Enlisting Opposition

Sunday, February 19. 2006

The Chicago Tribune's Aamer Madhani and Colleen Mastony have a report on local anti-war activist Elizabeth Frank's efforts to dissuade Chicago-area high school students from joining the military.

According to the Tribune, once a month Frank sets up in a school's hallway with a table "stacked with pamphlets and decorated with a shocking pink sign that reads: 'Do You Know Enough to Enlist?'"

Madhani and Mastony write, "anti-war activists have the right to do so as a result of a 1984 federal court ruling that gives opponents of the military equal access to students."

"Counter-recruiters" say that they have visited 25 schools in an effort to "preach their message that life in the armed forces isn't what recruiters make it out to be."

I suppose this is all well and good.

However, this part of the article caught my eye:

"We haven't had many problems, but we've gotten a few snide comments from staff," said Frank, a longtime peace activist from Chicago. "Each time I come to Prospect [High School in Mt. Prospect], there is one kid who walks by and flips me off. He never says anything, just walks by and gives me the finger."

Utopian Pacifism Fever: catch it.

Posted by Tom Elia in Politics at 13:56 | Comments (30) | Trackbacks (0)

Trackbacks

Trackback specific URI for this entry

No Trackbacks

Comments

Display comments as (Linear | Threaded)

I like that kid. Probably drives his teachers crazy, but I like him.

#1 kj on 2006-02-19 14:32 (Reply)

preach their message that life in the armed forces isn't what recruiters make it out to be.

I wonder just exactly the "counter-recruiters" happen to know about life in the armed forces.

#2 tommy (Homepage) on 2006-02-19 14:45 (Reply)

Perhaps the young man just can't find the words to adequately express himself in the English language.

And perhaps he more than adequately expresses his (and most of his friends') opinions quite well, actually. I'm thinking he is just Italian. Speaks with his hands, ya know.

A good kid, I'm telling you.

Subsunk

#3 Subsunk on 2006-02-19 14:50 (Reply)

Now that is FREE SPEECH! To bad the angery Muslims couldn't take a lesson from that student and limit their choice of rebuttal to just flipping off the world ... as opposed to either rule it or burn it.

#4 Ed Jenks (Homepage) on 2006-02-19 14:51 (Reply)

This anti military demonstrations is just to let you know the atmosphere that our children face in the teachers union democrat party schools. You have no idea how left wing our schools are.

Right on "young man"

#5 JoeS on 2006-02-19 15:02 (Reply)

He probably doesn't want to get flunked out for having politically inconvienient opinions -- thus he avoids voicing them, and resorts to forms of expression that are permissible in a public school classroom.

#6 gehrig on 2006-02-19 15:46 (Reply)

Semper Fi, young man!

#7 Ed Poinsett on 2006-02-19 17:10 (Reply)

I'm a strong supporter of semi-literate teenagers enlisting in the armed forces by signing life-altering contracts without parental notification...

#8 President Busch (Homepage) on 2006-02-19 17:26 (Reply)

As opposed to having sex, dropping out, choosing courses, getting injured, driving, taking drugs, or all those other life-altering activities that are part of uh, real life decisions for teenagers, which they currently do without parental permission. I think there has been some controversy in the last few years of Parental Notification of other activities as well.

And the "semi-literate" part. The 60's are over, Jake. That dog doesn't hunt anymore.

#8.1 Assistant Village Idiot (Homepage) on 2006-02-19 17:53 (Reply)

And don't forget those minors having abortions without parental consent, thank you ACLU.

#8.1.1 Steve on 2006-02-19 19:06 (Reply)

Army recruits are semi-literate? Have you met any?

#8.2 Buzz Crutcher on 2006-02-19 17:55 (Reply)

Yes, many. 22 years. enlisted out of High School. Get a new sterotype - and a life.

Regards

#8.2.1 Mike on 2006-02-19 23:24 (Reply)

Hey, Mikey! That's "stereotype", not "sterotype".

Look in the mirror much, Mikey?

#8.2.1.1 Rick on 2006-02-20 02:38 (Reply)

Rick:
I'm flipping you the bird right now... and there isn't a damn thing you can do about it.

#8.2.1.1.1 Mikey on 2006-02-20 17:04 (Reply)

Good kid!

#9 Dave on 2006-02-19 17:41 (Reply)

Sooo When do these peacenics jump on a plane to Iran? Bring a Peaceful end to the nuke problem. They have all the answers..

#10 Ralph Zimmer on 2006-02-19 17:51 (Reply)

It's irritating for recruiters but largely, the peace wheezers are of no consequence.

Reading the article, it's clear she's trying to influence Seniors. Good luck there, they made their career choices a while back.

A good recruiter got to know this year's crop of Seniors, back when they were Sophomores. Two years of work are unlikely to be undone by a fifty-something ex-hippy with matted hair, reeking of patchouli oil and bong water.

#11 John Stockley on 2006-02-19 18:05 (Reply)

I saw "Memoirs of a Geisha" last night with my wife, and there is a scene in the movie showing a bunch of G.I.'s in Japan clowning around on R. & R. with souvenir masks - and some semi-literate adult woman in the audience behind me commented loudly "Stupid Americans."

As if this bunch of G.I.s really wanted to be in Japan. As if this bunch of G.I.s were guests of Japan, or merely tourists. As if everything would have been so much better if the Japanese had won the war...

For some folks, whether they be Hollywood movie makers, or semi-literate members of the audience, or Code Pink morons, no social currency rates higher than outwardly scorning the U.S. military.

As if they themselves are the only source of that freedom to scorn the military; as if they themselves are the only ones defending that freedom.

#12 Tim on 2006-02-19 18:09 (Reply)

"...woman in the audience behind me commented loudly 'Stupid Americans.'"

An awful lot of liberals speak as if only Americans ever misbehave, whereas anyone with any sense knows that it's the same everywhere...except that much of the world is frankly and unabashedly chauvinstic and racist.

#13 pst314 on 2006-02-19 18:29 (Reply)

Indeed. And the record reflects that the Americans left.

#14 Tim on 2006-02-19 19:31 (Reply)

My old high school is near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. About half of kids' parents are in the Air Force, lots of kids plan to have military careers. We always had recruiters occasionally set up a booth; it was no big deal.

About fifteen years after I graduated, they had an incident where one kid started trying to harass the recruiters. Some of the other kids got in a fight with him (they were understandably upset over someone trying to make their future career go away). The school decided to ban the recruiters as being too controversial! Agh!

#15 Maureen on 2006-02-19 20:57 (Reply)

Does this mean that military recruiters are also allowed to set up at these schools?
I sure hope so.

#16 Daniel on 2006-02-19 21:22 (Reply)

Believe me, we don't need anyone who doesn't want to be a soldier. If some old hippy (and a virtual stranger) with a pink sign in a school hallway can talk a student out of his/her decision to join the military, then they don't have the conviction or sense of self that makes a good soldier, and the Army is better off without them. And they are better off without being in the Army.

#17 Diggs (Homepage) on 2006-02-19 23:25 (Reply)

I have to agree with you, Diggs.

Any kid who will listen to some old burned out old hippie with a pony tail and a pink sign is a fool and not worth recruiting. Any kid that would believe one is probably one of those who gets his "self esteem" hurt alot. And is probably one who will still be living in his/her parents basement at 40.

Any bets on poster #8 being one of the basement dwellers? 8D

#17.1 Nahanni on 2006-02-20 00:14 (Reply)

That kid is my hero.

Thanks for sharing.

#18 TallDave (Homepage) on 2006-02-20 01:26 (Reply)

The long-haired, dope-smoking, tree-huggin' friends o' the Earth should be allowed to voice their opinions
But always remember: I have the right to voice mine right back!

#19 GW Crawford on 2006-02-20 07:13 (Reply)

As a burned out hippie who supports the current war I think you guys ought to park your prejudices elsewhere.

#20 M. Simon (Homepage) on 2006-02-20 11:06 (Reply)

I'm always interested in people who have changed their perceptions regarding war. What changed for you?

#20.1 Bailey Yankee (Homepage) on 2006-02-20 12:43 (Reply)

You don't sound very burnt-out to me.

#20.2 Jonathan on 2006-02-21 15:54 (Reply)

one time I flipped off a crowd of picketing Bush supporters as I drove past. They look of shock on the lady nearest me was more than worth it.

people really underestimate the efficacy of some low brow dissent.

#21 mike on 2006-02-20 12:52 (Reply)

Add Comment

Name
Email
Homepage
In reply to
Comment	Enclosing asterisks marks text as bold (word), underscore are made via _word_. Standard emoticons like :-) and ;-) are converted to images. E-Mail addresses will not be displayed and will only be used for E-Mail notifications
	Remember Information? Subscribe to this entry

Syndicate This Blog

Major Newspapers,
Magazines,
and Web Sites

Political Web Sites,
Magazines, and
Other Journals

Research Tools

Blogs

Regional Newspapers

Features

Economics, Science, & Technology Related
Blogs and Web Sites

Archives

Categories

Business News

Libertarian Ad Network

Old Archives

Sunday, February 19. 2006

Enlisting Opposition

Search

Supporter

Syndicate This Blog

Major Newspapers,Magazines,and Web Sites

Political Web Sites,Magazines, andOther Journals

Research Tools

Blogs

Regional Newspapers

Features

Economics, Science, & Technology RelatedBlogs and Web Sites

Archives

Categories

Business News

Libertarian Ad Network

Old Archives

Sunday, February 19. 2006

Enlisting Opposition

Search

Supporter

Major Newspapers,
Magazines,
and Web Sites

Political Web Sites,
Magazines, and
Other Journals

Economics, Science, & Technology Related
Blogs and Web Sites