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The fight over new recruits

Should Army recruiters be left alone by antiwar protesters, who fervently believe the effort to sign up young men and women for military service is the worst kind of bait-and-switch there is?

Or do picketers have every right to focus their opposition to U.S. policies in Iraq by waving signs and protesting the war outside a recruiting office, actions designed to manufacture free anti-war publicity?

Head-butting over this issue took place here last Friday, with anti-war protests led by the Raging Grannies, a group that obviously enjoys stealing the limelight through gags like singing, playing instruments and wearing funny costumes.

The Grannies have been busy lately. We saw them only the week before outside Google headquarters, demonstrating in support of workers who want assurances from the company, which plans to build a new hotel there, that it will consider a contract with hotel workers.

The Grannies' posturing, and that of similar groups, often works — after all, what media outlet can resist such a spectacle? (See page 5.) What is not clear is whether the demonstrations change anyone's feelings about the U.S. government and how it is conducting itself around the world.

But whatever you think of the publicity stunts that accompany these events, local anti-war protesters made one good point on Friday: Recruiters should not have carte blanche access to high school students, who can be naive about what it means to join the military today.

At the heart of that issue is a little-discussed "opt-out" form, which is included in the orientation packets of all incoming students at Mountain View and Los Altos high schools. Assemblywoman Sally Lieber, who represents Mountain View, says the opt-out notice — which guardians can sign to deny recruiters access to their children's personal information — is often buried in orientation packets handed out at the beginning of the school year. Lieber is reintroducing a bill, vetoed by Gov. Schwarzenegger in 2006, to change that, placing the forms at the top of the packet.

This is a fair bill that legislators and the governor should pass this session. Recruiters are right to focus on anyone they think might benefit from a career in the military. But at that age, parents are still in charge, and the opt-out form is a legitimate way for them to keep the military out of their household if they so desire.

We can understand the pressure on recruiters, who are tasked with bringing in troops to fight an increasingly unpopular war. But when it comes to high school students, recruiters should tread lightly, making sure that families of potential recruits agree that their son or daughter can be tapped for a military career that will possibly — or even likely — put them in harm's way.

Posted by Joelen Mulvaney, a resident of another community, on Feb 22, 2008 at 9:39 am

There is great value for demonstrators themselves when they act out for peace or against war. The more the merrier and when folks learn how empowering and, yes, FUN it is to join groups like the Raging Grannies, then the collective voice may be heard farther and wider. Democracy takes practice, and practicing democrcy by speaking out is the best insurance a free society has to stay free. Billionaires for Bush, the Anarchist Marching Bands, Queerleaders, Radical Cheerleaders and other performance and humor focused protest groups get their message accross much better and to a wider audience than angry shouters and window smashers. Humor is also more effective in speaking truth to power, they can't resist listening! When Ragin Grannies brought cookies, serenaded, spoke and got arrested for not leaving the Marine Recruitment Center in Barre, Vermont, the Marine recruiters admitted that they felt bad about lying to potential recruits about benefits and advantages of joining up and one had tears in his eyes as one of the grannies talked about her own military service during WWII. All I can say to the Raging Grannies is....KEEP ON SINGING!

Posted by Lives downtown, a resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood, on Feb 28, 2008 at 8:29 pm

The anti-war movement is dead. And if it isn't, it will certainly be dead after the first Jihadist nuke blows away New York. Don't the "Raging Grannies" know what is at stake?

Do they think Mahatma Ghandi's methods should best be employed against Islamic Facism? These Islamists would cut his head off and distribute the video via the internet.

The only reason the "grannies" can do what they do is because young marines have died for them. We need more US Marines, not less.

P.S. I still don't get why we didn't take the hint in 1993 when they first tried to take down the World Trade Center.

Posted by Resident, a resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood, on Feb 29, 2008 at 1:31 am

The reason "we" didn't take the hint in 1993 with the first terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, is that Bill Clinton and his corrupt gang were in power. They simply weren't interested in such things. Be prepared for even worse negligence and incompetence if Obama or Hillary get elected.