Posted on 04/04/2006 6:54:22 AM PDT by Sopater
A group of anti-war activists wants a citywide vote this fall on whether military recruiters should be allowed on Seattle city property and in schools.
Recruiters will have the same access regardless of the outcome. Schools risk losing federal funds if they don't let recruiters in, and the city allows recruiters in public places as part of their right to free speech.
So the proposed College Not Combat Initiative, I-86, would be largely symbolic. Organizers say it's a chance for Seattle to go on record against the war in Iraq, a step toward outlawing recruiters and an opportunity for an important discussion.
"It will send a broad message in the city about the war," said School Board member Sally Soriano. "We're using the 'College Not Combat' term so that our children won't feel like joining the military is the only way for them to get a post-secondary education."
Volunteers already are collecting the 17,000 signatures needed to get the measure on the November ballot, organizers said.
The initiative is the latest local protest of military recruiting in schools. Garfield High School's PTSA passed a resolution a year ago demanding the removal of military recruiters from high schools. The district said recruiters have the right to be there, but the flap prompted districtwide policies regulating recruiters on campus.
"It's important to remember that the military is a viable option for some students, and I'm not sure that the school district or the city should be put in the position of deciding what students should or should not hear," said Holly Ferguson, a Seattle School District attorney.
Even if the measure passes, she said, she would advise the district to continue allowing recruiters into schools. Keeping recruiters out would violate the federal No Child Left Behind Act, risking at least $20 million in annual funds, and likely would violate the military recruiters' First Amendment rights, Ferguson said.
Military recruiters say they need to recruit 17- to 35-year-olds to fill the armed forces.
"The more access we have to students and the easier it is to offer them that opportunity, obviously that's less costly," said Petty Officer 1st Class Tim Ingersoll, a Navy recruiter for the Seattle area.
Ingersoll said recruiters aren't interested in attracting kids who don't want to join the military, and visiting high schools is the most efficient way to reach those who do.
"The important thing is that they get exposed to the military in a fair and balanced manner," he said.
San Francisco voters passed an initiative last year that was similar to the proposed I-86. There are still military recruiters in the schools there, said campaign manager Ragina Johnson, but the initiative brought attention to the issue. Now 90 percent of students in the school district have signed forms to keep the schools from giving military recruiters their names and addresses, she said.
Students in Seattle also can sign a form requesting that the district not give their information to military recruiters.
The Seattle initiative would establish a five-member city committee to seek out funds for college that would be made available to low-income students. The committee would also report on whether the public schools and the city were inadvertently encouraging recruiting.
"If nothing else, it will force people to discuss the impact of the war on our families," said City Council President Nick Licata.
Amy Hagopian, president of Garfield's PTSA, is a lead organizer of the initiative effort. She bristles at the word "symbolic" and compares the initiative to effective historical protests such as civil-rights sit-ins.
"This idea that symbols don't matter and the words we use don't matter and the settings that we put recruiters in don't matter, pretty soon nothing matters," she said.
The group plans a kickoff rally April 13 at Seattle Central Community College.
Emily Heffter: 206-464-8246 or eheffter@seattletimes.com
Copyright © 2006 The Seattle Times Company
So, these folks want the benefits of the Federal Gov't, but don't want to protect it.
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Of course, they are STUPID, anti-American LIBERALS.
Symbolic measure, huh? Wouldn't it be nice if enough military supporters showed up to shove that symbolism down their liberal throats? (Ssssshhh! Don't wake me up!)
welcome to commie pinko Seattle
It's easy to understand, when the Clintonista's missed the following: Terrorist? We don't see no stinking Terrorist!
The short list:
1993 Attempted Assassination of Pres. Bush Sr., April 14,1993
1993 First World Trade Center bombing, February 26th, 7 Killed, Hundreds injured, Billions
1994 Air France Hijacking, Dec 24,1994
1995 Attack on US Diplomats in Pakistan, Mar 8,1995
1995 Saudi Military Installation Attack, Nov 13, 1995
1995 Kashmiri Hostage taking, July 4,1995
1996 Khobar Towers attack
1996 Sudanese Missionarys Kidnapping, Aug 17,1996
1996 Paris Subway Explosion, Dec 3,1996
1997 Israeli Shopping Mall Bombing, Sept 4, 1997
1997 Yemeni Kidnappings, Oct 30,1997
1998 Somali Hostage taking crisis, April 15,1998
1998 U.S. Embassy Bombing in Peru, Jan 15, 1998
1998 U.S. Kenya Embassy blown up, 100's murdered
1998 U.S. Tanzania Embassy blown up, 100's murdered
1999 Plot to blow up Space Needle (thwarted)
2000 USS Cole attacked, many U.S. Navy sailors murdered
2000-2003 Intifada against Israel - 100's dead and injured
2000 Manila Bombing, Dec 30,2000
7 posted on 03/22/2004 11:33:31 AM PST by TexasCajun
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Any town or facility that bans military recruiters should forgo the benefits of the military. No contracts. No bases. No protection or aid in time of need.
This is typical of Seattle liberals. Combat not college! So they can indoctrinate kids instead of teaching them something useful and keep them from protecting freedom and this country. I really don't miss these Seattle lunatics.
Shut down Ft. Lewis.
STUPID and LIBERAL are redundant.
STUPID and LIBERAL are redundant.
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Yes, forgive my oversight. But so are traitor, liar, socialist, opportunist, and carpet-bagger...
I think their colleges should be outlawed.
As far as I am concerned any municipality that bans military recruiters are no longer part of the United States.
Makes one wonder, God forbid, if these lefty liberal trashbags gained the upper hand and were running the country some day, would America become my enemy? The country would'nt, but the people just might. Something to ponder about, scary huh?
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