COUNTERING MILITARY RECRUITMENT
Articles: Counter-Recruitment: General
U.S. military preys on kids
Cheryl Distaso, Coloradoan
Oct 1, 2007
"80,000 TEENAGERS IN THE MILITARY, AND YOU CAN'T HAVE US!!" were the
words displayed on a banner that was carried in a recent march
through Fort Collins. The event, organized by Youth Against
Militarism, featured a multi-generational array of speakers: Youth
Against Militarism's Katy Whittle; Lee Gerry, Iraq Veterans Against
the War; Norberto Valdez, Vietnam veteran; and Joe Stern, Word War II
veteran. They spoke against war and predatory recruitment practices,
something that's all too common in places that youths frequent,
especially schools.
Our community is not immune from such practices. Our youths are
educating themselves about the truth behind recruiters' promises:
Recruiters promise thousands of dollars in college funding. Yet, 57
percent of recruits who are promised money for college receive
absolutely no funds, according to the American Friends Service Committee.
Recruiters present the military as a promising career for women, yet
the chances of women getting raped in the military are 10 times
greater than in civilian life.
Recruiters promise job skills and a decent future, yet veterans - 9
percent of the U.S. population - make up 23 percent of the homeless population.
Youth Against Militarism educates the public about how military
recruiters are not obligated to tell the truth. This is blatantly
obvious in reading the military enlistment/reenlist ment agreement
section 9. (b) "Laws and regulations that govern military personnel
may change without notice to me. Such changes may affect my status,
pay, allowances, benefits, and responsibilities as a member of the
Armed Forces regardless (emphasis mine) of the provisions of this
enlistment/reenlist ment document."
As the occupation of Iraq escalates, the unscrupulous tactics of
military recruiters escalate, as well. During New West Fest, Army
recruiters were stationed next to the toddler playground at the Fort
Collins museum. As young children filed out of the blow-up castles at
Library Park, they walked into a basketball toss game with a
GoArmy.com backdrop. Members of Youth Against Militarism and Strength
Through Peace held a sign next to the recruiters that read "War is
not a Game," showing a photograph of a wounded Iraqi child. More than
200 pieces of literature were distributed within an hour to passers-by.
Youth Against Militarism educates the public about section 9528 of
the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002. The provision requires all high
schools to hand over their students' contact information to military
or lose significant funding. Our district receives $3.9 million
dollars from the No Child act. The military is holding our schools
hostage by demanding the contact information of all juniors and seniors.
However, students or their parents can protect their privacy by
opting out of that process. They need to just complete the required
"opt-out" form by Tuesday, Oct. 2. Forms are available at schools and
on the Web site of the Center for Justice, Peace and Environment,
www.cjpe.org. Opting out is crucial for those who are concerned about
their privacy and do not want harassing phone calls from military
recruiters. Students need not be 18 years old to sign the opt-out
form themselves.
The mission of Youth Against Militarism is to set boundaries for, and
provide alternatives to, the military influence on youths at schools
and in the community. For more information, contact Youth Against
Militarism at 419-8944.
This archive consists of a topically organized selection of articles culled by members of the Counter-Recruitment List Serve from printed publications and web sites. The archive is not complete. We have chosen material relevant to the work of Eugene, Oregon’s Committee for Countering Military Recruitment that we think may be of use to others individuals and groups with similar goals.
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