Why a Walkout?
By John Gallup

Two and a half years on and the costs of the Iraq War are steadily rising, yet no end to the conflict is in sight. Everyday brings more news of senseless death and grieving families, in Iraq and here at home.

It's time to step up the struggle to end this war by organizing more serious forms of protest. We need to send Bush and the politicians in Washington a clear message - we refuse to just go about business as usual as long as this brutal occupation continues!

Polls already tell us most young people oppose Bush's war on Iraq. But most antiwar youth have no way to let their opinions be known. High school youth are not allowed to vote, but we can sign up to fight in this unjust war! By walking out, we can make crystal clear to everyone where we stand.

Young people are already rejecting the Bush administration's designs for Iraq by refusing to put their lives at the disposal of U.S. imperialism. Military recruiters are not meeting their targets for new recruits. This crisis has them scrambling to rope in more recruits by stepping up their presence in schools this fall.

If the military can't recruit enough "fresh meat" from our high schools and colleges to replace soldiers currently stationed in Iraq, the war can't continue. Students need to make it clear that as long as our schools are being used as recruiting stations for the Iraq War, business as usual cannot continue.

By organizing big walkouts against military recruitment and the war, we will be able to feel our collective power. This can have a big effect in reinforcing the antiwar mood and giving students, teachers, and the community the confidence to stand up to the recruiters.

This will also help us to get organized to be ready to protest whenever recruiters show up in our schools, surrounding them to tell them to get out! We can and must make our schools no-go zones for military recruiters.

Disrupting Our Education?
Some people say walking out will "disrupt our education." But in reality, the pro-war politicians who steal from public education budgets to pay for their dirty war should be held responsible for disrupting education in this country.

They are forcing us to take the step of walking out to call attention to our crumbling schools and to demand money for schools, not for war. If politicians were so concerned about our education, why are they inviting military recruiters to come into our schools and spread pro-war, racist, and sexist lies and propaganda that only hurts our education?

In the U.S., working-class young people are bearing the greatest burden of this rotten war. We are paying with our blood and our futures. Over $300 billion in taxpayer money has gone towards fighting a war for oil and empire while our schools are critically underfunded and the cost of college skyrockets out of reach. Decent-paying work for young people is increasingly scarce, leaving us in dead-end jobs or unemployed.

Jamming the Military Machine
Before the invasion of Iraq, on February 15, 2003 an estimated 30 million people protested worldwide, the biggest demonstration in history. These massive demonstrations shook the U.S. and British governments.

However, it did not prevent Bush from going to war, which gave rise to a feeling of powerlessness in the face of U.S. imperialism. This led to falling turnout at antiwar demonstrations, but the antiwar mood continued to grow. In recent weeks, there has been a renewed feeling to take action against the war, with mass demonstrations planned for September 24.

While the government can for a time ignore protests, strong student walkouts can exert more direct pressure on military recruiters. Young people have always been at the forefront of movements for social change. By taking bold mass actions like a student strike, we can help inspire similar actions by others looking for more powerful forms of protest.

The massive antiwar movement during the Vietnam War eventually forced the U.S. to pull out of Vietnam. Mass protests and direct actions aroused and strengthened public opposition to the war. By the early 1970s, most of the young people being sent to kill in Vietnam had been impacted by the antiwar movement in their schools and communities. These soldiers began rebelling against their commanders, forcing President Nixon to end the war or face a complete military collapse.

We need to learn from history. Building grassroots antiwar groups in our schools and organizing mass actions like walkouts are the first steps to ending the brutal occupation of Iraq.

Two and a half years ago on "Day X" (the day after Bush started the war on Iraq), tens of thousands of high school and college students walked out across the country. Similarly, walkouts today will capture the imagination of students and help energize the antiwar movement as we enter a new period of struggle.