Thursday, June 29, 2006

Give me your poor, you economic disadvantaged young...how the military recruit

This morning, a scroll (is that what you call it) below the news caught my eye; several elderly members from grannies for peace arrested. My first thought was,"Oh George, not the grannies!! But I can't say they were innocent after I investigated. However, don't mess with grannies. They've been around longer than we have and they have no fear, afterall, they've made it that long. Apparently, some grannies were arrested as they were not willing to leave a military recruitment office. Read the full story as to how and why!!
Interestingly enough, after going to their website, Grandmotherforpeace.org, I found out a little piece of information that parents of graduating or soon to be graduating children ought to know;
Federal public law 107110, section 9528 of the ESEA, “No Child Left Behind Act” requires school districts to release student names, addresses, and phone numbers to military recruiters upon their request. The military uses this information to recruit students. The law also requires the school district to notify you of your right to opt-out from this by requesting that the district not release your information to military recruiters.

Although schools provide this information as required by law, it is frequently buried within the pages of student or parent handbooks and no form is provided to facilitate opting-out. Please read and redistribute our booklet containing information about military recruitment in our schools; an opt-out form is included:

Click on the quote to find out in the information in English and Spanish. So Sothis, you were on to something. Even though this in and of itself does not constitute an 'economic draft' as you alluded to in one of your comments here (I believe in the 'War is a racket post), how many kids who won't have much of a future will get contacted by the military for recruitment? After all, it will provide them guidance, a 'future', pension plan, and if you're lucky, they'll pay for you to go to college. The latter part I have read years ago was one of the used angles to get people to recruit; don't have money to go to school? No problem, we can send you to school. Yes, they'll get the info that they're required to serve for x amount of years, but would the person who doesn't have much money feel that they have a choice to opt out? In a society where all kinds of assistance is seen as a 'hand-out', don't you think that he'd feel good about having something to look forward to in order to stay afloat? For the next couple of years anyway.

7 Comments:

Blogger - said...

You want a real heart stopper, you should actually read the vergage contained in the No Child Left Behind Act. Isn't it funny the Marine moto is No Man Left Behind.....and Semper Fi....and Hooooooya....and geez it's a wonder they get around to any killing with all of this banter.

3:30 PM  
Blogger Ingrid said...

I cannot say I have had the pleasure and..you're funny. "Sloganism" is for creating bonds..you knew that though. I guess you're back in business. Had missed your posts so I'll check out Donkeyphant later..
Ingrid

4:28 PM  
Blogger Granny said...

Saying hi. Blog still down.

9:18 PM  
Blogger Ingrid said...

Ann, that just sucks after all the 'pouring into it'...hope you can figure out a way to resume..I'll be checking this weekend..
Ingrid

9:44 PM  
Blogger Kel said...

I found the section in Farenheit 911 where the recruiters toured the malls to be appalling.

They are actually targetting the poor to become cannon fodder in rich men's wars.

Disgusting. And as you rightly point out, the society is created so those with least advantages are the ones most likely to sign up.

7:41 AM  
Blogger Ingrid said...

KT, that is good to know! I would encourage you to let the 'grannies' know because I think as long as it is dealt with openly, than I personally have no problem with it. I am not particularly pro military but I am also not naief to think that there is never any need for military intervention. I do feel that having an army and going to war (as was done unilaterally) is a HUGE responsibility and having heard and grown up on stories of the second WW, (Netherlands) as an occupied country, I feel sometimes I take it much more serious than most so-called 'patriots' here. The responsibility is a big thing for me too. Btw..my idea of you forwarding the manner your school district handled it, is to show perhaps which districts do, and which don't. I am all for activism (even though you'd think it's a dirty word here), but one the 'activist' part, you also need to put out honest and fair information. Both sides of a coin basically.
Thanks for stopping by, and telling me another side to this!
Ingrid

5:33 PM  
Blogger Ingrid said...

KT, hope you had a relaxing holiday. My 4th was nice with a visit to friends who moved out into the country and we got some much needed rain!It's nice to be with people who you can feel comfortable talking with no matter what.
I am curious, what makes you say that you think the grannies wouldn't be interested in hearing about your experience? Do you think they would only focus on the half not empty? Or do I have to imagine the grannies like those Hell's grannies from Monty Python??
Ingrid

7:04 PM  

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