Schools giving kids info to the military
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Schools giving kids info to the military
| Thu, 10-12-2006 - 12:48pm |
i don't know if this has been covered but i just found out that the schools are giving our military information on our kids ... i guess for recruitment... There are forms that you can send in to Opt - out of the program - though i don't know how well they work... I will be sending them in anyway ---
read this interesting article:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2003290949_dgoodman06.html
and opt out materials can be found here :
http://tools.leavemychildalone.org/index.cfm?event=showContent&contentid=63
Rachel

My son's school lets us know about this in the school newsletter that comes out the first week of school, and includes the form to complete to opt out. My son has opted out each year he's been in school.
Elizabeth
for me - it's an issue of the schools giving out private information... in this case it's the military - but i'd be annoyed if they gave it freely to anyone - since we are talking about minor children, here...
this isn't meant to be an anti-military post, necessarily.
Rachel
So true Minnie.
deb,
the schools have not always given out personal info to recruiters. they have only been required to do so since Bush signed No Child Left Behind Act.
17 year olds can enlist with parental consent, and a recent article i read on the army's new $200k/yr ad deal with McCann Worldwide pointed out that the new spots are targeted at making mom's comfortable with their children joining the military.
minnie,
i don't think we should have to worry about our kids interacting with miltary recruiters at school...or any recruiter for that matter...but it's not like they let any other businesses come in during lunch and do a sales job on our kids do they?
you make a good point that interaction is a first step...it's a first step for predators like the military recruiters in the schools and it's a first step for parents....they need to interact with their kids and make them aware that these people are out there trying to take advantage of their youth and inexperience.
This is a tought topic and I'm impressed with the direction the discussion has taken. Last time the topic came up it caused a riff in the board. I'm glad to see that this time around we can all discuss it without getting into a battle.
Joining the armed forces is a personal decision. I grew up during the Vietnam war and the thought of being a soldier always terrified me but that's only due to the fact that I don't have the courage needed to be a good soldier. I admit it, the thought of having an emenmy shooting at me, terrifies me. With the draft gone, IMHO, those who now volunteer are called to this occupation just as are those who chose other careers. I highly respect those young men/women who chose the military as their career. They have something that I definately lack. On the same note, the thought of being a doctor and dealing with blood and guts, terrifies me also (I've been known to pass out at the sight of blood).
As to the recruiters, I've never found them to be overbearing. My DS has mentioned that they are at the school but he hasn't had a problem with them. When my DD was a senior (4 years ago at the start of the Iraqi war), we did recieve one call, but I politely told them that we were not interested and that was the end of that.
Mily