www.newsandletters.org
|
|
NEWS & LETTERS, February-March 2006Fighting militarism in Memphis schoolsMemphis, Tenn.--The Memphis Counter Recruitment Coalition (MCRC), sponsored by the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center, aims to alert school teachers, administrators, parents and students of the realities of signing up for the military. MCRC understands that in a militarized society, much of the information is incomplete or wrong. For example, one Army captain told high schoolers at Kingston High last year: "Yeah, it’s a threat over there [Iraq], but if you pay attention you’ll come home safe and nothing will happen to you." MILITARY DECEPTIONS Military recruiters, like used car salesmen, bend the truth. It’s considered necessary for national defense. Public policy provides military recruiters with a decided edge over recruiters from colleges and corporations. The federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) mandates that all public high schools accepting federal money turn over their student roster to the military. That seven a.m. phone call might be an Army recruiter wanting to speak with your son or your daughter. If this were a commercial telemarketer, you might be able to do something. Actually there is a way, but few know about it. The NCLB Act allows parents to place their child on a "no-call" list and requires school districts to inform parents of this right. Yet Memphis schools have avoided this requirement and last year, only a handful of parents took advantage of this. MCRC reminded the school board of this legal requirement. We offered an informative flyer they might use at school registration. To our surprise the board used the flyers, sending them out to Memphis parents. The number of parents who returned the "opt-out" flyers numbered 1,600, about 5%. ARMY'S FRIEND: THE PRINCIPAL The military also offers deceptive information about money for college. High schoolers are rarely informed how new recruits must first pay for the privilege of joining the program. Twelve hundred dollars is taken from his or her paycheck even before eligibility begins. After the down payment is collected, reality sets in. Less than half of those who pay ever receive a dime. Perhaps the most egregious examples of official chicanery belongs to the enlistment contract. Buried on page two is what’s known at the "loophole" clause. Section 9b states: "Laws and regulations that govern military personnel may change without notice to me." MCRC members felt that students' incomplete understanding of what they might be signing was too important to wait for school officials to react. We decided to share this information directly with the students. We took to the streets. Beginning at Wooddale High School, we handed out pamphlets that contain the text of the military enlistment contract and points out what to watch out for, such as the loophole clause. The principal ordered us to move 1,000 feet from the site, ordered the students not to take the flyer, and actually took flyers away from them. The students gained a valuable lesson in the tenuous relationship between government and free speech. To date we’ve distributed over 7,000 pamphlets to half the Memphis high schools. Our plans include speaking before the school board meeting, and requesting private meetings with each Commissioner. We want to set up tables at the spring career fairs, and post counter-recruitment literature, and, of course, continue the leafleting. --George G. |
|
Home l News & Letters Newspaper l Back issues l News and Letters Committees l Dialogues l Raya Dunayevskaya l Contact us l Search Published by News and Letters Committees |
