Military Recruiters May Get Campus Access

[Lori Price CLG]

Military Recruiters May Get Campus Access

Wednesday March 31, 2004 2:01 am

WASHINGTON (AP) - The House moved Tuesday to deny defense-related funding to universities that don't provide ROTC programs and military recruiters equal access to their campuses. Opponents said the bill was an assault on university policies banning gay discrimination.

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[Prozac]

1. Why are the colleges afraid to let the recruiters say their piece?

It's not like the recruiters are kidnapping students and forcing them to go to Iraq. At least not yet.

[skooooo]

2. Why do I feel like we're living 1962 all over again???

I think we're headed for a very tumultuous time like the 1960s. One of the big reasons for student protests in the 60s was military recruiting on campus, wasn't it?

[Prozac]

3. I thought they were mostly protesting U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

It's a little before my time but I always thought their big gripe was U.S. in Vietnam. Somehow, I don't think today's college students have the chutzpah to do what their parents did in the '60s.

[Lalena]

5. ROTC was a REQUIREMENT at many colleges in the 60s.!

[Prozac]

8. I did not know that. I always assumed it was voluntary. Are you certain?

[Lalena]

10. Absolutely! My husband chose Michigan State because

it didn't require males to take ROTC. Many colleges required all physically healthy freshman males to take ROTC. The early 60s gave us a lot to protest.

[Prozac]

11. Thanks for the information.

I guess one really CAN learn something new every day. Now that I think about it, it made sense at the time. Since almost every college age male was draft elligible it made sense to require ROTC since male college graduates would most likely be drafted and then commisioned an officer.

[skooooo]

13. This was before my time too......

I've just studied the 60s alot.

[Malva Zebrina]

4. Personally, I will not be able to support troops who sign up now

and can do so without guilt.

It should be obvious what the US military is being used for. If one agrees with that policy of pre-emption and pre-vention then they will be used in that capacity and will be used to foster the imperialistic desires of a government gone mad. It should be obvious to any thinking person that this is what the military is about today. It is not about anything as romantic as "defending the freedoms" of American and the "bravery" of the American soldier. It is not about defending our "freedoms" at all. It is not about even defending this country--it is about invading other small countries to take them over and get their stuff and it is being done at the whim of those whose greed and quest for empire and world domination is insatiable.

[saigon68]

6. I agree anyone who signs up today has a problem

either they want to kill (See Full Metal Jacket)

or they are very very naiive.

[m-jean03]

20. Or both --

Thinking of a cousin of mine, who was raised on bloody video games, so as to be numbed to violence, then told pretty lies by buddy-buddy recruiters. He was pumped to kill, last time I saw him. But it seemed awfully naive at the same time. I wonder if many may think they want to kill, without realizing what killing really is.

[Prozac]

9. I have to agree with you there.

I believe we have no business at all with troops in other countries. ANY other countries. Every single American serviceman and woman should be brought back to the U.S. immediately. Our armed forces should be used only to defend against an attack on the U.S. and not to secure cheap oil for the Haliburton administration.

[metisnation]

14. bullshit

a lot of the people that sign up for the military have no other choice given the job market.

[Prozac]

16. How can you possibly presume to know what choices other have?

A lot of people join the military for a lot of different reasons. While you may be able to speak for your personal experience you are in no way qualified to speak for "a lot of the people that sign up for the military". I will concede that the pay and benefits of the military are better than Walmar or McDonalds but to claim that people have "no other choice" is patently false.

[Guaranteed]

17. Well, what about fighting Al Qaeda? nt

[Prozac]

18. The biggest beef that Al Qaeda and it's offspring have

Is their perception that we occupy Arab countries and our support of Israel against the Arab world. If our forces were HERE, instead of THERE, we could do a much better job of policing our borders and keeping them out, for starters. A secondary effect would be that countries like Saudi Arabia, for instance, would be forced to deal with radical Islam because they would no longer be able to use the U.S. as a scapegoat for their shortcomings.

Speaking of al Qaeda, does any body else find it ironic that much of Osama bin Laden's military training in guerilla warfare and terrorist tactics came at the hands of the U.S. government?

[murielm99]

23. I think metisnation is correct.

Take a look at the people who are signing up right now. Many of them are working class kids with no other prospects. Many of them are in it to finance an education.

If you think what he is saying is patently false, prove it.

[skooooo]

19. I will always support our troops....

...just not the government who puts them in harms way for the wrong reasons.

[Lori Price CLG]

7. Right... and then we should have *ours.*

And, people should physically *remove* the ROTC maggots from the campuses.

-Lori Price

[hadrons]

12. just point the recruiters to the Young Repulicans clubs ...

they're easy to find, they have bright yellow streaks down their backs

[Zhade]

21. Or down their leg!

Ha!

[skooooo]

15. Kids sign up to pay for college....

That's why the ranks are as high as they are. It's one of the few ways of making tuition affordable now that the government doesn't seem to value an educated population.

[Earth_First]

22. Kent State anyone...

The Kent State shootings directly culminated from the protest of the Vietnam War and the on campus activities of ROTC at Kent.