[CitizensTruth] patriotism in Japan's schools

[Hal Snyder]

There was a public screening of the Japanese documentary, "Against  
Coercion", in Arlington Heights on Saturday.

The one-hour film was completed in 2006. It follows a small core of  
teachers in the Tokyo school system who oppose restoring the practice  
of playing the national anthem (Kimigayo) and raising the flag  
(Hinomaru) at school functions. These teachers do not want a return  
to the militarism that brought the devastation of World War II. They  
express their dissent by sitting and refusing to sing during the  
raising of the flag and playing of the anthem. In return they face  
suspension and loss of livelihood.

As someone who taught full time for several years, I was deeply moved  
to see the commitment of the teachers to the students and students'  
freedom to choose allegiance and values for themselves. In the words  
of NEZU Kimiko, a teacher for 36 years,

I have been thinking for 36 years ever since I became teacher that it  
is our important duty as teachers to tell students the facts and  
truth and to appear as fighting teachers before them. As the  
situation has become severer, I have come to sense keenly it's the  
importance of my belief. Just imagine my surprise and joy when I met  
them who share a common ideal. It is beyond expression.
Our counter-offensive is inevitable and necessary as the governments  
and corporations in the US and Japan together squeeze and throw away  
people as working tools for their greedy and selfish interest. Let us  
develop actions to refuse cooperation in war through strengthening  
solidarity among teachers. I am determined to carry on struggle  
against unjust things together with you, rallying here.

These days in the US, much is made of whether a candidate wears a  
flag pin or not. Much is made of ritual deference to national  
symbols. "Against Coercion" made me ask myself what it would mean not  
to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance, or stand when the Star  
Spangled Banner is played.

Hal

You can see Against Coercion on Google Video.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8192232362666209686

Here is a list of resources for resisting against militarism,  
globalization, and privatization, including the quote from Nezu- 
sensei above.
http://www.militaryfreeschools.org/Intl.htm

And here is a blogger's report from a screening of the film in Canada.
http://peacephilosophy.blogspot.com/2007/11/film-and-discussion- 
against-coercion.html

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