We Will Shut Down the Army Experience Center at Franklin Mills Mall on May 2, 2009

[darrels joy]

We Will Shut Down the Army Experience Center at Franklin Mills Mall on May 2, 2009
March 25th, 2009

Killing is fun — and life is cheap at the Army Experience Center at the Franklin Mills Mall in suburban Philadelphia http://www.thearmyexperience.com/
"This is so cool!" This is so cool!" The enthralled 13 year-old kept repeating as he squeezed rounds from his M-16, picking off "enemy combatants" while perched on a real Army Humvee. (According to Darrel, this is not new it was just moved into a mall from trailers.)

We’re in the new Army Experience Center in suburban Philadelphia and the young teen, who doesn’t look older than eleven, was obviously impressed with the Army’s killing machines. "I just came to the mall to skateboard in the skate park across the hall but everyone said this was pretty cool. I just had to try it and its great!"

Video games offer the perfect segue between childhood innocence and institutionalized killing. That’s why the Army opened the Army Experience Center, a one-of-a-kind, 14,500-square-foot "virtual educational facility" in August of 2008. Although the Army says it’s not about recruiting, all 20 soldiers stationed at the mall are active duty recruiters.


The Army will run the Experience Center as a pilot program for up to two years when it will decide whether to launch them nationally, like so many Wal-Marts.

Early reports regarding the success of the program indicate that the Army Experience Center is able to attract the same number of recruits as five traditional recruiting centers in the area surrounding Bensalem, the Philadelphia suburb where Franklin Mills Mall is located.

With the unemployment rate of Bensalem, Pennsylvania steadily rising from 3.8% in December of 2006 to nearly double that rate today, the military chose an excellent location for the pilot program. The Army Experience Center cost more than $12 million to design and construct. The center includes 20 PC work stations where recruiters provide GED instruction for free.The recruiters explain that the Army is "giving back" to the community by preparing students for the high school equivalency test.

Although most of the youth at Franklin Mills Mall are generally pleased with the shooting experience offered on the Humvee, the Black Hawk, and on the America’s Army video game, avid gamers in their late teens are critical of the America’s Army video game, at least compared to other popular killing games like Viking on the PS3 where you’re able to hack your enemy to death with an axe, or Nintendo’s Mortal Kombat where blood and intestines seem to hit the screen.

Teens also complain that America’s Army is unrealistic because good guys and bad guys can exchange point-blank automatic weapons fire for ten seconds before anyone goes down.

Generally, however, the Army’s killing game is fun for the teens in Philadelphia, especially when it’s at the local mall and it’s free.

The 14,500 square feet of retail space is laid out in several distinct sections, each attempting to sell the Army. Youth are impressed when they examine the Global Base Locator which highlights Army bases throughout the United States and around the world. The Career Exploration Area, using the same name as the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery Career Exploration Program, ASVABCEP that operates in 11,900 high schools across the country, lets visitors use its touch-screen technology to learn about 179 different Army career fields.

This is where recruiters might engage youth in discussions of their interests to gauge possible career paths.

For instance, if a teen explains that his favorite pastime is playing in a rock band, the recruiter might describe an Army career as a Bass Guitarist. If a potential recruit expresses interest in graphic arts, for instance, recruiters at the Army Experience center might suggest a job as a Multimedia Illustrator. Of course, the Army is first and foremost about killing and the Army Experience Center is part of that mission.

"The Army is not all about boots and guns," explained Army Major Larry Dillard, Army Experience Center Program Manager. "We want to give people the opportunity to experience the Army for themselves, so they have an understanding of what soldiers do, and they can be proud of their service."

The highlight of the Experience Center is the Black Hawk Simulator in which participants take a virtual tour through an Afghan mountain village while shooting at enemies who are trying to sabotage a U.S. medical convoy headed to a field hospital. "We’re the good guys trying to bring medicine to people and the bad guys are trying to stop us from giving medicine to the sick and dying because they hate our freedoms." At least that’s the way 13 year-olds in Philadelphia who’ve had fun "blowing people away" explain it.

The virtual shooting ranges and video games are an abomination that cheapen life and blur the lines between virtual killing and the real thing. We are outraged by this development. We see it as a dangerous escalation in the militarization of American society and we vow to shut it down.

Please join us on Saturday, May 2

We’re simply encouraging people to show up at the mall Franklin Mills Mall Directory. And carry a shopping bag. Don’t shop at the mall since we want the merchants to feel the pressure also. But carry a shopping bag is an excellent decoy.

(The cops will suspect everyone with a shopping bag!)

At 2:00 pm people will come out of the woodwork and converge on the Army Experience Center. It may not be wise to congregate into large groups before the demonstration or wear clothing that would suggest your participation in the protest.

We think it’s possible for hundreds of us to arrive at the mall without being detected. And it is a free country, sort of.

In America today, privately owned spaces like shopping malls are not generally considered to be public property like streets, sidewalks and public parks. It’s a real problem for 1st Amendment enthusiasts because, well, because many of today’s public spaces are…private Malls pose a special challenge for purposes of 1st Amendment activity. Generally, in Pennsylvania, if the owner of a mall doesn’t want protesters, they have the "right" to demand that we leave.

In February, 2009, (www.wearenotyoursoldiers.org) 50 of us suddenly appeared at the Army Experience Center with large labels on our clothing that said, "War is not a game." The police and mall security were very cordial and repeatedly asked us to leave. After about 15-20 minutes of negotiating with officials, the "freeze action" dissipated. We made our point. No one was arrested and everyone was pleasant.

Franklin Mills Mall is owned by a huge multinational corporation, Simon Property Group, Inc., NYSE:SPG . Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, SPG is the world’s largest retail outlet owner. It owns or has an interest in at least 380 properties in the United States comprising more than 258,000,000 square feet in 39 states. Simon Property Group also holds interests in 52 malls around the world.

Maybe we’re out on a limb here, but Simon is probably more concerned with protecting the rental income from its tenant, the U.S. Army, than protecting our 1st Amendment Rights. David Simon, co-owner of Simon Property Group, is an Army veteran. Simon says, "Shop!" And part of what he’s selling is the Army. Simon, however, is not our primary adversary. We’re targeting the Army.

We’re simply going to convince Melvin Simon and David Simon that leasing to the Army is a bad idea and we intend to affect their bottom line until the Army goes.

You can also voice your concerns at https://www.simon.com/about_simon/co...g/default.aspx and tell the owners to get rid of the AEC.

So where does all this leave us?


We can enter the Army Experience Center and cause a great big fuss at 2:00 pm until we’re asked to leave and then we can take our time to get out. We’ll go to peacefully and artistically express our indignation at this abomination. Some are planning on singing. Some will unfurl banners, some will chant and some will cry.

There’s talk of a die-in. We are people of peace. We’re nonviolent. The Army is Shock and Awe, Abu Ghraib, recruiting lies, a thousand rapes, and cool video games.

Immediately afterward, we have a location picked out for a demonstration on public property — on the street — right outside of Franklin Mills Mall where we have the "right" to peacefully assemble.

We demand the Army close up shop at Franklin Mills Mall and we’re determined to block the expansion of this monstrosity in malls across the nation. We will be successful in this campaign because we’ll bring in enough protestors to attract national media attention. Simon will get the message that leasing to the Army was a mistake and other retailers will learn from his miscalculation. If he doesn’t close it down, we’ll return in greater numbers.

Join us!

SEE LIST OF ENDORSERS ON THIS WEBSITE!

Franklin Mills Mall is located in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia.

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.

Also, see these websites, where we’ll post updates:

www.wearenotyoursoldiers.org

http://shutdowntheaec.net/

[darrels joy]

MONDAY AT THE “ARMY EXPERIENCE” RECRUITMENT CENTER

Filed under: Freeze Action at AEC Franklin Mills Mall, anti-military recruitment work — Admin @ 11:36 pm





Photo Credit:
Bill Perry, Delaware Valley Veterans of America


WAKE UP CALL: THE “TOTAL ARMY EXPERIENCE”

On Monday, February 16th about 50 activists decided to take a trip to the Franklin Mills Mall right outside Philadelphia, PA to get their look at a new “store”. “The Army Experience” (AEC), as it is called, built by the taxpayers to the tune of $12 million, attracts local kids to play video games, most of which are high tech simulations of combat situations.

The group was made up of members from all over the area. World Can’t Wait from New York City and Philadelphia; Delaware Valley Veterans of America; Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW); Veterans for Peace from the Philadelphia area; Military Families Speak Out (MFSO); Movement for a Democratic Society/Staten Island (MDS-SI); CodePink Women for Peace; Granny Peace Brigade; and, the Brandywine Peace Center converged on the mall at about 10:30 AM, greeted by a heavier than usual security force.

As a little background, let me explain. This 15,000 sq. ft. center has the look of a brand new spaceship, clean, polished and full of gadgets and was opened in August, 2008. On the website it announces in a welcome message “Providing unique insight into the Army Experience Center is an unparalled interactive experience designed and built by the world’s premier land force – the United States Army.” “See what excitement is all about!” The area contains what they call a “Tactical Operations Center” or TOC, where a separate room is available for local schools to conduct classes, with full/free internet and computer access. In the TOC, students as young as middle-school class attend and receive instructions on various topics, but mostly concerning what jobs the army has to offer them. In a wiz-bang fashion, the modern space offers the community, and mall goers the slick new and improved way that military recruitment is being ushered into the 21st century.

In a statement made when the facility first opened, the creator of the center, Ryan Hansen of Ignited Corporation, said “They are the Army, and as the slogan states “The Army is more than you think it is.” ‘Through market research, and proven outreach tools like the “America’s Army” game and the mobile “Virtual Army Experience,” Hansen said the Army learned that the best way for people to become acquainted with their Army was for them to be able to touch, feel and see the Army in a non-threatening environment. By incorporating the lessons learned from the technologies of those outreach tools, officials believe the Army Experience Center will make the Army accessible to visitors,’ which it does.

Young kids can see what it’s like to sit inside a real humvee, tank, apache helicopter and get first hand experience killing the enemy, and being killed themselves. When we spoke to the staff inside, all in “civilian” clothes, looking friendly and naïve, they tout the fact that they do not “recruit” kids. On the contrary, they “offer” them a place to go, no questions asked, and they can browse around what the army has to offer, if they so choose. But to get into the AEC and play these games that are so popular with high school kids, they must register at the front desk. Of course, on the application form there is a spot to check off if you “want the military to contact you.”

So a young person who is anxious to get inside and get their lifetime pass to play games for free, shows some ID, fills out an application and may or may not check off a box. It isn’t mandatory. My friend did it. She went to the desk, a member of the Granny Peace Brigade, and signed up. Got her ID card, and went to play the games, got a tour of the entire place and was totally disgusted by the disguise the army is presenting.

So about 50 activists devised a plan to take on the center and call attention to the real mission of the Army. At about 11 AM, a “tour” group went in, comprised of 4 young people, and also a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW). They took the tour, in which a helpful army representative showed them around the place and gave them a glowing report of how the center since it opened, has helped local inner-city kids, whose public schools are under funded, learn to read, pass the “Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery” (ASVAB) and generally teach them discipline. With all of this, they don’t have to join the Army, this is a public service they are giving away freely; however, since the AEC opened, they have enlisted 48 kids, information freely given to one of the protesters.

At 12:00 PM the rest of us walked into the center and did a freeze action. On our t-shirts were signs stating “WAR IS NOT A GAME” and we remained in a frozen position until the mall security, almost immediately, told us we had to disperse. Some folks were on the outside of the AEC, right in the mall area, and they were told to remove their shirts or leave. Standing still in a large mall area is not against the law, the last I heard. Nor is standing still inside an area that you are allowed to be in as a taxpayer is also not illegal, however, we were told that this “Army” center was on private property. Photos and videos were prohibited, but we managed to sneak a few in.

IVAW member, Matthis Chiroux from NYC, who stood frozen wearing his military uniform, was challenged by the head of mall security. “I am warning you, sir, that if you don’t leave the area immediately you will be arrested and charged with criminal trespass!” After repeating that about 3 times, Matthis responded by saying “I heard you the first time!”, and kept his frozen stance. Along with him, were about 7 others who remained after the first warnings were given. Others meandered very slowly back out to the general mall area, and some remained inside the AEC, but milled about slowly looking at the games and video screens mounted on the walls.

I myself waited until Matthis left and then I walked over to one of the gaming stations where Joan and Bev, both Granny Peace Brigade members from NYC were playing the games. Watching them play “Ghost Recon”, the initial startup video screen takes you into Mexico along the border, and right away the military personnel are being shot at along the border, as if we were at war with Mexico. The soldiers are shot at, dragged off, shot at again and blood splatters right onto the video screen. Screaming, yelling, gunfire, rocket fire and helicopters are all rampaging right in front of your eyes.

As Bev recounts: “Unaccustomed to playing video games, I was excited at finally making a direct “hit” with the rifle. However, the “body” spurted blood, jerked about when shot again which shocked and disgusted me. Two boys, no older than fifteen, were playing the games before we entered the area and remained intently engaged when we left the arcade. The military staff’s glib answers just rolled off their tongues during a lengthy discussion and tour of the three simulator exhibitions.”

I got into a long discussion with 4 different recruiters when standing there. Still wearing my t-shirt reading “WAR IS NOT A GAME”, I took my time and stood there for almost an hour. The conversation went from allowing these young kids to play violent games with taxpayer dollars, to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. All the while, the staff there defended their position. One staff member who was in Iraq on 3 combat tours told me he was in the Army for 10 years, and it works for him. Besides, where else could he go, he has a family. Another told me he goes to the inner city schools and teaches kids to read. I mentioned that there are teachers to perform that task, but he said there was no funding for public schools. So why not take the funding from the center and give it to the schools that had accredited teachers, I stated. He didn’t have an answer other than that wasn’t up to him.

For example, federal funding for the 2009 Department of Defense’s (DOD’s) base budget is $515.4 billion—a nearly 74-percent increase over 2001. This funding will ensure a high level of military operation, as opposed to a federal budget for the Department of Education of $68.6 billion. Just a quick examination of this unbalanced funding gives us an idea where the government is headed as far as the connection between educating our youth and the militarization of them.

After telling them that I was a military mom and my son has served 3 tours of duty, and is still in Iraq, they kept me engaged in conversation. I told them what they were doing was similar to the youth brigades in Germany under Hitler. I told them that the military budget was bloated and of course kids would join the army since it was an economic draft. I told them that unmanned drones were the product of the Military Industrial Complex and some guy sitting in Nevada was killing innocent people in Pakistan. I told them that they had to understand all of this since they worked there. Most of the time they didn’t really have an answer, it all went back to they didn’t have a choice and there was nothing wrong with what they were doing, it was up to our political leaders to change the direction, not them.

Here in New York City, we are faced with more militarization of our youth.

The Department of Education is welcoming the Army into nine NYC public high schools, with more likely to follow. This partnering is disguised as teaching the students “life skills, with students being drilled by soldiers in setting goals.” However, military officials involved in this program state that “the project is not a recruitment tool.” This announcement marks a second step in NYC where the DOE and US military relationship appears to be growing increasingly cozy. Considering the fact that the Mayor has just threatened to lay off 15,000 teachers, we should all be very alarmed at the escalation in military involvement with our youth on all of these fronts.

The bottom line is that “The Army Experience” is an experimental center, and if it works, we could be faced with a whole new monster in recruiting in other malls across the Country, as well as these new programs in our high schools. The military is right in one respect, they don’t have to recruit, they just have to smile and give a tour, let them play, teach them to read, teach them “life skills” and where else do these kids have to go? We are in an economic depression, no jobs for anyone, especially those who are locked into areas of the country where there was a deep oppression before the economy went sour.

Those of us who realize the extreme danger of this subversive army mission targeting our youth on a whole new level, must mobilize to stop it. However it is done, we cannot simply hand out opt-out forms at high school events any longer. To counteract the high level of technological lying that is being mastered, our mission should be to rise to the occasion and not allow these new techniques to go unchallenged.

There is a program right now that is taking this on. The “We Are Not Your Soldiers” tour in high schools around the Country, is bringing an Iraq/Afghanistan veteran who is against the war as well as a Viet Nam war resister into classes to tell them the truth about why the empire is recruiting them. To let them know that the promise of money for college, or job training is not worth selling your soul to a Country that wants you to kill and be killed for the purpose of power and greed.

It is up to us to speak truth to power, to join together and push back against the military industrial complex before it really becomes too late!

http://www.wearenotyoursoldiers.org/

[darrels joy]

We are not anywhere near Philadelphia, PA and Franklin Mills Mall.

Others will need to take care of this attack on our military. My emails have already been sent out.

Joy