Help or Hoopla? : Rally to Ease Pupils’ Fears Over Mideast Crisis Stirs Debate

You could look at it two ways: The police escort was impressive. The limousines gleamed. The stage was full of politicians and political aides and public relations people--all smiling and sweating in dark suits under a steamy sun. The talk was pro-Bush and pro-U.S. military involvement in the Middle East.

On the other hand, the setting was an elementary school courtyard. The audience was 700 children of local sailors and Marines, many who are involved in the Persian Gulf crisis. And the purpose was therapeutic, intending to soothe the kids’ fears and promote pride in their military moms and dads.

Friday’s patriotic rally at Hancock Elementary School--originally planned as a simple, quiet event with no media attention--ended up generating serious internal debate among local educators and criticism from peace organizations.

Some said the rally--complete with a message from the White House and “certificates of bravery” for the children--was an effective way to help the youngsters through their stress and anxiety.

“Each child reacts differently to various stimuluses, but my opinion is that the children will view this in a positive, reassuring way,” said Pete Penman, psychology supervisor for the San Diego Unified School District. “It is very unlikely the children will see it as a political pro-war kind of event.”

Others, however, called it an exploitative and manipulative method to gain publicity for the U.S. military deployment and Republican candidates for Congress, including U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Coronado), who faces minor-party opposition this fall, and Randall (Duke) Cunningham, a decorated Navy pilot and candidate for U.S. Rep. Jim Bates’ seat.

“I feel it was exploitative for the media coverage and politicians. I’m very angry,” said Earlene Dunbar, the school’s counselor. “I have very strong feelings: I do not support Bush, and I do not think this rah-rah rally was an appropriate way for these children to deal with their anxieties.”

“It was unfair and totally inappropriate for the public school system, and it seems repulsive,” said Jim Jacobson, director of the peace group Alliance for Survival. “Something that is ostensibly for the children had obvious political overtones.”

Added a Navy official, who requested anonymity: “If these people were capitalizing on these kids’ emotional roller-coaster for publicity, they ought to be taken to the damn woodshed.”

John Chester, owner of Limousines by Linda in San Diego, organized and paid for the entire event, including the two police-motorcycle escort and extensive publicity by a local public relations firm.

Chester said he had never met Hunter or Cunningham before Friday, and that he sponsored the rally purely for the children.

The rally at Hancock--most of whose 900 students are children of local military personnel--was an upbeat hour of patriotic songs, speeches, yellow ribbons and even an appearance by a costumed Baby Shamu character.

Hunter and Cunningham encouraged the children to be strong and tried to explain, in simple terms that the youngsters might understand, the role of U.S. forces in the Middle East.

The children’s reaction was favorable, if a bit confused. Unsure of who was arriving in the three limos, the children cheered wildly when the politicians emerged. They applauded at times and wandered and played around the courtyard when they were bored.

Afterward, they asked any unknown adult--from limo drivers to political staffers to reporters--to autograph their certificates of bravery from President Bush. Hunter and Cunningham busily shook hands as the children looked up in awe, knowing they were someone important but unsure as to just who.

Both Hunter and Cunningham said the event had no political overtones.

“None whatsoever. The purpose was to help these children during these tough times, and I believe the message got through,” said Hunter, a member of the House Armed Services Committee.

Added Cunningham: “I’ve been through war, and I know how difficult it is for children to be away from their parents. I think we did something special here today.”

Navy spokesman Bob Howard, senior chief with Commander Naval Air Force Pacific, said the Navy believes strongly in providing support groups for children and spouses of personnel deployed overseas. Dependents who want to appear before the media, however, are neither encouraged nor discouraged but advised on how best to handle probing reporters, he said.

“The media can be very intrusive and aggressive, but some of the wives want to talk to reporters,” Howard said. “You have to be very careful on how you handle each case.”

Private individual and small support groups are usually the best approach for helping worried children, said counselor Dunbar. The school already is providing support groups for the children, she said.

“I prefer to deal with them privately, rather than shove them out into the public for the politicians and cameras,” she said.

Several children at Hancock have become withdrawn or hyperactive in the past month, which prompted school Principal Sally Collier to question the wisdom of allowing Friday’s rally. She said she did not learn until Wednesday that the media would attend.

With an increasing number of educators concerned that the children were to be “used” for political purposes, Collier said school district officials and attorneys discussed the event and had the promise of the politicians and organizers that the rally would focus on the children’s needs and not be a political rally.

“It’s difficult to tell if the public or private approach to helping the children is better, but we decided to go ahead with this rally,” she said.

Norma Trost, school district spokesman, acknowledged that some people might “misinterpret” the purpose of the rally, but said school officials were satisfied with the rally’s outcome.

Several parents agreed.

“I think some of the children understood the message, and I agree this was a good thing,” said Steve Zenor, an intelligence specialist at Miramar Naval Air Station.

Several peace organizations remained unconvinced.

“The kids need support, but not this kind of pro-Bush mentality,” said Doris Bittar, a member of the Middle East Cultural and Information Center.

Carol Jahnkow, director of the Peace Resource Center, said peaceful resolutions to conflicts should be emphasized to children, rather than a forceful, pro-military message that fosters “negative models for problem solving.”

“All this pseudo-patriotism is exploitative and could further stress the children,” she said. “It fosters the belief that military intervention is always right.”