27 June 2015 – War marketed as family entertainment
Pat Gaffney of Pax Christi and Bruce Kent of the Movement for the Abolition of War are among signatories to a letter published in the Independent today challenging the impact of military culture on young people.
Today is Armed Forces day, a relatively new venture created by the Government to provide a way for ‘the public show their support for the Armed Forces’. However, signatories to the letter believe that it is primarily a promotion and celebration of military culture that is very much aimed at children and young people. This is clearly seen in the number of family fun events, exhibitions and ‘hand-on’ activities that are being held around the country. They are especially concerned for those under-18s who may be recruited into the armed forces as a result of these events. More than 7,000 people have signed a Petition urging our Government to raise the recruitment age to 18. Currently the recruitment age is 16. More here
