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Moms tell recruiters: ‘Leave My Child Alone!’
People's Weekly World ^ | 06-30-05 | Tim Wheeler

Posted on 07/02/2005 6:08:14 AM PDT by Alia

WASHINGTON — Megan Watson, leader of Mainstream Moms, is so angry at military recruiters for invading schools to sign up unwary youth for combat in Iraq that she and her group launched an online movement, “LeaveMyChildAlone.org.”

“They offer these trinkets to lure our children to enlist,” Watson said in a phone interview from her home in Bolinas, Calif. “This is very aggressive, demographic targeting to have conversations with our kids that should not be happening.”

All branches of the military are falling short of recruiting goals as parents say, in effect, “Hell no! My kids won’t go!” Watson blasted the aggressive recruiting drive as a backdoor draft conducted by the Pentagon because the American people reject a return to military conscription. “I’ve heard it called an economic draft,” she said. “They know where to find kids who don’t think they have a lot of options. They are playing on our children’s lack of hope about college and their future.”
...
Watson shares these views. “I do utterly oppose our occupation of Iraq,” she said. “We are spending $4 billion every month on this war. People are seeing the cost not only in dead and wounded but also in their own communities. Libraries forced to close. No National Guard to fight forest fires. They can’t find $8.5 billion of the funds we sent to Iraq. And they want to squeeze it out of Medicaid funding for senior citizens. It’s just outrageous
...
Joining the effort are a dozen peace and justice groups including the Ella Baker Center, ACORN, Code Pink, Peace Action, American Friends Service Committee, Latinos for Peace and Veterans for Peace.

(Excerpt) Read more at pww.org ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
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To: Alia

Thanks.


241 posted on 07/16/2005 8:03:33 PM PDT by F.J. Mitchell (Better a thousand Lawyers starve, than one innocent person pay for their caviar.)
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To: Maumee

My husband currently serves his country, I am very proud of him. However, I will not encourage my son, who is only 10, to join the military. I love my country, love my president.... love my boy too much to send him into danger. I would go in his place.


242 posted on 07/18/2005 2:41:16 PM PDT by brwnsuga (Proud, Black, Conservative!)
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To: brwnsuga

it's interesting to note that there have been more drug over doses in new york city in the last three years,than there has been deaths in three years of combat in iraq.and,new york city is one of the safest large cities in america.go figure.si vis pacem,para bellum


243 posted on 08/28/2005 6:16:35 AM PDT by parabellum (cartman says,"hippies hate death metal.play some and they go away.")
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To: evad
Recruiting would be setting up a booth where anyone can "drop by" and learn all the advantages, options and salaries gain by enlisting in the military.

So, using your logic, I guess you'd also ban colleges and employers from doing the same? I somehow doubt you would. But you still want the government to provide $$$ for education. Why are you so anti-military?

244 posted on 08/28/2005 7:10:52 AM PDT by 2nd amendment mama ( www.2asisters.org • Self defense is a basic human right!)
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To: billbears
The difference is if secondary educational institutions or employrers have it, more than likely it means the student approached them and gave them approval to receive such information, not the other way around.

That's an absolutely false premise. The schools give potential colleges and employers lists of the students - exactly the same as the military is asking for.

245 posted on 08/28/2005 7:13:41 AM PDT by 2nd amendment mama ( www.2asisters.org • Self defense is a basic human right!)
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To: Kitanis
The disinformation in that article is suprising

Too much, or not enough?

246 posted on 08/28/2005 7:16:53 AM PDT by Bernard (Liberals like to talk about poll results because election results are too painful for them.)
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To: 2nd amendment mama
So, using your logic, I guess you'd also ban colleges and employers from doing the same? I somehow doubt you would. But you still want the government to provide $$$ for education. Why are you so anti-military?

I don't know how you arrived at your conclusion to make such an erroneous statement and I have no idea what you are talking about.

Could you be a bit more specific or did you mean this for someone else?

247 posted on 08/28/2005 7:32:11 AM PDT by evad ( PC KILLS..and so do liberal judges.)
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To: Alia

This Watson chick doesn't want her kid talking to a recruiter because SHE disagrees with the war. It has really very little to do with HER views.


That being said, unless my kids initiate the contact with recruiters, I don't want them bothering mine either as minors. Unless colleges are given the same info on students as recruiters?

I just don't like the idea of ADULTS contacting my kids without my knowledge or prior approval. Kid hits 18, have at her. Under 18, she's still mine and you will respect my authority as her father.


248 posted on 08/28/2005 7:38:10 AM PDT by trubluolyguy (I am conservative. That is NOT the same thing as Republican. Losertarians are dead to me.)
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To: parabellum
it's interesting to note that there have been more drug over doses in new york city in the last three years,than there has been deaths in three years of combat in iraq.

More young people have died of AIDS too, but liberals never scream about how dangerous being gay is...

249 posted on 08/28/2005 9:00:10 AM PDT by GOPJ
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To: martin_fierro; Alia

Bolinas, in liberal Marin "Johny Taliban" County. Hardly mainstream.


250 posted on 08/28/2005 9:10:09 AM PDT by nwrep
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To: 2nd amendment mama
The schools give potential colleges and employers lists of the students - exactly the same as the military is asking for

Slight difference. There's not a law that I know of that requires schools to give colleges and employers lists of students. However there is one for the military. The other difference is you don't necessarily have a chance dying for the state if a college or potential employer gets your name now do you?

251 posted on 08/28/2005 9:42:35 AM PDT by billbears (Deo Vindice)
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To: nwrep; martin_fierro

Aha! However, I do recall a time when Marin County was VERY patriotic. I grew up there.


252 posted on 08/28/2005 11:18:53 AM PDT by Alia
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To: trubluolyguy
This Watson chick doesn't want her kid talking to a recruiter because SHE disagrees with the war. It has really very little to do with HER views.

I agree.

That being said, unless my kids initiate the contact with recruiters, I don't want them bothering mine either as minors. I just don't like the idea of ADULTS contacting my kids without my knowledge or prior approval. Kid hits 18, have at her. Under 18, she's still mine and you will respect my authority as her father.

Oh boy, do I ever understand what you are saying here. Maybe with only a slight pause -- Job and industry representatives come to the highschools -- no one raises a fuss. There's "career" days at highschools. No one raises a fuss. I think the military is a career path for some students. If the highschools can have all these "career path" events for minors, but disclude the military? That's just too biased and discriminatory for my sense of fair play. And this "bias" against the military by these hysterical mothers? It's no different than Cindy Sheehan's "rant for all grieving mothers".

You know what used to get me roiled up? COLLEGE RECRUITERS. Some of them just promise the moon. And some of these kids have been so sold on "attending Harvard Law" -- and anyone with eyes can see, some of these particular students ARE no way, no how, going to get into Harvard Law or Stanford Med! Talk about selling false pipe dreams. And their parents? YAH! Like they can afford the tuition?

What's the diff?

253 posted on 08/28/2005 11:25:35 AM PDT by Alia
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To: Bernard
"To: Kitanis
The disinformation in that article is suprising"

"Too much, or not enough?"

Way too much...
254 posted on 08/28/2005 11:28:38 AM PDT by Kitanis
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