Update on the NO WAR armband revolution.

[KyndCulture]

Last night I sold the 500th armband from the website. This is growing faster than I could have imagined. I already need to double the initial order tomorrow morning.

Just another reminder to keep spreading the word. I purchased a domain name yesterday to make it easier to tell people about the site.

A reminder if you've made an armband please send me a pic of you and your armband I am going to have a photo gallery as soon as I get a few more pictures.

http://www.armbandsforpeace.com

If you have a blog or website please help us get the word out. There are banners on the site you can use or just a text link is fine. I will be glad to link back to your site if you send me a message.

Not only is this protest a daily way to show your disgust it's also benefiting Goldstar Families for Peace and Paralyzed Veterans of America.

Thanks for all the wonderful support I've gotten from DUers! You are truly the best!!

Let's go for 5000 people wearing armbands!

viva la resistance!!!!!

[Libby2]

1. kick (nt)

[Booster]

10. K&R. I ordered mine and would like to see armbands with other

things on them; one of my favorites (but maybe too big for an armband)is "They lied and you know it". I think that statement makes people really think hard about what they've been told.

[KyndCulture]

12. It has to be short. They aren't that big.

I definitely plan on one that says "Where's Osama?"

[KyndCulture]

2. I also got a note from someone in Michael Moore's staff today.

They are forwarding the info to Mike! That's very exciting!

[benburch]

3. National media will be brought to this THIS WEEK.

And more in coming weeks.

I believe we can see a half million of these being worn, eventually, between the ones you are selling and the ones you have encouraged people to make for themselves.

[KyndCulture]

6. I hope so!!

[readmoreoften]

4. There are so many heads of the hydra.

If you want to see an armband on every American, make specific armbands that attack the symptoms of the bush disease that wearers can most identify with. For example, I'm against 90% of wars-- and certainly the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, & Iran-- but I'm not a pacifist so I don't entirely feel comfortable wearing a "no war" slogan. It just doesn't feel enough like "me" to wear daily. Don't get me wrong. I'd hold up a "no war" banner at a rally in context. I think you get my point. But there are other phrases I'd wear every goddamn day. I'd buy ten and switch them out for days of the week. Here are some suggestions:

NO WAR
OUT OF IRAQ
OUT OF IRAN
GOP OUT
SAVE THE NET
ANTI-FASCISM
REALVOTE
ANTI-RACISM
GAY RIGHTS
= MARRIAGE
QUEER
PRO-CHOICE
PROGRESSIVE
LIBERAL
ATHEIST
CHRISTIAN LEFT (XIAN LEFT, if it can't fit)
DEMOCRAT
DEMOCRACY
IMPEACH
RESIST
REVOLUTION
PNAC OUT

[KyndCulture]

5. There will other choices as soon as the first batch gets here.

[readmoreoften]

8. yay!

If no one else is going to make them, I was going to. I wore a black armband for two weeks after Bush's election and people thought I was nuts. I like armbands.

[readmoreoften]

7. Actually, I didn't read close enough.

It's from Goldstar Families. I'd wear anything they handed me. Still, I think it'd be a good idea to make this armband thing as broad as possible.

[ReverendDeuce]

9. Aren't armbands traditionally fascist?

I don't think this is such a good idea...

[KyndCulture]

11. No not actually here's a story:

The Polish Underground

by: Terese Pencak Schwartz

Wearing either stolen German uniforms or just plain street clothes, these homemade soldiers were the Polish Underground -- the resistance fighters of Nazi-occupied Poland. Fathers, grandfathers and young boys fought side by side with only red and white armbands for identification. They came together to defend, as best as they could, their beloved homeland. They fought with Polish pistols and German "shmyzers", automatic sub-machine guns, which they either stole or bought from the Nazis. They concealed their precious cache in cemeteries and hospital grounds.

The city sewers became their staging area, their Headquarters and their passage ways. The younger ones -- teenagers worked as liaisons, running through the sewers smuggling supplies and passing cryptic messages and orders.

"One night," says Borowski, "we got the order that our armbands must be switched before dawn from our left arms to our right arms." The Germans had infiltrated their ranks. "In the morning we were instructed to shoot anyone wearing an armband on their left arm."

Through the wet stinking sewers they moved like rats in sewage that was sometimes chest high. "We would have to dismantle our weapons," says Borowski, "and carry them along with our ammunition over our heads so they would not get wet."

http://www.holocaustforgotten.com/irek-e.htm

[KyndCulture]

13. I know the armbands aren't for everyone.

But given the response there's certainly a lot of people that agree with this symbolic protest.

[ProgressivePatriot]

23. Aren't armbands traditionally fascist?

The French Resistance also wore armbands, I believe.

[KyndCulture]

26. The polish resistance to the nazi's wore armbands that kept them alive.

http://www.holocaustforgotten.com/irek-e.htm


A heroic story!

[Longhorn]

46. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[kineneb]

33. No. Used in 19th century, too.

Black armbands were worn as a symbol of mourning by men during Victorian England. Women would wear a black ribbon or special mourning jewelery.

Google "black armbands, victorian" for more info.

[KyndCulture]

36. Does that preclude us from wearning mourning bands...

for our troops and the innocent Iraqi's?

[kineneb]

40. Absolutely not. In fact,

it connects us to a fine old tradition. I wore a black ribbon to work when my grandmother died. I think the tradition should be revived- it allows one to realize another's loss. And if there is a national reason to mourn, then we should all wear black armbands.

Before armbands there was complete mourning dress, which was usually worn for a year, especially by widows.

[ProgressivePatriot]

35. MP's and the Shore Patrol wear arm bands too.

just another example

[KyndCulture]

37. does that make it a bad protest?

curious?

[ProgressivePatriot]

39. I'm just giving examples

to counter the rightyscum who say only nazi's and commies wear armbands.

[KyndCulture]

14. Can we get one more Recommend.

I really want to make sure everyone has seen this movement!

[KyndCulture]

15. Cindy and Dede just replied to me!

They are totally on board with the project.

[katinmn]

17. Wonderful! It is a great idea.

:)

[KyndCulture]

18. Thanks Kat!

I'm stuck up here in DL in small town, can't do anything productive, so I try to use the internet to get something done.

[KyndCulture]

16. kick

:kick:

[IndyOp]

19. KC - WIll you take suggestions for new options?

You are doing great work! :applause: :applause: :applause:

My comment is in response to your reply above that once the initial order goes through you will make more options available.

I've really been going back and forth about buying "No War" to wear to work at my red, red, red college. Having a Prof be too obvious about a political position backfires I think - subtle is the way to make the most progress...

So I would like to see 'positive message' armbands I could wear at all times -
PEACE
PRO-PEACE is PRO-LIFE
VISUALIZE PEACE

I also love the lyrics to Neil Young's new song:
LIVING WITH WAR in my heart


:bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[KyndCulture]

20. ABSOTIVELY! I am begging for help and ideas!

I'm just a lil ole lady living in the middle of nowhere trying to help!!
Please any ideas and help is MOST appreciated!

[IndyOp]

24. What kind of help do you need? Spreading the word?

I would suggest contacting the folks at Velvet Revolution <http://www.velvetrevolution.us/>
and AfterDowningStreet <http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/>.

After Downing Street is currently running the Don't Attack Iran petition: <http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/iran>

:shrug:

[KyndCulture]

25. Yes spreading the word.

Afterdowingstreet is already on board... I will email Velvelt Revolution tonight! thanks for the idea.

[IndyOp]

27. American Friends Service Committee & Traprock Peace

AFSC <http://www.afsc.org/>

Traprock Peace <http://www.traprockpeace.org/>

Campus AntiWar Network <http://www.campusantiwar.net/>

International A.N.S.W.E.R. <http://www.internationalanswer.org/>

Is there a network of local peace organizations? Local orgs can get messages out via email lists.....

Keep contacting a few new groups/people per day. This is the kind of an effort that has to build over weeks/months...

Be sure and send Cindy Sheehan a few freebies - anything she wears will start popping up everywhere! ;-)

:shrug:

[KyndCulture]

28. I've already heard from Cindy.

I just don't know all the places to email!! Thank you for the links!

[KyndCulture]

21. I have 2 ideas so far that I think I can make happen...

"Peace" and "Where's Osama"

The message has to be very few letters, the armbands aren't that big.

Anything you want to suggest, PLEASE DO!

[KyndCulture]

22. I do want some opinions though...

I am concerned that mixing the message might be defeating the purpose.

I dunno, it's difficult. This idea was born out of a show of solidarity. Any thoughts on that?

[benburch]

29. I agree with that.

"NO WAR" is the only message I would push.

It can *stand* for all those other things.

[KyndCulture]

30. It is a symbol of our revolution to stop this maddness...

That's how I took it.

[benburch]

31. Right.

Without the war the whole house falls.

[KyndCulture]

32. The old war or the new war... both.. nt

[benburch]

38. Right.

It's inclusive.

[KyndCulture]

34. kick

:kick:

[TheModernTerrorist]

41. IMO

I think "No War" should be the only slogan on them. I mean cmon, these aren't magnetic ribbons...
having too many slogans on them will be cheesy and seem less unified.

[KyndCulture]

42. That's what I think too...

A message that connects us all!

[KyndCulture]

63. kick

:kick:

[readmoreoften]

43. And then when we pull out of Iraq because the campaign is failing anyway

and we still live in a fascist country, then what do we do?

[benburch]

47. Easy. Point to the armbands and say we've WON!

Assuming of course we are not at war in Iran by then...

[TheModernTerrorist]

65. I'm not saying

that armbands are gonna save the world. But if you're trying to get a message across, whether it's "No" to war, or some armband symbolizing unity, I'd suggest not tacky-ing it up with a bajillion different slogans. It'll just become the "magnetic 'support the troops' ribbon of the Left".

[readmoreoften]

44. I'll just make my own then. /nt

[benburch]

48. It's not hard.

All you need is cheap black muslin and some while fabric paint pens and some heat-fuze velcro for the fastener.

[readmoreoften]

58. I made one after the election out of an old t-shirt.

It didn't say anything though, it was just a black armband signifying the death of democracy. I may put that one back on. I'm too speechless to say one thing. I'm against the war (The Long War, as Rumsfeld puts it). I'm horrified that we might bomb Iran. I'm on strike with the UAW fighting against a Bush labor resolution. I'm a woman worried about abortion. I'm a citizen worried about my civil liberties. I'm a lesbian with a transgendered partner in remission from cancer, so I worry I won't be able to care for her due to some horrible hospital policy. I'm a teacher worrying about where my next rent check will come from and if I will lose my health insurance.

Maybe I just need a plain black one to signify how speechless I am.

[benburch]

59. That would do!

Though, fabric paint is cheap...

[Longhorn]

45. I just ordered five.

Thank you for doing this!

[benburch]

49. Want to hear something FUNNY?

The folks on the "Site I Don't Care To Name" had to make up a sock puppet to pretend to be one of us throwing a rant on their thread about THIS thread so they could have something to ridicule.

To me, this says that this campaign seems really threatening to them!

[KyndCulture]

51. ooooh no kidding?

Now that's what I call funny... My wee little bit of fabric is pissing them off..

That's a beautiful thing!

[benburch]

53. And now they got another one on there...

They just make shit up when they have nothing else.

[benburch]

54. Here is a picture of their newest member;

[KyndCulture]

55. Ain't that the usual shit?

I'm singing a song... its a styx song..

"haven't we been here before?"

[benburch]

56. Most of them there are liars.

A very few are honest, but they stay because they simply have blinders to the sort of trash they hang with.

[KyndCulture]

52. I did notice that my post about the 500th sold...

made it on the un-named board with in less than one minute of my post.

That kinda made me laugh.. The trolls are just so up on our posts... er whatever... lol

[benburch]

60. They are STILL arguing with their own sockpuppet.

CLASSIC.

[Ksec]

50. great idea

Ill buy a few.

[KyndCulture]

57. kick

:kick:

[benburch]

61. Kick!

:kick:

[benburch]

62. Prepare for HUGE ORDERS.

I think your embroidery company is gonna need a freight car load of thread... And some new needles.

[benburch]

64. Kick!

:kick:

[KyndCulture]

66. kick