Ah, the bogus class warfare battles continue, this time right here in LA (registration required). It seems that nebulous “peace activists” are clueing in those naïve “poor” black and brown high school students and their parents, neither of whom are capable, apparently, of figuring out that the purpose of a military is to fight wars.
My message to these students? Please, don’t join up. Those who actually want to serve don’t want to have to pull your weight. It hinders the mission: protecting your collective butts from enemies foreign and domestic.
"They [military recruiters] tell us, if we're failing classes, we're not going to make it to college," said Banuelos, 17, who wants to go to college. "They say, 'With our help is the only way to get out of the ghetto.' " [SNIP]
Student speakers from Los Angeles Unified School District high schools spoke out against ROTC programs and pressure to join the military. In addition, Fernando Suarez del Solar, father of Marine Lance Cpl. Jesus Alberto Suarez del Solar, who was killed in the Iraq war in March, urged the audience to resist military recruitment programs on campuses.I’m sorry for your loss, Mr. Suarez del Solar. I just hope you’re not letting your grief obscure the honor with which your son lived his life and met the fate which we all have to meet.
"This is a conscious plan on the part of the government to drive our students out of the schools and drive them into the military to take part in the death and destruction," Suarez del Solar said.Oh well, too late. The poor guy doesn’t realize that his anguish is being used. I pity these activists when the gentleman in question finally does wake up.
Onward…
Arlene Inouye, a coordinator of the event, said students are being sold "myths" that make joining the military seem attractive, such as the notion that it's a good way to travel to other parts of the world. "With all of the casualties of war, it becomes a life-or-death issue," she said.Hey, I guess I didn’t really get to travel to places that I never would have visited had I not been in the military. I suppose that I should believe Ms. Inouye instead of my own experience. I suppose Ms. Inouye spent her entire military career stateside. Oh wait! There’s no mention in that article of Ms. Inouye having actually served in the military.
(Did I do my math right? Have only .03 percent of troops in Iraq, or thereabouts, lost their lives? If so, the last part of Ms. Inouye’s statement would be laughable, if the subject were not so serious. Remember these are Los Angeles high school students we’re talking about.)
Most assuredly, if these students cannot read/write/calculate at a certain level, they will not be allowed to join the military, recruiter enticements notwithstanding. It won’t matter whether one has a high school diploma or not—and GEDs are no longer acceptable.
The recruiters just want to keep the numbers of inquiries high, which is all they really care about. What the military wants are those smart enough to make their own informed decisions and with enough smarts to learn how to properly operate that multi-million dollar equipment paid for by you-know-who. The military wants the ones who could go to college if they so choose.
In short, the military doesn’t want your crack/meth babies....
BTW, there is absolutely no shame in not being willing to put it all on the line for defense of country, BUT don't make it seem as if those who are willing are some kind of dupes for the rich white man government.
