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Toy Soldier Meme

Better than flyers, these mind bombs work just like the cluster bomb - but instead of maiming kids they could save their lives...
Toy Soldier Meme
Toy Soldier Meme
1) Buy a set of plastic soldiers at the dollar store.

2) Print a set of labels to fit, or just write on the bottom of each soldier with a sharpie: "Bring Me Home!"

3) Walk or bike to the targeted location you've chosen.

4) Drop a soldier, walk a few feet, drop another, whistle innocently.

5) Repeat in another church parking lot, school playfield, public park, city council meeting, police station, etc.

6) Show other people how to do this.

7) Don't get arrested doing it, but if you do - make it a media event. Call the newspaper, etc.

8) Extra Credit - hang a hook on them, and put them on the Christmas Tree your local military unit donated to the public park in your area.
great idea 29.Nov.2005 16:57

RT

I heard about this on NPR and already bought the soldiers and went to the link to copy little signs to place with them on the shelves. If you want to print the labels and also look at an interesting site, go to
 http://www.mouthswideopen.org/

one tiny problem 29.Nov.2005 18:39

with the dollar store

Most of the merchandise is made in China (how else can they sell all that stuff for only a dollar, right?), and as we all know, China is not known for its humane treatment of factory workers.
If this bothers (you as it does me), why not make some paper soldiers (or use recycled cardboard?) and leave them lying around? They could even fit inside a book, like bookmarks, too. HAVE FUN!!

This is a good meme. 29.Nov.2005 20:07

@

Thanks for spreading it around.

god fodder 30.Nov.2005 12:01

abovethesmoke

another meat grinder


paper dolls are also a good idea! 01.Dec.2005 13:37

Drew

I like the idea of making your own soldiers, of cardboard or paper labels stuck to cardboard. That way you can actually print out pictures of Iraq War soldiers or civilians (with names, ranks, etc) and really make the point better. These could also make nice tree-hangers for the holidays.

However, the critique that these plastic soldiers are Chinese in origin misses some important points:

The printing technology you use to make the labels is also made by someone who was exploited, whether that person was living in China or Washington State. We live in an economic machine which is run on the logic of industrialism, whether we're here or there. I'm not saying we should ignore this, but I don't think that buying plastic soldiers at the dollar store (or the yard sale) will affect whether Chinese laborers are free. Doing things here (including making new mistakes) is more important than waiting for the perfect, pure action. This is where we live - and where we live is not known for the best human rights record, either.

dollar store 10.Mar.2006 16:08

toni woelfle toniwoelfle@sbcglobal.net

speaking of the dollar store...I went to purchase my army guys there, as I wanted to get started immediately and had no patience to wait for snail mail.(I see that it's a virtue and I'll work in it). I went to 4 differant stores to find them...all the stores were out of them. The clerks were all baffled...."huh, we always have them..don't know why we don't". I was disappointed and happy at the same time! People are buying them up!! I finally got them on ebay!! I'm ready to rock and roll....namaste