Moms tell recruiters: ‘Leave My Child Alone!’

People's Weekly World ^ | 06-30-05 | Tim Wheeler

[Alia]

WASHINGTON — Megan Watson, leader of Mainstream Moms, is so angry at military recruiters for invading schools to sign up unwary youth for combat in Iraq that she and her group launched an online movement, “LeaveMyChildAlone.org.”

“They offer these trinkets to lure our children to enlist,” Watson said in a phone interview from her home in Bolinas, Calif. “This is very aggressive, demographic targeting to have conversations with our kids that should not be happening.”

All branches of the military are falling short of recruiting goals as parents say, in effect, “Hell no! My kids won’t go!” Watson blasted the aggressive recruiting drive as a backdoor draft conducted by the Pentagon because the American people reject a return to military conscription. “I’ve heard it called an economic draft,” she said. “They know where to find kids who don’t think they have a lot of options. They are playing on our children’s lack of hope about college and their future.”
...
Watson shares these views. “I do utterly oppose our occupation of Iraq,” she said. “We are spending $4 billion every month on this war. People are seeing the cost not only in dead and wounded but also in their own communities. Libraries forced to close. No National Guard to fight forest fires. They can’t find $8.5 billion of the funds we sent to Iraq. And they want to squeeze it out of Medicaid funding for senior citizens. It’s just outrageous
...
Joining the effort are a dozen peace and justice groups including the Ella Baker Center, ACORN, Code Pink, Peace Action, American Friends Service Committee, Latinos for Peace and Veterans for Peace.

[CheneyChick]

We have what we have, and we do our best in spite of it. Thanks for your support.

Have a Happy 4th and if you enjoy your freedom, thank a vet.

[Future Snake Eater]

Recruiting would be setting up a booth where anyone can "drop by" and learn all the advantages, options and salaries gain by enlisting in the military.

Ah, yes, horror of horrors. I can't believe they would even present the military as an option to the busloads of driftless high schoolers.

I think you need to relax a little. The military, despite what a lot of people say, is not evil, and it is instrumental in turning boys and girls into men and women--something a WHOLE lot of high schoolers need these days.

[brazzaville]

Good morning.
"Maybe her son will decide to escape a life of unwashed, whiny leftism by joining the Army!"

I know one Mendocino mountain hippie whose son is in Mosul and another whose boy just started basic with jump school and an 11 bravo MOS in his future. Neither mother seems able to comprehend what happened.

Michael Frazier

[CheneyChick]

The military, despite what a lot of people say, is not evil, and it is instrumental in turning boys and girls into men and women--something a WHOLE lot of high schoolers need these days.

Amen.

[Future Snake Eater]

That and the fact that we don't go and kick ass then leave, rather we sit around being target practice for another 10 years with our hands tied.

Look, we went in there as a liberating force. We can't just shoot anything that moves. Terrorists do that, and we're a professional Army. Professionals are able to discern who and what they are engaging, amateurs do the whole spray-and-pray thing. We take a great amount of pride in our capabilities. It is necessary for us to stay in Iraq until the situation stabilizes and the Iraqis are able to take over our jobs. They will be ready eventually but not yet.

I can tell you that my Soldiers are eager to get into the fight. We train extensively on selective shooting and close quarters battle, and they will continue to show the professionalism of this Army. Rules of Engagement (ROE) limitations can be frustrating at times, but they are a necessary evil.

[MortMan]

“They offer these trinkets to lure our children to enlist,” Watson said in a phone interview from her home in Bolinas, Calif. “This is very aggressive, demographic targeting to have conversations with our kids that should not be happening.”

This should have been written about the homosexual lobby.

[ShandaLear]

"don't accept the money & don't provide the lists."

Agreed. These are public schools being run on taxpayer money. I much prefer the military on campus than Planned Parenthood and the military has a bigger right to be there, IMHO.

My son will be 17 in July.

[CheneyChick]

You are absolutely correct. I couldn't be any prouder of the caliber of young folks that I with which I deployed last year. It renewed my faith in the younger generation. The military does an amazing job with turning kids around. I know - my stepson is going through his initial training right now.....

Thanks for your service and commitment, LT. We need more like you.

Cheers, CC

[SouthernFreebird]

That's great, I just hope none of you are prosecuted for murder when you do shoot a terrorist.

[billnaz]

I see that the list of groups working with this deluded woman includes the usual suspects. Of course there's no left-wing anti-American appeasement agenda. Riiiiight!

[dakine]

Recruiters provide a path for many kids to leave bad homes, bad neighborhoods, or over barring parents

Can't post that, only patriotic-first folks are wanted by the military...

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

The military, despite what a lot of people say, is not evil, and it is instrumental in turning boys and girls into men and women--something a WHOLE lot of high schoolers need these days.

*Applause*

[Tax-chick]

Those are encouraging stories!

On the other hand, it's not impossible that some of my ultra-right-wing offspring could grow up to be leftist goofs, somehow. Every parent has to confront their children's free will, eventually.

[Tax-chick]

This should have been written about the homosexual lobby.

Beat me to it! I doubt these folks care about NAMBLA recruiting in the school.

[RedBeaconNY]

“They know where to find kids who don’t think they have a lot of options. They are playing on our children’s lack of hope about college and their future.”

I'll be signing up, and I'm a straight A student with a future in medicine... so there goes that theory.

[CheneyChick]

Love your homepage, RedBeacon. I'll bet your parents are very proud of you!

[TexasTransplant]

(1) I'd be willing to bet these Children get MORE pressure from Credit Card Companies than from Military Recruiters.
(2) Recruiters won't even attempt to contact your child if he or she is a dummy, slacker or Drug user (there is a proactive defense for you right there)
(3) When you are 17 (at least when I was) if the OLD folks said "don't do it" that is usually the best way to get lots of 17 year olds to do it, so keep it up moms!
(4) My solution is simple "Get the Government out of the Education Business!" problem solved.

[RedBeaconNY]

...ditto to that. My generation is full of pampered brats who get handed $40k cars on their 15th birthdays, have all the latest gadgets, and have unlimited pocket money. Many in my town have never held a job.

[RedBeaconNY]

I don't think they know the half of it... I'm not too loose lipped chez moi ;)... though my dad is the Scoutmaster of my troop, and has been since I joined Scouts, so he knows a bit.

[TexasTransplant]

>>>"Recruiters to mom....He is not your child any more"<<<

Good line!

That's the big difference between the Colleges and the Banks/Credit Card Companies (Who spend much more time and Money recruiting our kids), they WANT the Child to remain dependant on the Parents, to keep the cash flowing in a manner that they have become accustomed.