Posted on 01/11/2007 1:51:32 AM PST by SWAMPSNIPER
I sit here, literally adrift, trying to decide if I am more aghast, offended or innured to this latest attack on my fundamental beliefs.
My Son is in his Freshman year of High School. Before the School Term started he chose ROTC as one of his electives..... Not so far a stretch since both his Father and I served in the Army... as well as our Ancestors before us. I'll admit that having both been in Basic with "Rotsies" as we called them, as well as serving under a few Officers that had little else in the way of training BESIDES a College Degree and some ROTC, my opinion of said organization as a whole was not a good one. I did more push-ups and low-crawled more because of the assumed knowledge of a ROTC soldier (that I might add, went into Basic as a higher Rank and Pay Grade than me) than I ever did because of my own actions or anyone else with no prior "Military Training".
Anyway, to get back onto the point.....my son has longish hair. It's not LONG.... It's still above his collar (but not by much) and he wears an earring. His Dad and I told him flat out that if he was going to be in ROTC, not only would he have to NOT wear the earring, he would also have to cut his hair....... no High-n-Tight.... just over his ears and off the collar. BOY were WE wrong. Not only can he wear the same uniform as our established US Soldiers, he can also wear his hair in a PONY tail if he wants...(as long as it does not touch his collar.... yadda yadda)
On the one hand, whatever, it's just High School ROTC, HOWEVER, I just tried to debate this with some of the "Commanders" (Rank-wise and self-titled I HOPE) of the National ROTC Community.... 4 out of 5 of those that responded admitted that they had never done any kind of Active Duty, and worse YET, 3 out of 5 flat out informed me that they were PACIFISTS that felt that the whole basis of our Military traditions were "NON PC". None of them had ever spent a single DAY with a front-sight-assembly imprinted on their cheek from sleeping on it, nor had they even once contemplated a cricket as a possible source of protein. (at least not without the tequila chaser). They felt that each individual should get to decide how to groom themselves and openly mocked any reference to Tradition and Functionality as being Out-Of-Date. Long Hair, they said, was not in any way a problem in combat or Field situations. Let me tell ya this. I'm female. Yes, it Bloody IS. Your MOPP Gear does not fit right, your hair gets in your eyes when you are trying to aim Center-Mass, and when you have to sleep on your M16 to keep the enemy from getting it, your loose hairs tend to inhibit your Rear-Sight-Assembly.
If we are going to ALLOW ROTC in our Schools, should we not expect at least a modicum of adherence to the fundemental tenets of what is, in the INTENT of it's conception, a PRE-SERVICE acclimatization to the ultimate Service to Country? Why do I say ALLOW? It's bad enough that we have this thing called "Stress Free Basic Training". It's worse still that we expect our Soldiers to make their first Oath to the UN. If the ROTC Program not only allows, but encourages them to openly disparage the fundamental processes of uniformity that make ANY Army function, as well as maximize the survival instincts of any individual IN said Army.... and those that teach and "Command" said classes are allowed to be self-admitted pacifists that think we need to be more tolerant and forgiving and ignore hundreds of years of knowledge of what real War actually IS??? I say ALLOW because if "Leaders" like that are to be publicaly sanctioned, and in our Schools even, we would do better to exclude the Program in it's totality and Pray that their parents raise them as Patriots... ( then again we should be doing THAT anyway).
We have PCd ourselves to the point that not only are we MISSING the point, we would not even Recognize THE POINT if it walked up and stabbed us in the "5th point of contact".
ROTC is a MILITARY Organisation. Make it so, or make it GO before we add even MORE confusion to the Politically Correct morass of detrius that our Children have to slog through on a daily basis in "School" just to make a passing grade on most of their electives. We may as well elect Jane Fonda as National Advisor to Youth Education.
For the record, the kid gets his hair cut to this old Army Sarge's specs this weekend or he opts out of ROTC.
On it, or carrying it.
You're right.
(P.S. I'm a mom too. No earrings, no long hair.)
Good job.
Keep it up.
Ummm...clarification, no long hair or earrings for males.
In an ideal world I could have raised my pretty little daughter to be a protected princess, but given what reality is, I just raised her up with what it takes to survive. I won't be here forever, when I go she will be able to do whatever it takes, to keep things going on.
I understand.
Love love love your post!
As a high school ROTC student who got his hair cut last night to conform to uniform standards, I applaud your post. Thanks.
Brian.
I always thought you were a guy.
Yeah, it would make sense if there were standards, and ROTC instructors who knew the deal. However, at least with the hair issue, more kids can get ROTC exposure this way, and hopefully some of the longhairs will decide it's ok to get a haircut when they turn 18 and jpin up.
I am very much a "guy". This is my daughters take on things. I sure wish more folks would read things in detail, instead of just skimming the high points.
That certainly has not been our experience with ROTC, but I'm sure the quality of the program must vary from school to school, particularly at the high school level. Our son is an ROTC cadet at the U. of Alabama and the program is physically demanding as well as strict in maintaining military standards. A number of the instuctors have been in combat in Iraq, and last year the two top officers were Rangers. My son is a freshman, and the change in him since the beginning of the school year is amazing - he has matured and become much more disciplined. (He still has a ways to go, though!) I'm sorry your program is not living up to expectations, but I'm sure he can find a great program when he gets to college, if he is still interested.
I'm sorry, there is every indication that it is you who wrote it. I see no indication this is a letter from your daughter to you. That's why I was confused.
Please point out where I can see it's not you who wrote this, because even in the title block it says "self" as the author. There is no comment in post 1, either, indicating such.
Ain't no big deal, but I thought the thread title made things clear.
That's part of what confuzed me. It's a bit more clear now, though.
Best of luck to you and her! Hope the kid loses the earring and gets a haircut.
Ah, that explains it. I thought the "kid" was the high school student, and the "comment" was that they didn't have to cut their hair.
Now I see that the "kid" was the author of the piece, and the parent of the high school kid, and the "comment" was the entire piece.
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