(Click on photos for larger images.)
Snow flurries whirled at five as I met Eva-Lee and Nydia at the corner near Jazz at Lincoln Center. The Granny Peace Brigade was in action! We went inside and gathered a group of about 40 elders including three NYC Metro Raging Grannies in front of the escalators that lead to the Toy Awards in the Time Warner Center.
Bright yellow banners unfurled, we sang for No More War Toys inside the Mall as security hovered around, not knowing what to do with us, as we weren’t doing anything illegal. We just kept singing; “Give the kids a Stampede blaster, Hey lolly, lolly low” as Joan P hefted the huge gun as prop for our demo.
We sang for 40 – 50 minutes with cops and security chatting with Bev as Toy Awardees wandered by dressed like Barbie and Ken.
We handed out song sheets and beautiful Valentines calling for Peace, crafted by Ann! There were several floors of balconies above us and we sang to appreciative shoppers as they passed, kids smiled, wonderful people told us about their grannies.
Eventually we were herded reluctantly outside – it was wintry winter windy! – and sang all the songs once more. We made a presence!
– Yer Raging Reporter, Mercy Van Vlack
for the Granny Peace Brigade & NYC Metro Raging Grannies
Photos: Bud Korotzer
Granny Peace Brigade 
The event was very powerful. I think many people who were there got the message, even some who hadn’t given the matter any thought beforehand. Keep up the good work.
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Little did the singers know that the Nerf Blaster would actually win the award. Many passers by seemed to be in support of the song Eva-Lee and JOan P. wrote . To quote one good verse of “TEach Kids to Kill”:
Designed for Realistic Play
Hey, lolly, lolly low,
Pretend to kill the Hasbro way,
Hey lolly, lolly low.
Next will be a children’s drone
Hey lolly, lolly low
Deploy that drone with your cell phone,
Hey, lolly lolly low.
This kind of weaponlove is not sustainable.!
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In the NY Times today [2/21/11] an article on page A9 headlined “Game Set on Mexican Border Draws Ire” said that Mexico is trying to ban the new Call of Duty game due to come out in the summer that takes place in Juarez. The Game is named Call of Juarez: The Cartel. A Mexican congressman said “we also should not expose children to this kind of scenario so that they are going to grow up with this kind of image and lack of values.”
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