just found out they're starting a junior ROTC program..

[jbm]

at my sons high school. I live in a fairly small town in central Missouri,and there's never been any talk of having an ROTC program here until this year. The school district has been broke for years,so when I first heard them mentioning the possibility a few weeks ago,I figured it was some zealous patriot at the school getting all fired up. I figured there was no cause for alarm because there would be no money..but turns out the government will subsidize the program. Imagine that!

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that one of the local ministers went to the school board and raised hell. He said that "bringing the military into the school would be no different then bringing in religion" and he didn't think they had any business doing that to the children. I have every intention of backing him up on his protests,but we're to late. The program has already been approved. As I understand it, next year the kids will have the option of choosing jr.ROTC over the traditional courses,and the ROTC program will be a full day of classes which will be taught by two military guys instead of regular teachers. My son can't wait to sign up....but I have a plan. When he wanted to join the boy scouts I said,"look..it will cost me a hundred bucks to get you all the stuff you need. You want the stuff? or you want the hundred bucks?" He took the money. I'll be trying a similiar tactic with this ROTC BS,but it pisses me off they're bringing it to even a little school like ours.

[lcordero]

1. LoL..."or you want the hundred bucks?"

That is golden, you came out smelling like roses:D

[Girlfriday]

2. If we don't throw shrub out in '04.........

can the draft be far behind? :mad:

[carpetbagger]

3. I disagree with the minister.

The establishment clause makes religious prosetylization with school support a breach of American freedom, but military prosetylization is not unconstitutional.

My big beef is not so much with the JROTC programs themselves, which I think are a very good trade school for future soldiers, and offer a great deal to those who don't go on to military careers as well. My beef is how damn hard it's getting to pull yourself up from a small-town future (hint: your nametag will have a smiley-face) without enlisting. I worked in West Virginia for several years, in a county without a movie theater no less, so I've seen it.