This is dedicated to my friends momagainstthedraft and Salunga. This was criss-crossed at BoomanTribune and DailyKos.
What can I do when the Army of One calls my child?
Well here’s what you can do and what your child can do.
I hope you can take this information from CodePink’s Counter-Recruitment 101 document and you and your child/children can use it to protect yourselves AND teach others how to protect their loved ones and friends.
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Enacted in 2001, the Bush Administration’s No Child Left Behind Act contains a little-known provision (Sec. 9528) that provides military recruiters access to publicly funded campuses. Schools must also provide student Information to the Department of Defense or risk losing federal funding. Often this information allows for military recruiters to constantly badger students to enlist without the students’ or parental consent.
The No Child Left Behind Act states that parental consent or notification must be provided, however, many school districts do not publicize this information. One way to protect yourself from
unwanted military recruiter contacts is opting out of this list at the beginning of each school year.
In addition to the No Child Left Behind Act, your contact information is also being given to military recruiters by the Pentagon. The Pentagon teamed up with a private marketing firm BeNow Inc. to form a database of information of 16-18 year-old students and all college students. Information will be gathered from data brokers, state drivers’ license records and the No Child Left Behind Act. This database will have your name, phone number, cell number, your interests, your GPA, and other private information. Although opting-out of being contacted by the military is possible, opting-out of the database is not.
School districts from all parts of the nation have been adopting “Optimum Opt-Out” policies that openly publicize the No Child Left Behind provision and the option for students and parents to opt-out of releasing information to the armed services.
To opt-out of having your school send your contact information to military recruiters:
Step 1: Simply find your district superintendent’s name and address (available at your school or you can search it on www.leavemychildalone.org).
Step 2: If you are under 18, ask your parent to draft a letter requesting your information to be taken off the list sent to the military or print and fill out an opt-out letter from online www.leavemychildalone.org). (Blank Opt-Out Letter attached to packet, as well).
Step 3: Send it out to your superintendent. Be sure to do a follow-up to ensure you’ve been opted out.
Step 4: Spread the word about this legal issue. Tell your friends and table at your school about opting-out.
To opt-out of being contacted through the Pentagon Student database:
Step 1: Go to www.leavemychildalone.org and print out an opt-out letter to the Pentagon.
Step 2: Have your parents sign the form and send it out to:
Joint Advertising and Marketing Research & Studies Office (JAMRS)
Attention: Opt Out
4040 North Fairfax Drive, Ste. 200
Arlington, VA 22203
Step 3: Organize a petition drive to urge your Congressional representatives to repeal this database. For more information visit www.militaryfreezone.org and www.leavemychildalone.org.
Students can refuse to take the ASVAB Test (Armed Services Vocational and Battery Test), which without your consent can send your contact information and test scores to military recruiters. If you choose to take the test, choose Option 8 to keep all contact information private
Don’t fill out the snazzy contact cards military recruiters bring to your classrooms and schools. Recruiters often request contact information for free t-shirts, games, and goodies. If you don’t want to be contacted, don’t put down your information.
Have students pass out alternative information when recruiters visit your schools. Check out the Leafletting guide in this packet for some advice. Also visit www.objector.org,
www.projectyano.org, and www.afsc.org/youthandmilitarism for some flyers on military myths and alternatives to the military
for college funding.
Talking Points for counter-recruitment:
Military recruiters lie about job opportunity, college benefits, and the enlistment contract.
We want to expose the lies of military recruiters and provide information and alternatives to fellow students.
We are resisting the militarism in our schools because the ongoing war has only proved to be detrimental to the young peoples’ lives that have been lost.
We believe that military recruiters should not have access on school campuses because of our school’s non-discrimination policy. The military explicitly discriminates against gays and lesbians through their “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and thus should not have equal access to our students.
Resources and Links
Please visit www.nyspc.net for flyer downloads and other links to prepare you for your action.
American Friends Service Committee’s Youth and Militarism page
http://www.afsc.org/youthmil/default.htm
Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors (CCCO)
www.objector.org
Coalition Against Militarism in Our Schools (CAMS)
www.militaryfreeschools.org
Committee Opposed to Militarism and the Draft (COMD)
www.comdsd.org
Leave My Child Alone
www.leavemychildalone.org
Project YANO (Youth and Non-Military Opportunities)
www.projectyano.org
War Resisters League Youth page
http://www.warresisters.org/youth/
My earlier diary about the Take Action: No Militarization of Youth!
Not Your Soldier & National Stand Down Day
November 17 & 18, 2005
Counter-Recruitment Action Alert
http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2005/11/3/123710/421
