502 online
 
Most Popular Choices
Share on Facebook 42 Printer Friendly Page More Sharing Summarizing
OpEdNews Op Eds    H4'ed 9/28/17

Armistice Day 99 Years On and the Need for a Peace to End All Wars

By       (Page 1 of 3 pages)   No comments

David Swanson
Follow Me on Twitter     Message David Swanson
Become a Fan
  (137 fans)

November 11 is Armistice Day / Remembrance Day. Ninety-nine years ago, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, fighting ceased in the "war to end all wars." People went on killing and dying right up until the pre-designated moment, impacting nothing other than our understanding of the stupidity of war.

Thirty million soldiers had been killed or wounded and another seven million had been taken captive during World War I. Even more would die from a flu epidemic created by the war. Never before had people witnessed such industrialized slaughter, with tens of thousands falling in a day to machine guns and poison gas. After the war, more and more truth began to overtake the lies, but whether people still believed or now resented the pro-war propaganda, virtually every person in the United States wanted to see no more of war ever again. Posters of Jesus shooting at Germans were left behind as the churches along with everyone else now said that war was wrong. Al Jolson wrote in 1920 to President Harding:

"The weary world is waiting for
Peace forevermore
So take away the gun
From every mother's son
And put an end to war."

Mass slaughter and war-created famines and disease epidemics have now become almost routine, but we don't have to stand for it. World Beyond War is organizing events all over the world on November 11, 2017. So is Veterans For Peace. So is WILPF. And RootsAction.org and many other organizations. Send us your events here. We'll post them here. Here are some ideas for events you might do:

Sit in your Congress member's or senator's or MP's office until they meet your demands for peace.

Demonstrate on a street corner.

Collect petition signatures.

Hold a forum to which you invite great speakers.

Use the videos and ideas from World Beyond War's online study and action guide: Study War No More!

Screen and discuss a video:

Make a presentation using tools like these:

Do a Penny Poll that lets people determine what they'd like the public budget to look like.

Use a PDF presentation on nuclear weapons thanks to Evan Knappenberger.

Make peace dolls.

Use flyers, sign-up cards, sign-up sheets.

Wear/give/sell sky blue scarves and bracelets, and shirts, and stickers, cups, etc.

Next Page  1  |  2  |  3

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).

Valuable 1  
Rate It | View Ratings

David Swanson Social Media Pages: Facebook page url on login Profile not filled in       Twitter page url on login Profile not filled in       Linkedin page url on login Profile not filled in       Instagram page url on login Profile not filled in

David Swanson is the author of "When the World Outlawed War," "War Is A Lie" and "Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union." He blogs at http://davidswanson.org and http://warisacrime.org and works for the online (more...)
 
Go To Commenting
The views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.
Follow Me on Twitter     Writers Guidelines

 
Contact AuthorContact Author Contact EditorContact Editor Author PageView Authors' Articles
Support OpEdNews

OpEdNews depends upon can't survive without your help.

If you value this article and the work of OpEdNews, please either Donate or Purchase a premium membership.

STAY IN THE KNOW
If you've enjoyed this, sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter to get lots of great progressive content.
Daily Weekly     OpEd News Newsletter
Name
Email
   (Opens new browser window)
 

Most Popular Articles by this Author:     (View All Most Popular Articles by this Author)

Obama's Open Forum Opens Possibilities

Public Forum Planned on Vermont Proposal to Arrest Bush and Cheney

The Question of a Ukraine Agreement Is Not a Question

Feith Dares Obama to Enforce the Law

Did Bush Sr. Kill Kennedy and Frame Nixon?

Can You Hold These 12 Guns? Don't Shoot Any Palestinians. Wink. Wink.

To View Comments or Join the Conversation:

Tell A Friend