Moms tell recruiters: ‘Leave My Child Alone!’

People's Weekly World ^ | 06-30-05 | Tim Wheeler

[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.

[Mr Rogers]

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.

Actually, I had several hundred colleges send me info I didn't ask for.

Citizenship is a duty as well as a privelege. Why shouldn't high schools treat the US military as well as they treat private companies or colleges?

[albee]

"I find the policies covered in No Child Left Behind Act that address the issue of turning over children's names to the government for recruiting more than a little disconcerting as well. Does that make me a liberal?"

No, but it might make you a PARANOID.

[kittymyrib]

Pre-WWII, parents in France taught their sons how to dance. Parents in Germany taught their sons how to shoot. In the first few weeks of the German invasion, 193,000 Frenchmen were killed. Which parents loved their sons more?
As an aside, no federal aid ought to go to schools who bar US military recruiters from school property.

[CheneyChick]

For some reason, your comments really bother me. So, if only pansies join the service now, what will we have when they are leaders? We need some kids in their with the good old-fashioned-kickbutt-upbringing to be our future military leaders.

[brushcop]

Your definition of recruiting is no different than "Career Days" presented in many HS, which I've been a part of in LE during my career. Nothing wrong with it at all. LE was recruiting just as a number of others, big deal, and we were looking for good candidates instead of riff-raff coming in off the streets. It's time we quit treating them like coddled babies and encourage them to make INFORMED decisions, isn't that what libs are always yapping about?

You would have no objection of Planned Parenthood setting up a booth and "informing" kids on abortion, right?

[Oztrich Boy]

It sounds like the children are currently infants, if they're going to be in middle school in 12 years.

Never too young to start to train them to throw themselves under Israeli bulldozers

[Gunrunner2]

So. . .as I see it then, there is no difference because speaking at a recruiting booth is recruiting, and recruiting may be the aim or result of a speech/lecture.

[TigersEye]

...the fact that we don't go and kick ass then leave, rather we sit around being target practice for another 10 years with our hands tied. Forget that.

If you think that's what's happening in Iraq then you've swallowed a load of leftist Big Media manure.

[Tax-chick]

Which parents loved their sons more?

Is this a trick question? I don't want my kids to be cannon fodder for a decadent, incompetent government OR Nazi drones.

I've got it! The ones who emigrated to the U.S. in the 1930's loved their sons most!

[Tax-chick]

LOL!

(p.s. You have two I's in "aliive."

[Quiller]

Don't forget, our sons still have to register for selective service when they turn 18 - so what is all this fuss about?

What it sounds like all the fuss is about is that some people are afraid that when their children reach the age at which they are (supposed to be) adults capable of making their own decisions, the decisions they make won't match the ones their parents want them to make.

Gee, THAT'S never happened to a parent before!

[Citizen Tom Paine]

If one lives in this country, one has to be prepared to return something to it for that privilege. One way to contribute to our nation is to give it two to four years of your life by serving in the uniformed services of the United States.

Not only does it make one a better citizen (in general), but it also permits you to personally to contribute to this nation's greatness.

These mothers are off base. If the don't like the Army, sign up in the NOAA corps or the Public Health service, etc.

It is time that these persons learn what it means to be a citizen.

[Tallguy]

What this woman is really afraid of is that her son might become a Man and realize just how flaky Mom's world-view is.

[SouthernFreebird]

I don't believe our military leaders are pansies. I believe they are more than willing to get the job done.

Once again their hands are tied by rules, regulations and the bureaucrats who are too afraid of offending our enemies to run a frikking war and treat the enemy like the enemy and eliminate them.

That some of our military have been brought up on charges for doing their job is incomprehensible, panties on a prisioners head is torture?? puleaze.

We shouldn't train our soldiers to defeat the enemy if we are going to turn around and prosecute them for doing that. You can count my child out of that stupidness.

[Oztrich Boy]

(p.s. You have two I's in "aliive."

My tribute to James Whale's 1931 Frankenstein :^)

[Tax-chick]

Hey, I get it! (That's unusual for me, especially before noon!)

[trebb]

More from the "keep my boy a boy" crowd, because they are terrified of real men.

[Future Snake Eater]

If this 17 or 18 year old male let's his Momma run his life, what branch would want him?

The Air Force, no doubt!

/ducking

[Future Snake Eater]

OK then, it's time to do what Israel does and make military service mandatory for 2 years.

I totally agree, Jarhead. That would cure a helluva lot of American society's ills, I think. Imagine actually having to train to fight for the freedoms one takes so much for granted. We might actually return some pride to this country!

[Future Snake Eater]

But according to the Act this requires the school to turn over information such as address, phone #, etc so the recruiter would be able to approach the child off school property unsolicited.

So?