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Dedicated to all my USMC pals on the Blog . . .
Semper Fi!
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This story comes to us via DBP’s partner-in-subversion Kathy Barker. Kathy does “counter-military recruiting” at her kid’s school (Garfield High) and raises awareness about the presence of military recruiters on high school campuses all over Washington state.
In her letter below, Kathy shares a recent episode she witnessed with the Marines at Garfield.
February 21, 2012
Dear GHS Staff and SPS Board,
On February 17, 2012, a recruiter visit was scheduled at Garfield High School, in the cafeteria. The Marines and the peace recruiters (J____ and I) were scheduled to have a table in the cafeteria from 12-12:30, lunch time.
When I arrived on campus, there was a van set up on site, and a tent and signboard were being assembled at the bottom of the front entrance. Inside, there was a Marine table set up in the doorway of the cafeteria. No Marine recruiters had signed in at the office [as per SPS recruitment policy]. I don’t know how many Marines were there; in the pictures I took there were 5.
I checked with the counseling office and found that the Marines had requested to put up the tent but had been declined permission. An administrator went out to inform them that the truck had to be moved, the tent taken down, and the display in the doorway of the cafeteria moved to a round table inside the cafeteria. The Marine recruiters complied immediately.
[ . . . ]
However, there was also a Hummer that was now parked in the GHS parking lot. The back was opened, and very loud rock music was blaring. Shells and weapons were obvious (see photos below) and 2 Marines were handing something out to students. I told them that they were only allowed to be in the cafeteria, and they asked me if students had off-campus privileges and then moved the Hummer to Ezell’s Chicken, across the street on 23rd. I didn’t hear the music afterwards, so I wonder if Ezell’s policy might be stricter than SPS . . .
The display of weapons was particularly disturbing, especially against the background of rock music. I don’t think this dramatization of violence is what any of us want for the school culture. Recruiters wearing “Pain is weakness leaving the body” tee-shirts and displaying weapons in a school parking lot during lunch is not a good message.
I want to thank the Garfield counseling staff and administrators for their professionalism and for following policy in spite of continued attempts by the Marines to push the rules.
SPS Board, I know you are considering the Visitors to Schools policies now, and I hope you will consider this and make the good SPS policy stronger.
The Marine recruiters said that they were unaware of the policies, something we have often heard from recruiters who have broken the rules. A good website is the least that can be used to keep posted school and district rules. Right now, there is no place to go to make complaints.
Please make military opt-out* a regular part of freshman orientation/registration. The military keeps the old lists, as SPS knows, and only by opting out in freshman year.
Also, please ban displays of weapons, and the giving out of items, as many districts have done.
Sincerely,
Kathy Barker
Note: According to the terms of President Bush’s “No Child Left Behind” Act, any high school or college that accepts federal money must make the campus available to military recruiters at some level.
* “Opt-out” refers to a student’s right to ask a school not to release his or her name and contact info to military recruiters. In order to opt out, the student’s parents must sign a form saying they don’t want the military contacting them or their kid at home. Unless a student opts out, however, he or she is fair game for recruiters.
Photos:
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