“War is Not Healthy For Children And Other Living Things” is a poster created in response to the outcry of the Vietnam War. But this is no ordinary anti-war poster.
“War is Not Healthy For Children and Other Living Things” is written boldly, with black water-stained and along with the words, there is a yellow sunflower. The artists’ intention was to purposely create the poster as if it looks like a child has done it. This unique style created one of the most iconic anti-war posters.
“War is Not Healthy For Children And Other Living Things” is by artist Lorraine Schneider. Lorraine is from a Jewish immigrant family and she was raised in Boyle Heights, a small neighborhood in Los Angeles. Lorraine’s mother was an artist, therefore, she grew up with an art upbringing.
Lorraine attended UCLA for undergraduate school and there she chose to study occupational therapy. During her early career as an occupational therapist, she volunteered at an army hospital to help traumatized soldiers. Her experience with helping wounded soldiers changed her life forever and inspired her to return to the arts.
During the height of the Vietnam War, the non-profit, anti-war advocacy organization Another Mother for Peace (AMP) was founded. “Another Mother for Peace was founded… to educate women to take an active role in eliminating war as a means of solving disputes between nations, people and ideologies.” AMP would encourage women, who were not allowed to fight, to do “Peace Homework”. “Peace Homework” included, “writing to elected government officials to express their desire for peace.”
Lorraine’s experience in an army hospital really inspired her to collaborate with Another Mother for Peace. Lorraine’s artistic abilities created “War is Not Healthy For Children And Other Living Things” and this poster became AMP’s logo. Another Mother for Peace said, “The organization’s vision is embodied in the Another Mother for Peace logo – a sunflower with the words: “War is not healthy for children and other living things”… This irrefutable statement with its brilliant and childlike design appears on posters, bumper stickers, note cards, letter seals, t-shirts, and of course, the distinctive gold medallions worn by supporters of Another Mother for Peace all over the world.”
Understanding Lorraine Schneider and AMP’s message could very well be translated to the 21st century. Now more than ever, people have been spreading activism through social media platforms. To consider how Lorraine’s “War is Not Healthy For Children And Other Living Things” poster is perhaps an old fashion way of spreading a message.
Lorraine Schneider’s artwork became an iconic anti-war symbol. She continued to advocate for peace through her artwork until she passed away at the age of 47.
For more information, visit anothermother.org.
–Hannah Wirth is a senior at American University in Washington, DC. Hannah is majoring in Public Relations and Strategic Communication and she is minoring in Art History. She is our Visual Arts and Museum Affairs Intern this summer.
War is not healthy for children and other living things. live it. thank you.
Can we start a new slogan
Guns are not healthy for children and other things I am I My 70,s but I had your original motto. Let’s do it!
What are the dimensions?
Google around more. I have one worn as a necklace. About 2”X 1”. There are posters, fairly large, but I haven’t seen one for many years.
Do you support the war in Ukraine? Does this drawing still apply? You do know every Democrat voted to support and send $ and weapons to Ukraine escalating nuclear war with Russia?
Lindsey graham and some neocon republicans are also supporting the war in Ukraine.
The dispute could have been resolved peacefully. There was little effort to negotiate.
That’s not even remotely true!
Biden tried January 2022 to negotiate a peaceful outcome – did you not pay attention?
Putin wanted nato off the table – that was the line. He doesn’t want Ukraine joining nato – because then more countries would be involved against him. he’s not willing to accept any diplomacy! Even NATO delivered a paper to Russia with an invitation for more talks. he doesn’t negotiate with people – he’s an authoritarian – he thinks he’s god. He has no interest in dialogue and diplomacy – it’s his way or the highway.
he thinks he’s the ruler of the world! we did everything we could to signal in meaningful and sincere ways that dialogue and diplomacy is best all the way around. we talked about sanctions. We’ve talked about export controls. We’ve talked about a variety of measures and none mattered to putin! he wants ukraine like a spoiled kid who wants a toy and he’ll die not getting it because he’s a murderer and he’s going to lose! he regularly has any russian dissenters. journalist etc. pushed out of windows or poisoned. he’s a former kgb – mafia. a thug.
This war will end by the end of this year, even those around putin know he’s lost his mind. and he’s sick. he’ll probably die by the end of this year. Someday, countries will come together and rebuild ukraine and russia will unite with them because most of the people were never supportive of the lunatic putin.
New comment:
That’s not even remotely true!
Biden tried January 2022 to negotiate a peaceful outcome – did you not pay attention?
Putin wanted nato off the table – that was the line. He doesn’t want Ukraine joining nato – because then more countries would be involved against him. he’s not willing to accept any diplomacy! Even NATO delivered a paper to Russia with an invitation for more talks. he doesn’t negotiate with people – he’s an authoritarian – he thinks he’s god. He has no interest in dialogue and diplomacy – it’s his way or the highway.
he thinks he’s the ruler of the world! we did everything we could to signal in meaningful and sincere ways that dialogue and diplomacy is best all the way around. we talked about sanctions. We’ve talked about export controls. We’ve talked about a variety of measures and none mattered to putin! he wants ukraine like a spoiled kid who wants a toy and he’ll die not getting it because he’s a murderer and he’s going to lose! he regularly has any russian dissenters. journalist etc. pushed out of windows or poisoned. he’s a former kgb – mafia. a thug.
This war will end by the end of this year, even those around putin know he’s lost his mind. and he’s sick. he’ll probably die by the end of this year. Someday, countries will come together and rebuild ukraine and russia will unite with them because most of the people were never supportive of the lunatic putin.
democrats did the right, humane thing! there was no baloney peace offer! and there’s no threat of nuclear war with putin. Of course it still applies! Russians are still murdering children, mother’s, fathers, brothers sisters, grandparents, even in their own homes – non-military citizens! WAr is not healthy – it’s never healthy, and that putin is doing this needs to be met with opposition or he’ll go after poland and other european countries next. When does it Stop? he already took the crimean peninsula to steal the trade tariffs. Putin’s push to steal ukraine for their oil & Gas is all about money. He’s already been found guilty at Hague for crimes against humanity. if we just sit by like we did in the early part of the holocaust, while millions were gassed – then who are we? We didn’t help stop hitler until millions died! if we don’t stop putin, he’ll go after every country who has a democratic government. he’s authoritarian, he’s against democracy!
Vietnam was however, was a senseless war – it was wrong for us to be there. And yes no matter what war, no one ever wins, people including children die!
nixon wanted to keep the vietnam war going to ruin johnson’s peace talks so he could become president by beating hubert humphrey. He secretly conspired with the South Vietnamese government to wreck all-party Vietnam peace talks as part of a deliberate effort to prolong a conflict in which more than 20,000 Americans were still to die, along with tens of thousands of Vietnamese and Cambodians. He died with blood on his hands!
Oddly enough, democrats are pro-qar these days and conservatives, i.e. Republicans, are against wars, especially the one in Ukraine, right now.
We feel wars are a money machine for just the people with power and money already. They don’t care about people dying. We’ve been lied to about every war we’ve ever been in. Pres. Eisenhower warned us about the military complex getting too much power back in the 1960’s!
Listen to RFK Jr. Om war. 👍
Thank you for such a thorough and important comment! I agree completely.
WD