Recruiters showing up 4 times a week at Tucson High School

[havocmom]

prompts district to set limits on visits by military & job recruiters for campus visits.

http://www.dailystar.com/dailystar/metro/69308.php

<snip> Tucson Unified School District officials recently adopted new rules restricting visits by military recruiters to once a month per school. The conditions also apply to college and job recruiters who visit high-school campuses.

<snip> The new rules were made after some parents complained in January that military recruiters were showing up four times a week at Tucson High Magnet School - the district's largest with about 2,900 students - and that some students felt pressured by their presence.

<snip? Under federal law, military recruiters must receive the same access to high-school students as job or college recruiters. Schools also must provide military recruiters with names, addresses and phone numbers of students, unless parents object in writing.

<snip> Recruiters also must stay in designated areas rather than roaming the school. Some military recruiters had been testing students for military aptitude during class time, which also will not be allowed.

Tuscon High School is a magnet school in a less than affluent area. I wonder how many visits kids at Sabino (locally known as Snob-ino) High School get.

And about recruiters using class time to test kids, that is pretty good evidence that excellence in the classroom is NOT the intent of NCLB.

Parents and concerned citizens, maybe it would be a damned good idea to find out what is going on every day in YOUR local schools. Just how much instruction time is being usurped by military recruiters? Just how much disruption of teacher efforts are these guys getting away with? Are recruiters spending as much time working over the scions of the rich as they do with the kids of the poor? Find out and MAKE SOME NOISE if you don't like what you see.

Parents have to be proactive. Kids that age normally have bumpy times with parents. Recruiters know this. They will work on your kids without your knowledge unless you ACTIVELY opt out by letting your school know, in writing, that you do not want your child's contact info given to recruiters. Hell of a surprise to find out your kid signed on the line the day they turned 18, after two years of being romanced by recruiters without your knowledge!

[lebkuchen]

1. That works for me. Can the army spare more recruits?

AZ voted 55% Bush, 45% Kerry. There are dues to pay.

[havocmom]

3. Why do you think beating up on people in states which could go blue

any time is a good idea? As it happens, Tucson is generally pretty liberal. We need to win friends if we are gonna influence people.

Shall the folks in red states just stop sending food to market so
blue-staters will starve? No they don't do that cuz they know it would be against their interests to cut off their noses to spite their faces. Overly smug (and too often, rude) blue-staters might learn from that.

peace & hopes of the growth of some empathy in our own ranks,
hm

[lebkuchen]

5. For those who voted for the war

I say, you have no excuse not to enlist and fight it.

I believe in a strong defense (as opposed to our current policy of aggression). All three components of our army are being depleted due to deaths, injuries, and lack of (re)enlistments as per our aggressive policies in the Middle East. Those that remain in our army are worn out, resulting in a US of A that is less able to protect its own borders.

We need to get some fresh warm bodies into our Army. Those that voted for Bush's policies are obligated to serve, for the good of the country.

And that's just the way it is.

[havocmom]

11. Tucson had many large anti-war protests and still are pretty actively

opposed in most cases. Seems pretty close to bigotry to paint all the voters/citizens with the same brush cause you didn't approve of the finaly tally in elections we know were frought with fraud of various sorts.

Such attitudes will pretty well ensure future failures of DEM candidates in red states.

And THAT'S just the way it is.

[lebkuchen]

14. Recruiters are swamping states/districts that voted for Bush

It would be the rare news article that reports on the massive flocking of military recruits to San Francisco, Marin, Alameda or Yolo County school districts, which voted heavily for Kerry. The recruiters would be wasting their time. The way they see it, the districts that heavily supported Bush in the election should be the most likely to enter into combat for the man. Do you disagree with their logic?

The fact of the matter is, we need an army, and we need fresh bodies to maintain it. Yes, there is a war going on, and yes that's why (re)enlistments are down. However, Bush received the majority of the vote, and those under the age of 39 who voted for him and who aren't already enlisted in some branch of the military are obligated to show up to recruitment offices and do their patriotic duty, imo.

I never said every able-bodied person in AZ voted for Bush. But most of them did, so, there you have it.

Say "hello" to the recruitment officers for me. You're bound to run into several in your neck of the woods.

[havocmom]

16. As it happens, Tucson High School is in an economically depressed,

highly hispanic and VERY DEMOCRATIC area.

Again with the habit of painting all with the same brush? What is the wisdom of that?

These tend to be kids from poorer families, who have traditionally voted for DEMS. How about addressing the root issue instead of adopting the attitude that they get what they deserve? That is the same shit the neocons do to justify the poor staying poor.

[lebkuchen]

20. It's a simple cause/effect relationship

and a strong desire on my part to keep the recruiters out of my state--which had a heavy turnout for Kerry--and in the red states, where the hawks reside.

Bravo for those few in Tucson who protested Bush from time to time. I never read about them, but I don't doubt there were some. If they should ever find themselves dead drunk in a public place, I hope they don't sign a fucking thing.

No state can touch any major city in Europe for Bush protests. The US is out of its league in that regard. That must be because the majority of Americans love Bush.

Great. Then they should sign up and fight for him.

[havocmom]

22. "Bravo for those few in Tucson who protested Bush"? WOW, that shows

a certain mindset about it. Trying to help you to see that your predetermined opinion might do with some new info is pointless.'

There were THOUSANDS of protestors and there were lots of protest events. Gee, guess just cause you didn't read about them, they didn't amount to much? How about this: MSM doesn't acknowledge protests if they can avoid it. And they under count the participants when they have to report them at all.

But, hey, no point in learning about a part of the country when we can just assume things.

Thank goodness Dr Dean gets out there to talk with people in red states because THAT, my friend, is how we win votes. Writing off sections of the nations by branding ALL voters of an area with the color of the total is a damned good way to make sure things stay the same. Blowing them off IS elitist and foolish.

[lebkuchen]

31. When one considers that it's their ass on the line in a draft

shouldn't any city in the US be able to outdo Europe on any given day of protest?

To this day, I don't see the outrage in the US, not near the level that Europe has produced. It's very disappointing, which leads me to believe that perhaps Americans need to suffer more than they already have (a country born to suffer?) before they see the abyss they've dug for themselves.



500,000 people

(I'm the one holding the white sign)

[havocmom]

32. How many total population in city might have a little something to do with

turn out too. Tucson is not a huge city.

[City Lights]

10. Tucson is more liberal than Phoenix.

They should be recruiting all the fundy kids in the Valley whose parents voted for chimpy.

edited for typo

[lebkuchen]

15. How's the employment rate there?

I've never been to Tucson. Always wanted to go to Bisby, though.

[havocmom]

17. Bisbee is way cool, in a totally off-beat way.

If you ever get serious about a trip, PM me and I will get you some info.

Tucson employment not great at present as I understand. It generally never is. And wages are very low there.

[lebkuchen]

21. Thanks! It's on my list. Did you ever run into Edward Abbey?

before he died? He's buried, illegally, under some cactus outside of Tucson.

Doesn't Prescott have the oldest rodeo in the world? The square is beautiful, and the old bars are a lot of fun on July 4.

[havocmom]

23. No, never met the man. But then, I doubt many met him unless he

wanted it. LOL Yeah, he's out there, somewhere. Many of us have ideas about where, but we aint talkin ;)

Not a rodeo fan so can't tell you about Prescott. Besides, I stay away from towns with names like that! Bisbee has a history of some pretty radical labor events. THAT'S more my kinda town!

[lebkuchen]

25. Sedona's got Frank Lloyd Wright

Are you a fan? :)

[havocmom]

27. Anyone who build with the natural world in mind is OK

in my book. Not crazy about all his stuff, but appreciate how he worked to blend building with nature.

I like earth ship homes and adobes better though.

[lebkuchen]

29. Anything in Canyon de Chelly, perhaps?

The White House ruins have withstood the test of time better than the one in DC, which can only hope to compare itself in name only, with an emphasis on "ruins."

[City Lights]

18. I honestly don't know.

My husband is self-employed, and in the four years we've lived here has yet to find work in Phoenix. He travels. A lot. I do know the pay scale in Phoenix (and I suspect all of AZ) is terrible. We can't wait to move elsewhere.

[lebkuchen]

26. I hope all goes well for you in the transition

and that your husband will be able to find work close to you very soon.

[City Lights]

30. Thanks for the good wishes.

:hi:

[Ganja Ninja]

2. Why don't they target college republican's instead?

They're real patriots and big time supporters of the war. It should be real productive in theory. :sarcasm:

[jonnyblitz]

7. no kidding!

:thumbsup:

[havocmom]

9. Wonder if DUers in college towns would be allowed to set up booths

to promote the enlistment of Young Rebuplicans :evilgrin:

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

4. I objected in writing for both of my sons already. I originallly

found out about this policy three years ago. Any school that receives Fed money is required to hand over your children's records unless you do object. When I first found out about this I was not notified by the high school that they were doing this, and I immediately objected. I asked around and other parents were totally unaware too. I guess a big enough of a stir was made because this year there was a separate mailing to all families stating this policy.

Schools also must provide military recruiters with names, addresses and phone numbers of students, unless parents object in writing.

[havocmom]

8. You are a good parent. As a concerned citizen with grown offspring,

I thank you for you vigilance. There have been posters here on DU who insist that the info is wrong and that recruiters can only contact kids whose parents grant written permission.

I have been trying hard to get accurate info out there to parents. It annoys me that school have been used to institutionally subvert parental authority by this underhanded scheme written into federal law for schools getting any fed $$.

Just because my daughter is not subjected to this constant barrage of romantic bullshit about how wonderful it will be in the army does not mean I shall be silent about the tactic. I care about all the kids and believe parents should know what is going on.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

12. Thank you! Prior to coming to DU I posted extensively on AOL message

boards trying to alert parents to this. You should have seen some of the replies that I got! From incredibly thankful to scathing.

Thank you for your work in trying to get this info out there too!

[G_j]

6. nice to have tax money spent to con our kids into dying for the neo-cons

:puke:

[Kansas Wyatt]

13. Well these folks have to join the job force somewhere,

And that is about the only thing left in this alleged booming economy.

Not everyone can disappear into the party crowd and then buy their way into Harvard, and still come out dumber than a box of rocks.

Then again, drafting Republicans is an attractive alternative, but I would suspect that they would be chicken-shits on the battlefield just like they are now. Yep, unprecedented AWOLs, self injury, insubordination, mutiny, collaboration with the enemy, treason, and commanding officer 'accidents.' No wonder they don't want to just draft Republican chickenhawks to go.

[July]

19. I just learned that they appear in my son's school's cafeteria.

Not every day, but regularly. I had no idea.

[CrispyQ]

24. Great poster available in "Tools for Change" catalog:

10 Points to Consider Before You Sign a Military Enlistment Agreement

http://www.syrculturalworkers.com/catalog/catalogIndex/CatCounterRecruitment.html

Just got this catalog last night. Lot's of new stuff in it from last time, much of it on military recruitment & war. The link above takes you to some of their counter-recruitment items, but they have more in the catalog. I especially liked the top 2 posters. The catalog states, "Should be on the door of every guideance counselor's door in US." I agree.

[havocmom]

28. Good stuff. Thanks for the post & links.

When you are 16 with not a lot of life experiences to use for evaluating things, it is likely the recruiters' siren songs sound very exciting and romantic. Good to temper that with a little practical information.

A tip of the havocmom sombrero to you for helping in that endeavour.