How many of our young people are we willing to be thrown into the meat-grinder of the MIC? The blood of untold thousands of innocent men, women and children is on our hands, yet we seem to lust for ever more, all so the G***da**ed corporations can extend hegemony over the planet, and exclusively enrich the plutarchs. Jabba the Hut is an excellent caricature of the vile, greedy rich, who devote enormous resources to entrenching their power and riches. Swift extermination of them is much too good for them; they need to suffer a lingering, excruciating, agonizingly painful removal from the gene pool.

It has been said that the only real hero is a dead hero, and that the raison d'etre of a soldier is to deal in death, his own or someone else's.

I appreciate the courage of Verani and Koscher, who, as teachers in a system that relies on the impressing of information on forming minds insist that there are other choices than those offered by the curriculum.

It bothers me that military personnel dolled up in their fatigues and other military costumes are permitted on a high school campus. As if engaging in a contest other than as a non-lethal sport on a field has honor.

Our veterans may well be bitter about their treatment by the "country they fought for." They come back maimed in body and soul, knowing that what they fought "to preserve" was Disneyland, Coca Cola, Halliburton, and the system that doesn't care at all about the rest of us as well. I'm sorry they chose that way to learn a lesson they could have learned by being out of work for a year. It doesn't make them honorable, or special. Just hurt.

Welcome to the world.

Cindy, the defining difference between then and now is that WW2 was fought against a deeply depraved, genocidal evil. This time, the evil exists in dark places within our allegedly free nations. Pogo said it: We have met the enemy — and they are us.

Pacifism, now that's a hard one. It's not something you are going to win at. No medals.

You are not going to stop war or kids going to war. You are not going to change any minds. You are not going to win any arguments because the folks for war think they are the rational ones -- and there are infinitely more of them then lonely you. You are going to lose.

And if they want to harass and harm you there is little you can do to stop them because... you are a pacifist and can't harm them back.

What you are is a witness of one. Or more accurately one less. And the folks who think they are right hate dissent. Hate that they can't convince or coerce everyone. Hate that someone does not believe them.

So get out there and witness. No one is going to applaud. But they will make fun of you.

Google old Irish song -- obviously written by women -- Johnny, I Hardly Knew Thee. (in Civil War U.S. it was flipped into the pro-war, When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again!)

Read, In Solitary Witness by Gordon Zahn about one of the few conscientious objectors in Nazi Germany, Hans Yaggerstadder. (prob. misspelled name) They cut off his head.

Here in rural, central PA, we've had a weekly vigil off and on since 1967 reminding passersby of the alternatives to the warfare state and militarism. Responses have differed as time has passed. At this year's annual Veteran's parade, the weekend before Independence Day, we carried signs such as "Celebrate Independence, ours and others, NOT military subjugation." Some said we should be ashamed of ourselves, but most of the comments were agreeable and supportive. Persistence, refusal to be intimidated and the applicability of the first amendment in public places seems to work.

Dear Dallas Darling, Marbeth Verani and Adeline Koscher,
Thank you for this compelling article and your courage. We wanted to write to you as soon as we read this and offer our support personally, as former teachers.We also want to offer support from Americans Who Tell the Truth. Americans Who Tell the Truth ( see americanswhotellthetruth.org) is a portrait series created and dedicated to our nation’s truth tellers, individuals such as yourselves. The portraits and book are in schools all over the country and are designed to provoke conversations in schools as you have but also , to encourage activity in the ways you have demonstrated. It is only through these truths that our students will have any better options for the future and that we, as the adults in their lives, can reflect morality. Schools must be places of decency and advocacy; you have certainly shown this to us.

We invite you to see the website , contact usI and become part of this movement in schools and communities. We always say that each portrait stands for so many people ‘s actions and courage. Certainly, you are represented here, all three of you! We hope you will be in touch with us! BRAVO! Contact information is on the site. We would love to offer our support in some way and hope to hear from you soon.

If they're going to have army recruiters in the hallways of our public schools, why don't they just cut to the chase, and have some oil executives from Chevron, Exxon, BP, et al walking up and down past the classrooms. They can chat with the students about how much money they make in the oil industry, and tell them personally how they need some good slaves with guns to go kill and maybe be killed or maimed for them and their pocketbooks. Give them the real scoop on the job offer and how much they'll be making themselves plus medical benefits for any brain damage on return, but most importantly, who they're REALLY working for when they sign up!

Not in my name, school districts ! Not in the name of MY America !

Jeannette Rankin was a social worker - a profession much maligned by the powers that be. Elect more social workers to Congress and watch what happens.

I remember Phyllis Schafly telling us not to pass the Equal Rights Amendment in 1970s. She predicted it would result in women becoming combat soldiers. Well, we did not get equal rights or equal pay but she was right about women in combat! I worry about these young women coming home to care for their children when they are living with PTSD. How many of you realize that being a combat veteran is a risk factor for homelessness and addiction?No, we do not care for our troops, only as a slogan.

The best thing we can do is stop supporting corporations as much as possible. Now, there is a beast that I would like to starve until it was small enough to drown in a bathtub!