ACLU files suit to allow counter-recruiting

[CommunityEditor]

NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. — The ACLU is suing a North Carolina school system it says has denied access to a pacifist who wants to talk to students about alternatives to the military.

The Winston-Salem Journal reported that Sally Ferrell represents North Carolina Peace Action and says Wilkes County Schools haven’t allowed her to present her message, even though military recruiters get time with students.

Ferrell wants to recruit for such groups as AmeriCorps while also presenting information that might convince students not to choose the military.

School attorney Fred Johnson says the policy provides equal access for presentations to students. Wilkes County Schools Superintendent Stephen Laws says the school’s policy doesn’t allow a recruiter to criticize other groups.

Laws and Johnson say the school system will defend its policy.


Article: http://www.militarytimes.com/news/2009/01/ap_counterrecruiting_010609/

[USMC_8156]

The ACLU makes my head hurt. The "American Civil Liberties Union," which would not have its' Civil Liberties if we had not seperated by force from the English, actually stands there and tell young people that the military is evil. How ignorant can you be?

[DDNIGHT]

Frickin' communists.....

They need to try life in another country for a while....when and if they come back, they would appreciate the civil liberties they have already.

Makes me sick.

[Your_Name_Here]

The ACLU makes my head hurt. The "American Civil Liberties Union," which would not have its' Civil Liberties if we had not seperated by force from the English, actually stands there and tell young people that the military is evil. How ignorant can you be?

Well, they continue to push further and further into uncharted depths of ignorance!:D

[MitchellJD1969]

I though code pink was doing the anti recruiting for them?

[VFFSSGT]

Can we send the staff and members of the ACLU to Gitmo for suspected treason? :D

[MitchellJD1969]

Heres a little something relevant from the Daily Kooks about recruitment.................

How to defeat military recruiters: overwhelm them with decoys!
I truly believe that antiwar activists should focus our energies on military recruitment. The empire will modify its militarism only if is does not have sufficient bodies and minds to run all its ongoing and contemplated wars.
....The best way to accomplish this is to overwhelm the recruitment system with decoy targets. Antiwar persons, especially youth, should contact their local recruiter and express interest in learning about the career opportunities that exist for them in the US military. They can schedule appointments, attend meetings, take tests, ask questions, whatever. The whole point would be to waste the recruiters' time and energy. An hour spent recruiting somebody who isn't intersted is an hour not spent recruiting somebody who is interested.
...I do not assert that military recruiters are the worst people on earth or anywhere near as bad as Bush, his cabinet, or the CEO of Halliburton, only that recruiting is where the military-corporate establishment is most vulnerable, the Achilles heel of the evil system, the place where we should strike." -- acquittal


Maybe we should do the same for the anit-recruiters

[sigecaps]

I have no problems with offering more options to high school students.

[Merlin69]

Monetary contributions from the federal government are a method that have been used to oblige school districts to consent military recruiters’ access to high school and college students. That is fine, as the Superintendent depended on her word that she was offering alternative information on choices other than joining the military without compensation.

I’m happy that the school district allowed her the opportunity, but she debased and made disparaging comments against a competing organization. That is where she crossed the line and will make it harder for others to gain successfully access to students to offer alternatives.

Yes, I am happy that the school district permitted her the break to forward information on the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps to students, as both are worthwhile and noble organizations, as well the U.S. Military. She was just deceitful with her true intentions.

[sigecaps]

I’m happy that the school district allowed her the opportunity, but she debased and made disparaging comments against a competing organization. That is where she crossed the line and will make it harder for others to gain successfully access to students to offer alternatives.

What is this? The soviet union? We're not allowed to criticize the government or government programs?

[Okie]

I have no problems with offering more options to high school students.

+1. Furthermore, anybody caught lying to promote their cause (recruiters included) should have their organization banned from speaking to students for a minimum of 3 years.

I wonder how these anti-recruiting guys will feel when they succeed and we have to go back to the draft.

[TJMAC77SP]

If an organization were to present legitimate job opportunities (ones where you actually get paid) and career training opportunities (where you get paid while learning) then they should be allowed to recruit at any school. Recruiters are HR reps for the military. If you are going to demand equal treatment then you should offer equal opportunity (Not just preach an agenda. Put that on the sidewalk).

[sigecaps]

+1. Furthermore, anybody caught lying to promote their cause (recruiters included) should have their organization banned from speaking to students for a minimum of 3 years.

Which is already a crime under many circumstances (fraud).


I wonder how these anti-recruiting guys will feel when they succeed and we have to go back to the draft.

The way I look at it, the more successful they are, the bigger the incentives/benefits/pay have to be to (re)enlist. :D

[Combat correspondent]

I have no problems with offering more options to high school students.


I dont have a problem with it either. The military is not for everyone. I'd rather ACLU or whomever come and recruit (or anti-recruit) potential DoD recruits than we military members having to end up dealing with those same kids in the form of servicemembers a year down the road.

[TJMAC77SP]

once again to the seats in the rear...............................


If an organization were to present legitimate job opportunities (ones where you actually get paid) and career training opportunities (where you get paid while learning) then they should be allowed to recruit at any school. Recruiters are HR reps for the military. If you are going to demand equal treatment then you should offer equal opportunity (Not just preach an agenda. Put that on the sidewalk).

[Measure Man]

If an organization were to present legitimate job opportunities (ones where you actually get paid) and career training opportunities (where you get paid while learning) then they should be allowed to recruit at any school. Recruiters are HR reps for the military. If you are going to demand equal treatment then you should offer equal opportunity (Not just preach an agenda. Put that on the sidewalk).

I don't understand why all opportunities have to be equally paid?

Anyway...if she were going just to "recruit" for Americorps, Peace Corps, etc....then fine, she should be able to do that.

If she were going to disparage military recruiters...and "anti-recruit"...then she doesn't need to be granted access.

[ringjamesa]

I concur. Paid/unpaid. As long as they are offering something, I'm ok with it. What I am not ok with is them doing it in the same setting as a recruiter. They can have equal time but I don't want them in the same room providing an adversarial setting.

[TJMAC77SP]

I don't understand why all opportunities have to be equally paid?

Anyway...if she were going just to "recruit" for Americorps, Peace Corps, etc....then fine, she should be able to do that.

If she were going to disparage military recruiters...and "anti-recruit"...then she doesn't need to be granted access.

I didn't say 'equal pay' I said 'paid' period. Otherwise it is just an anti-military preach-fest and that is bullshit.

BTW: Both the Peace Corps (http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=learn.whyvol.finben) and Americorps (http://www.americorps.gov/for_individuals/choose/vista_faq.asp)have financial compensation. Thus I wouldn't be opposed if the counter-military offers were limited to them.

[Measure Man]

I concur. Paid/unpaid. As long as they are offering something, I'm ok with it. What I am not ok with is them doing it in the same setting as a recruiter. They can have equal time but I don't want them in the same room providing an adversarial setting.

I don't even care if they do it in the same room at the same time...they can each have their own little booth.

But...it should be focused on what they have to offer...not on the evil of the other.

I don't even see them as adversarial interests...but sounds as if this lady was using Americorps simply to gain access so she can preach her anti-military platform.

[ringjamesa]

I don't even care if they do it in the same room at the same time...they can each have their own little booth.

But...it should be focused on what they have to offer...not on the evil of the other.

I don't even see them as adversarial interests...but sounds as if this lady was using Americorps simply to gain access so she can preach her anti-military platform.

My point is not related to say job fairs. I am talking about actual student interaction-talking to classes and such. I do NOT want the anti military people in the same classroom as a mil recruiter trying to argue every point. If it is the lunchroom or a career fair, fine give 'em a booth but recruiters aren't there to debate. Most are volunteers but they didn't volunteer to be abused by a bunch of wack-jobs.

[TJMAC77SP]

The devil is in the details (http://www.militarytimes.com/news/2009/01/ap_counterrecruiting_010609/).........................

She set up a “peace table” in hallways, where she handed out material and talked to students about AmeriCorps and other alternatives to the military. But by December 2007, Laws said he’d had enough. A principal had complained to him about some of the materials and Laws told Ferrell her message was no longer welcomed.

“When she was allowed back in school, it was to talk about Americorps, Peace Corps, those kinds of entities,” Laws said. “That’s what she said she was going to do. And when it turned out that she didn’t do that that she was disparaging the military — we had to say no.”