The Marines came to visit 3 times in 8 school days....

5/13/2014

Just to be clear.

I want a plethora of choices of post secondary educational opportunities presented at public schools.

This issue started when there were an overwhelming amount of military visits to this small rural school and few trade school or colleges
that came to the campus.

Today was a scheduled Marine Corps recruiting session at the small rural school
where my kid goes .

I got there 15 minutes early and darned if they had not arrived and checked in
1/2 hour before that.

The head recruiter got briefed by the principal about me and given the "list" of what they can and cannot do.

This list of administrative rules regarding recruiters only exists because I worked hard to make it so.

There were no rules before me.

The head recruiter asked me how I was, and I replied, "Great," and asked in return how he was.

He said he was tired because
he was up late talking to people and telling them truthful things about joining the Marines.

Yes, HE SAID that.

They had an "ammo" ( I am not certain that an "ammo" box has any place in a public school...) box that was filled with sand and got young boys to sign a waiver to see how many times they could lift it over their head in two minutes.

Why?

So if the kid does a certain amount of lifts, - he - or she will get a "prize."

I am not kidding!

A prize.

A Marine lanyard.

A Marine keychain.

A Marine poster.

You, dear reader, and I, have paid for these prizes with our taxes.

Kids fell for this big time.

The waiver they sign incidentally gives their contact info.

The head recruiter told them that if they check the "no-contact" box he will not call them.

Right.

I bet some other recruiter will.

Get this:

THIS FRIDAY is the school community clean up day.
The same head honcho recruiter is going to VOLUNTEER to help.
That is now 2 recruitment efforts in less than 2 weeks.

But WAIT.
There is MORE!

Next week the same head recruiter will be back to teach all the high school PE classes via the "Marine Corps Youth Physical Fitness" program.
That is a recruiting program spelled out clearly in the Marine Corps description of the program.

So now that is 3 Marine recruitment efforts at this small rural school where there are only
40 kids per GRADE.

******************************************

Oh, yeah....
The head recruiter also stopped the band teacher in the hall to ask if he could come talk to the band about the Marines - cause the Marines have the oldest band and .....yadda yadda yadda.

26 Comments

dawn

5/14/2014 12:51:08 am

Your efforts are so misplaced. Taxpayers and laws REQUIRE recruiters to visit schools at LEAST monthly. They are statutorily required to do so, and schools are legally required to let them. You are making life so hard for the recruiters and school officials. Why don't you write your representatives or try to get the laws changed if you don't like it?

A recruiter is required, per regulation, to bring names and contact info back from a school. Required. So, focus on changing those rules, not making ONE school give hell to the recruiter assigned.

We have to staff our military somehow. Do you prefer the draft or conscription?

Do you think getting the school to prevent recruiters giving out prizes will save taxpayer money? Those things will be purchased and handed out somewhere else if you don't get it changed at the root. You aren't fixing anything by changing the rules ate this one school.

Wanda Marie

5/14/2014 07:40:02 am

No worries Helvi,
If Dawn really believed that "you aren't fixing anything.... " she would not have bothered posting her comments.

Wanda Marie

5/14/2014 07:42:49 am

oh... and Dawn I am sure you will correct me if I am wrong but I think what is REQUIRED is that they ALLOW visits... visits themselves are not prescribed by law.

Eric Canon

5/14/2014 04:02:59 pm

Good suggest about a draft. If a war is so essential then a draft would be an excellent way to go about it. As we say in Iraq, there was no price to be paid by any of us. Rather the entire cost was placed on the backs of our soldiers who had to serve mission after mission. And the money was financed to our kids (there's that pattern again). And indeed we should write to our reps to change this practice. At the same time, wouldn't it be cool if this school showed this woman some respect. I sure think so.

Wanda Marie

5/14/2014 05:48:27 pm

Why yes, yes indeed I do think the school showing this fine woman some respect would be cool Mr Canon.

And by the way you rock!

Wayne

5/14/2014 01:54:53 am

I do not see what your issue is. Is it that this group of kids were just given an option in life? Not everyone has the resources or desire to attend college and perhaps the military is a perfect fit. oh wait, do you have a problem with someone in the community giving his time to volunteer? Perhaps it is the fact that the Marine's, likely the most fit beings on earth, are willing to share with the most obese generation how to be more fit? Now if recruiters did not come to your child's school you would likely complain that your child is missing an opportunity to go to college or learn a trade because recruiters will not come to your small school. These men and women do what they do so people like you and speak freely. we, as a nation, are free because of their blood, sweat, and tears. Next time instead of fighting them, thank them for what they do! They are not forcing anyone to do anything, they are simply giving options.

Wanda Marie

5/14/2014 07:52:33 am

Wayne Wayne Wayne.... freedom implies choice which in turn requires the mental and emotional capacity to make sound decisions.

The thing is that the Military is in such a rush to "influence" impressionable minds that are not yet mature enough to even be allowed to vote, drink or drive a car.

Wayne

5/14/2014 01:56:14 am

Further, I hope you had prior consent to place their picture on the internet.

Wanda Marie

5/14/2014 09:27:38 am

yo.. Wayne ... that is not a photograph there is no prior consent needed. geeze

Wanda Marie

5/14/2014 05:45:22 pm

Here is what the ACLU has to say about the photo Wayne: Taking photographs of things that are plainly visible from public spaces is a constitutional right – and that includes federal buildings, transportation facilities, and police and other government officials carrying out their duties.

https://www.aclu.org/free-speech/know-your-rights-photographers

Lisa

5/14/2014 03:55:21 am

I hope your son joins the military on his own one day. Be thankful there is no draft.

Eric Canon

5/14/2014 04:06:54 pm

Feel sad there is no draft. We would be far less cavalier as a nation if ordinary families were required to send their kids to war. Much better than the underhanded and offensive method employed in our schools. As I like to say, Joe Camel would blush at these tactics.

Josie Akins

5/14/2014 07:02:10 am

Man, isn't it nice getting to exercise your freedom of speech on here that you have because of our.....military? And in turn, those who recruited them? You really need to find a hobby to get out all of that negative energy your are harboring. Also, I'd find it humorous if your son ended up enlisting one day after the years of sad parenting you used on him trying to teach him the military is evil.

Wanda Marie

5/14/2014 08:03:42 am

Dawn, Wayne, Lisa and Josie

Freedom is indeed a precious thing. Here is the piece of the puzzle that seems to be missing from your thinking.... we are talking about kids.

Kids who are not considered mature enough to make legally binding decisions. There is a reason they can't vote, drive or drink alcohol legally.

The problem is that the military is hell bent on getting to them before they are emotionally and intellectually prepared to make independent decisions on their own behalf.

What the recruiters are doing is trying to get their foot in the door before the child has a fighting chance to make a sound decision. ... plain and simple.

That is the OPPOSITE of freedom ...

Scott

5/14/2014 12:19:48 pm

I'm a recruiter. for another branch, I understand your concerns. All it takes is one recruiter to make us al look bad. I think it's interesting when people post comments when they don't have all the facts. I won't get into all the details, but not all branches operate the same and they certainly don't play by the same rules. I don't HAVE to visit all my schools monthly and in fact try to not be a burden. Wanda, most students that come to me know exactly what they want. I give them every opportunity to bring their parents with them. If they are 18 they are adults. They are old enough to make an informed decision. Recruiters are in the schools telling your kids not to get tattoos, to stay away from drugs, to graduate....we try to be a positive influence on their lives.
We really need to be in schools here, because we are lucky enough to live in a country that doesn't force it's citizens to serve. Therefore it's imperative that we talk to them in the schools so they know what the requirements are before they go do something stupid like drop out or get busted smoking, or get a tattoo on there neck. We are just presenting an option. I'm sorry you've had bad experiences. But I can assure you we are not all like that.

Staff Sergeant link

5/14/2014 02:05:13 pm

Good evening all,

I am the Marine Recruiter that visited this high school. I would like to thank everyone on here that has expressed their 1st Amendment rights of freedom of speech. Without freedom, we would not be the country that we are today. With this freedom in mind, there are always a few exceptions to the rules. One such thing is called "libel." As any capable person can access information on the internet or in a dictionary, I advise everyone to take a little time to learn what that means. Also, when did you take a picture? It is a great shot of a proper ammo can lift. Thank you for displaying that for me, it will make demonstrating easier for all the students next week.

Nonetheless, I enjoyed my time at the school and I look forward to being more involved in my local communities. I had not spent any time with this school prior to this visit, so I really wanted to make sure my visit was enjoyable for everyone involved. I had a great time meeting the schools staff and many of the students. I look forward to Friday to help around the school and make the benches look like new, as well as, leading a period of instruction that will allow the students to build on team work and challenge themselves at the same time.

As a Marine, I have a mission to support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. My current task within that mission is to represent my branch of service and give opportunities to young men and women. Just like going to a supermarket, you see shelf after shelf of cerial boxes or bags, and you think to yourself, "what kind of cerial do I want?" Ultimately, you make your own decision based on the knowledge you have. Like the outside labels, nutritional facts, and information on a box or bag, it's my job to ensure someone can get all the information they want, and need, before you make a choice. This will be the same information that I will teach my children, both age 5, so they will be open minded about every option they have for their future.

I thank everyone again for their time and support. And remember, every opportunity you get, be sure to thank a veteran. Without them, we would not be able to do all the great things we are afforded.

If you would like more information about the Marines, please feel free to go to www.MARINES.com.

Eric Canon

5/14/2014 04:12:29 pm

Your implied threat of libel is offensive. How dare you. As for freedom, it is not exclusively achieved in battle with guns and rockets. Most of the notable advances in human freedom have been achieved in just the way we see here with this courageous woman who is deserving of your respect. People who pray of our kids offend me. I'm in the phone book.

Eric Canon

5/14/2014 11:33:22 pm

Your implied threat of libel is offensive. How dare you. As for freedom, it is not exclusively achieved in battle with guns and rockets. Most of the notable advances in human freedom, as well as defenses of our constitution, have been achieved in just the way we see here with this courageous woman who is deserving of your respect. People who pray of our kids offend me. I'm in the phone book.

Facebook: NNOMY Friends link

5/15/2014 02:47:56 am

Hey kids! Uncles Sam now comes in three flavors; Army, Navy, and Marines! http://mealsandmoves.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/img_8740.jpg

Wanda Marie

5/14/2014 02:05:32 pm

Hi Scott,

When I was 18 I thought about joining the military and the recruiter offered to "assist" me with the tests by allowing me extra time to finish the math portion. He promised that I could do anything I wanted including pilot a helicopter if I enlisted.

Fortunately, after speaking to some friends who had been in the military I realized that those were promises the recruiter was not in a position to keep.

I mean nothing personal against you however, I will never believe that it is okay to allow military sales people access to children without direct parental supervision before they are old enough to enter a contract on their own.

Wanda Marie

5/14/2014 02:22:09 pm

Hi Staff Sergeant,

I get the whole alpha dog leadership role thing and you present your case well. Teamwork and community involvement and physical education... what is not to love right?

But no matter how highly polished one side of that penny is on the other side there is still a far greater risk of death via military service than at any college in the country. Veterans comprise the majority of the homeless in this country, the veterans administration comes up short time and time again in upholding our promises to those who have served. Until the promises made to those guys are kept it is hard to imagine a world where your version of military service is something to offer to the children of our country as "just another option".

(ps that red squiggly line that appears under words when you are typing means they are not in the dictionary)

Staff Sergeant link

5/14/2014 04:07:56 pm

Hi Wanda,

Thank you for the quick lesson on how to utilize the spell check. I must have had something more important going on at the time to catch that. I intended to write "cereal," so thank you for taking the time to verify my spelling was correct.

Again, if anyone would like more information about how the Marine Corps may be able to help you reach your goals in life, please feel free to visit www.MARINES.com.

Wanda Marie

5/14/2014 05:43:21 pm

Hi again,

I was not clear if you were including the photograph in your mention of libel so as you suggested I looked into it and here is what I found. This is the first paragraph of the article on the ACLU website on the subject of photography: Taking photographs of things that are plainly visible from public spaces is a constitutional right – and that includes federal buildings, transportation facilities, and police and other government officials carrying out their duties.

Here is a link to the entire article: https://www.aclu.org/free-speech/know-your-rights-photographers

Wanda Marie

5/14/2014 02:34:05 pm

Oh and about "libel" ... the truth is an adequate defense.

Wanda Marie

5/14/2014 05:34:08 pm

In response to the implication that there was something wrong about posting a photo of the recruiter taken on school property ... here is what the ACLU has to say about attempting to restrict the freedom of photographers oh ye who claim to value freedom:

https://www.aclu.org/free-speech/know-your-rights-photographers

Bart VFP Corvallis link

5/15/2014 03:06:21 am

As a "Truth in Recruiting" activist with Veterans for Peace here in Corvallis, OR (just a short distance down the road from Gaston), I really appreciate this exchange. The variety of issues covered in this debate is refreshingly similar to what members of a democratic society should constantly encourage. Sadly, we've seen too little of this lately.
From our perspective, recruiters have a difficult job which is becoming more challenging as the economy improves. However, some rural communities' youth still face overwhelming obstacles to finding gainful employment after high school and are fairly susceptible to the military's various promises of food, lodging, training, college funding, etc.
In our TiR efforts, we do not dissuade students from examining a military career--I'm a 24-year veteran and am not anti-military; in fact, we encourage critical thinking about joining the military. To promote that, we offer materials you are highly unlikely to find on the recruiters table, e.g., those published by AFSC, NNOMY and others.
Our objective is to offer enough information by which a student can make an intelligent decision about whether to join or not. We feel that if you don't know enough about the way the military system works, you don't even know the right questions to ask a recruiter, let alone be able to tell when he or she is telling you what you want to hear rather than unvarnished facts about the military lifestyle, benefits, jobs, and the amount of choice you will have in any of those.
Sorry about the long post and, again, thanks for this healthy debate. Let it continue.

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