Posted on 05/17/2005 10:05:17 PM PDT by Crackingham
SEATTLE – While most Parent Teacher Student Association meetings might center on finding funding for better math books or the best way to chaperon a school dance, a recent meeting here at Garfield High School grappled with something much larger - the war in Iraq. The school is perhaps one of the first in the nation to debate and vote against military recruiting on high school campuses - a topic already simmering at the college level. In fact, the Supreme Court recently agreed to decide whether the federal government can withhold funds from colleges that bar military recruiters.
High schools are struggling with a similar issue as the No Child Left Behind Act requires that schools receiving federal funding must release the names of its students to recruiters. Some feel that's an invasion of privacy prompted by a war effort that has largely divided the American public. Others say barring recruiters is an infringement of free speech - and a snub to the military, particularly in a time of war.
Garfield High School took a decisive step last week with a vote of 25 to 5 to adopt a resolution that says "public schools are not a place for military recruiters." All this comes as recruiters struggle to meet enlistment goals. Although PTA chapters are supposed to be "nonsectarian and nonpartisan, which means nonpolitical," according to Jenny Sopko, a spokeswoman for the national PTA in Chicago, Garfield's PTSA cochair maintains that its action is "wholly consistent with our mission."
"The mission of the PTA is to protect and defend kids," says Amy Hagopian, a mother of three whose son is a Garfield senior. "It's not just limited to education issues - which explains why the PTA takes positions on kids' health, violence, and other serious issues."
Garfield, with 1,600 students, is one of Seattle's top high schools, routinely producing bumper crops of National Merit Scholars, plus internationally acclaimed student orchestras and jazz bands. It's also racially diverse, with African-American students making up 31 percent of its student population. Like so many schools today, Garfield grapples with painful budget cuts, loss of teachers, and dwindling resources. The school's opposition to military recruitment seems, in part, a result of parents' growing realization that tax money spent for the Iraq war is money not spent on children's educations or other domestic needs.
"They're spending $4 billion a month in Iraq, but we have to cut our race relations class, which costs $12,500," Ms. Hagopian pointed out. "That's an important class for our kids."
During discussion at the PTSA's meeting last week, Ted Inkley argued against the resolution because he thought it dangerous to deny free speech to organizations simply because their philosophies or intentions disagreed with the PTSA. Mr. Inkley, an attorney whose daughter is a senior, told the crowded library he could "easily" see a resolution by some other PTA that banned Planned Parenthood representatives from campus because of their views on contraception and abortion.
Steve Ludwig, whose son is a senior and whose daughter will enter as a freshman next fall, made a point shared by many in attendance: Garfield does not allow organizations that promote illegal activities to recruit students to perform those activities, nor does it allow organizations that discriminate on the basis of race, gender, national origin, or sexual orientation to recruit on campus.
"Planned Parenthood, as far as I know, does not advocate or perform illegal acts. The US military does," Mr. Ludwig continued. The soft-spoken carpenter said he would not object if Army representatives came to Garfield to debate their ideas on torture or aggressive war. "What I object to is their coming here to recruit students to perform those acts," he said. "It's not about free speech."
Nationally, there's a growing sense that recruiters desperate to bolster falling enlistment numbers are misrepresenting sign-up agreements to entice recruits. In response to 480 allegations of improprieties by recruiters since Oct. 1, the Army announced it will suspend its recruiting for one day on May 20, so commanders can remind its 7,500 recruiters of proper conduct.
Douglas Smith, a US Army spokesman, said the job of recruiters is not to make promises but to show applicants possibilities and career options.
"As for a recruiter making promises and not following through, the recruiter's not in any position to promise anything. We hope that all our recruiters are communicating honestly with our applicants," Mr. Smith said. But he added, "In the contract [between the new soldier and the Army] it says, 'Anything the recruiter may have promised me is moot.' "
Smith also pointed out the legality of military recruitment activity on campuses. "The No Child Left Behind Act requires schools to let us have access to these students," he says.
Sounds good to me considering they are probably giving the view of jj jr and al the sharpie int he class.
You know we have it to soft in this country.
If this is the crap we worry about in the middle of a war for survival.
Of course, our elected servants don't mention that do they?
Puke.
Thanks for posting this. Now I know another place to go hunting should civilization fall apart for some reason. Of course I don't know how much ammo I'd have left by the time I got that far north, but WTH.
Ping me if they ever wake up to the fact that they shouldn't be writing themselves checks for 6 figures.
That's fine. Just attach a rider to No Child Left Behind that does the same thing that the FSLP law has that requires any school district receiving federal funds to allow recruiters on campus. They don't want the dough, they don't have to take it.
That would be a good thing on so many levels. It'd get the federal government out of districts that don't want it. And it'd get the school districts considering how much the feds take and don't give back.
PING
I'd bet that these little darlings from Garfield hate it when they have to go to Sea Tac for the night in order to take their physicals and their entrance exam. After all, one night spent among the 'masses' must be total agony for them. Then they go home and tell mommy, who gets all upset, who in turn goes to the next PTA meeting and raises Hell that their little darling wasn't promised the Head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff right out of High School, and this is the result. No recruiters allowed.
Guess what, Garfield (and Seattle): They don't want your mewling little pu$$ies for recruits. They are looking for future leaders, not future drag queens.
The schools are dictating who the students can meet with and who they can't. What about those who'd like to join the military? The liberal indoctrination center decides for them?
Cut their funding. They work for a U.S. government check. It's not the other way around!
High schools are struggling with a similar issue as the No Child Left Behind Act requires that schools receiving federal funding must release the names of its students to recruiters.
I can see the privacy side of the argument. Given that 18 YO's are required to register w/ Selective Service, I don't really see why schools should be req'd to release their names.
What the hell is this??? No wonder the darn kids can't read or write!!
LOL.
Don't like don't take the shilling.
Simple as that.
I say let the teachers go back to working for rent and a years worth of food. They did a better job that way. Once they started to get the extra freebies, they quit working all together.
You takes the kings shilling you does the kings bidding.
I don't buy into the myth that the money belongs to the king.
This has always seemed so backwards. You would think these people would want the military in the schools to talk to the kids who are interested instead of having to come at everyone with a draft.
They are doing something similar in our town...they are complaining about the recruiters, but instead of making them leave, they want "Veterans for Peace", and other "Peace Activists" to come to the school to show the kids what joining the military is REALLY about...all at our expense.
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