ROTC and youth recruitment

They don't have the fake guns or shooting lessons in my school but, I've felt sorry for these guys for years being snatched by our nation's glorious armed forces at such a young age. Yet this is what I can expect going to an inner city high school.

 

Sick shit, every time I a recruiter walks past me I say "Nice costume, you going to go play guns?"
Not gonna change anything but I think that I'm clever every time.

But seriously. It's disgusting, promoting violence, and such aggressive mindless nationalism at such a young age.
Any ideas on what to do to stop this crap?

 

Whoa! That's beyond insane! Who at an age of 13 can really grasp the concepsts and consequences of this? I would suspect that most who do this do it because of friends doing it or because someone cool does it or shit like that, at least if i think back at the school i went to at that age, and the kids there.
Who is it that does this? Is it the army that has this ridiculous shit or is it the schools and it's a schedualed thing? If it's the army, doesn't the schools mind having them there? Can't they say no? Do they let anyone train an army of 13 year olds at school hours? In that case, go in and start teaching molotow-class!

 

Mostly kids who are either raised to believe that being a patriotic american and fighting for freedom *cough oil cough* are the highest honors imaginable. Also the army uses rotc as a bribe for kids who can't afford college on their own.
In a college setting the rotc works with the school so that the kids are scheduled around they're training. Northeastern( of the universities near me) has them train from 10-3. They are also are required to wear their uniform to class.
The schools don't mind at all, they probably get some more funding and it makes them look like a more well rounded school. As far as some teachers and other students, they do mind but the people higher up don't.
They can say no, and some do.
And i don't know much about training for middle to high school aged kids. I know that the schools will allow army recruiters in to talk and start to brainwash kids. I also believe that you can join the army as young as 16 in the us.

My best idea on how to stop it is to educate kids about how it isn't glorious and that it does teach mindless violence, nationalism, ethnocentrism, and anger which will stay with the kid for life. We start teaching kids really young that nationalism and duty to one's country is important at such a young age (i was in detention many times for refusing to stand during the pledge of allegiance) but we don't teach them about how negative it is.

 

I remember they came to my school on a careers night and I was in year 9 at that stage and I stood up and let the bastards have it, can't remember what I said exactly but it sure landed me in a bit of strife with a teacher. I then said I was voicing an opinion very loudly and was within my rights to do so especially since the school prided itself on an egalitarian framework.

 

wow- i didn't know they could have programs in middle school.
Could you do some sort of protest at school? That maybe a good start.

 

that have had rotc in schools for a long time , all those kids when i was in school were dorky nerds and they plan right after high school to go in the navy and air force

 

I've met kids who join because of influences through friends, inspiration to join the drill team, thinking it'll be just like Call of Duty, they support the troops/want to be troops, or just straight up want help paying for college. Unfortunately, most kids who join JROTC or ROTC do join the military after they graduate high school.

Training at my high school consists of teaching kids discipline, fitness, patriotism, and how to throw a basketball. Although, they break it down into different types of classes, you don't necessarily have to do drill team depending on which class you take, but you do have to wear a uniform. I took flight science my sophomore year in hopes I'd learn how to fly an airplane (no one knew how I actually felt about the military, gov't and brainwashing the youth of America). I stayed in that class for two weeks, but then I bailed as soon as the sarge threw down a packet for uniform information. They're all a bunch of stuck up dipshits anyway. Honestly, there's no saving them. I would like to see the military just keep to military schools, but if kids want to join let 'em. I can't imagine how much it's going to suck for them aimlessly wondering into battle while leaving everything they could possibly ever need back home... That's just my opinion anyway.

 

well there aint much we can do
our current society teaches and encourages kids to love war and patriotism, this influence is included in schools aswell as newspapers, commercials, billboards, etc.
i talk to these people and i ask them why they want to join the army, and most give very violent responses of how they love to kill and how they want to blow up people or how much they hate people in the middle eastern countries.
while this behavior creates war all on its own the government doesnt give a fuck, aslong as war creates jobs and money they could care less bout who dies. in this violent society its all about higher powers exploiting these people by creating hate and fear of these people who in reality are just like us, but who are advertised as heartless animals. so these kids who are violent or want to see the world or who need an education are led into this but most of them dont understand..and i feel sorry for them, but there is no way to get this problem out of our schools.

 

I learned to shoot when i was young... good thing too, id be dead today if i didnt kill this fucker first...

Nah, seriously, gun safety is very important to teach at a young age i think. But the rest that you guys are talking about is bullshit, but so is the continuous gushing of oil into the water every day with no real end in site.

 

You sure learn something new every day and here i wake up at three in the morning with an anxiety attack, sit my ass down by the comp and get to learn that it's not as i always thought called 'softmore year'. Now i have no idea what a sophomore is but it doesn't sound as chill as softmore