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.

[Modok]

The agonized frenzy of the liberal me me me generation as reality hits them in their quivering lying mouths.

[TexasCajun]

Wasn't "The BigGirl" quoted as coming out against military recruiting on public schools?

[martin_fierro]

"Mainstream Moms".

In Bolinas.

Suuuuuuure.

[ncountylee]

...the direct descendant of the Daily Worker...

Nuff said!

[billbears]

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?

[Jim Noble]

As long as we treat 17-21 year olds as if they were still children, our problems will continue to multiply.

[Tax-chick]

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.

The usual run of anti-American snivelers.

Maybe her son will decide to escape a life of unwashed, whiny leftism by joining the Army! At least he'd meet some straight women with skills!

[Modok]

Yep

[evad]

I think it's fine, even advantageous and commendable, for the military to speak to high school "yoots".

But recruiting, absolutely not.

[evad]

Does that make me a liberal?

Well, if it does, that's 2 of us.

[miss marmelstein]

Boy, you said it, Jim! Nothing infuriates me more than when someone refers to our soldiers in Iraq as "boys & girls." Makes me sick, actually.

As Joan Rivers would say, Grow Up, America!

[billbears]

LOL, so to be considered 'conservative' one must

A) support an additional $28 billion+ in wasted tax dollars for an unconstitutional program and

B) have no problem with federal funds being withheld from a school if they refuse to turn over a list of names of students to the government for recruiting.

Subpart 2-NCLB

Who said Republicans were conservative and for limited government? Apparently not anymore

[TheOtherOne]

Watson’s children are too young to be recruited right now. “But Defense Secretary Rumsfeld says we will be in Iraq for another 12 years,” she said. “That would put my children right in the middle of harm’s way. I want to stop this war now, not when my children are in middle school. Instead of spending $3 billion for recruiting, why not use that money to provide financial assistance to students so they can go to college?”

Me thinks thou doest protest too much

[neodad]

No National Guard to fight forest fires

That's it! Surrender now! Bring the boys home.

[Tax-chick]

" ... fine for the military to speak ... but recruiting, absolutely not."

Can you explain the distinction you're making between "speaking" and "recruiting"?

[Modok]

Sounds like you got a basic problem with military recruiters recruiting high school students. What is that problem?

[TheCrusader]

I just read an article about the terrorists and guards at Gitmo. The terrorists openly rebel against our MPs with physical violence, (punching, throwing metal chairs, tossing urine at them, spitting on them, banging on cell bars, etc). When the guards retaliate they get demoted, fined and punished in various ways. When you look at this ridiculous punishment of our troops by our own military, coupled with troops in Iraq and Afghanistan who got courtmarshalled for shooting wounded terrorists or "abusing" maniacal insurgents at Abu Graihab, it's no wonder why it's getting hard to recruit new men.

[Tax-chick]

The entire NCLB boondoggle is unconstitutional and outrageous. (The only reason I don't totally spit on it is that the NEA hates it :-).

But putting that aside, briefly, do you think military recruiters shouldn't be allowed to go to high schools to promote joining the service as an option for graduates?

[mark502inf]

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.

He who pays the piper calls the tune. Its all based on federal money--don't accept the money & don't provide the lists. Private schools can do that now.