Two articles from alternet

[conuly]

One having to do with recruiting and JROTC programs in middle schools.
And one having to do with recruiting, and protests. And school.

Comments

[ladydiana.livejournal.com]

This is stupid.

The military is not the be-all and end-all of evil.

No, I don't agree with the way the current regime is utilising the military, but the *very existence* of the military isn't a bane to society.

You want to join, join. You don't, don't. But people are getting WAY THE FUCK OUT OF LINE if they're actively trying to prevent people who want to join from joining.

There's a reason that the military targets minorities; while it's not perfect, the military has one of the best merit based (as opposed to race, color, creed, religion, status of daddy's wallet) method of advancement around. No, it's not perfect. Yes, it's better than a lot of things, and I *personally* served with people from the barrio and the ghetto who joined the military to make a better life for themselves, got training in jobs they ELECTED to sign up for based on their aptitude and interests, and got educated, and they frequently were in college for masters or even doctorate degrees.

No, the military isn't perfect. Yes, it has it's problems. Yes, there are issues with leadership. Yes, recruiters sometimes lie to people, and YES, that IS a problem (mine didn't lie to me, near as I can tell, and I've been out 7 years and was in for 6...I'm pretty sure I'd have run across it by now) BUT EVERY SINGLE THING IS IN YOUR CONTRACT, and if you don't read it, that's YOUR FAULT.

I would have *KILLED* for an ROTC program in my high school. The things they teach you (navigation, first aid, teamwork, survival, resourcefulness, physical conditioning), are PRICELESS. And *just because the military is teaching it or advocating it*, does NOT make it not worth teaching.

And if you *don't* want to participate, *great*! *DON'T*! If they were saying they were *forcing the children* to be involved, I'd be OUTRAGED, but these people are all on their high horse that the programs are there for the kids who want them.

[kibbles.livejournal.com]

Well aren't we lucky then that people like me still have the right (so far) to stand up against the military and recruiters?

Former dependent and cadet, who luckily had to leave school, and that meant leaving ROTC. I saw more than enough to disagree with your comment, to put it mildly.

If people want to join, fine, but someone has to speak up and speak out against that monstrosity. (What you say about racism cracks me up -- and I won't even go into the sexism, and of course, the homophobia.)

They aren't forcing the children? They're forcing the schools to do a lot of shit (thanks NCLB), they manipulate, lie, bully, and in one case, kidnap. Don't you think the other side deserves as much of a say? I do.

[ladydiana.livejournal.com]

So because your school had a poor ROTC program, the military itself is teh eeeeval? Because you had a bad experience, ROTC and JROTC should be banned, and the military shut down? And all the people who benefit from it (yes, even you missy...the military and their existence DOES protect our rights, even if we haven't deployed soldiers for that in a long time), should just go get fucked, right?

If you have a *specific* problem, then yes, fine, deal with that *specific* problem. And argue that SPECIFIC problem. You make vague references to "I wasn't in the military but I know better than you so there", and argue the whole thing should be shut down.

Sorry, not buying it.

[conuly]

I don't think kibbles said that the military should be shut down. It's just as easy to read her comment as "it's got a lot of problems that need to be addressed, and one of those problems is recruiting to people under the age of majority".

[kibbles.livejournal.com]

http://www.nyym.org/peace/ has some links you might find interesting.

[ladydiana.livejournal.com]

This is stupid.

The military is not the be-all and end-all of evil.

No, I don't agree with the way the current regime is utilising the military, but the *very existence* of the military isn't a bane to society.

You want to join, join. You don't, don't. But people are getting WAY THE FUCK OUT OF LINE if they're actively trying to prevent people who want to join from joining.

There's a reason that the military targets minorities; while it's not perfect, the military has one of the best merit based (as opposed to race, color, creed, religion, status of daddy's wallet) method of advancement around. No, it's not perfect. Yes, it's better than a lot of things, and I *personally* served with people from the barrio and the ghetto who joined the military to make a better life for themselves, got training in jobs they ELECTED to sign up for based on their aptitude and interests, and got educated, and they frequently were in college for masters or even doctorate degrees.

No, the military isn't perfect. Yes, it has it's problems. Yes, there are issues with leadership. Yes, recruiters sometimes lie to people, and YES, that IS a problem (mine didn't lie to me, near as I can tell, and I've been out 7 years and was in for 6...I'm pretty sure I'd have run across it by now) BUT EVERY SINGLE THING IS IN YOUR CONTRACT, and if you don't read it, that's YOUR FAULT.

I would have *KILLED* for an ROTC program in my high school. The things they teach you (navigation, first aid, teamwork, survival, resourcefulness, physical conditioning), are PRICELESS. And *just because the military is teaching it or advocating it*, does NOT make it not worth teaching.

And if you *don't* want to participate, *great*! *DON'T*! If they were saying they were *forcing the children* to be involved, I'd be OUTRAGED, but these people are all on their high horse that the programs are there for the kids who want them.

[kibbles.livejournal.com]

Well aren't we lucky then that people like me still have the right (so far) to stand up against the military and recruiters?

Former dependent and cadet, who luckily had to leave school, and that meant leaving ROTC. I saw more than enough to disagree with your comment, to put it mildly.

If people want to join, fine, but someone has to speak up and speak out against that monstrosity. (What you say about racism cracks me up -- and I won't even go into the sexism, and of course, the homophobia.)

They aren't forcing the children? They're forcing the schools to do a lot of shit (thanks NCLB), they manipulate, lie, bully, and in one case, kidnap. Don't you think the other side deserves as much of a say? I do.

[ladydiana.livejournal.com]

So because your school had a poor ROTC program, the military itself is teh eeeeval? Because you had a bad experience, ROTC and JROTC should be banned, and the military shut down? And all the people who benefit from it (yes, even you missy...the military and their existence DOES protect our rights, even if we haven't deployed soldiers for that in a long time), should just go get fucked, right?

If you have a *specific* problem, then yes, fine, deal with that *specific* problem. And argue that SPECIFIC problem. You make vague references to "I wasn't in the military but I know better than you so there", and argue the whole thing should be shut down.

Sorry, not buying it.

[conuly]

I don't think kibbles said that the military should be shut down. It's just as easy to read her comment as "it's got a lot of problems that need to be addressed, and one of those problems is recruiting to people under the age of majority".

[kibbles.livejournal.com]

http://www.nyym.org/peace/ has some links you might find interesting.