------------------------- Via Workers World News Service Reprinted from the Dec. 5, 2002 issue of Workers World newspaper -------------------------
PENTAGON INSISTS SCHOOLS TURN OVER STUDENT NAMES By Matthew L. Schwartz Buffalo, N.Y. The U.S. armed forces have kicked up their recruitment tactics recently. With the passage of the new education bill--"No Child Left Behind"--the Bush administration is threatening to revoke schools' their federal funding unless the schools make student demographics available to the Pentagon. This information includes students' home address and telephone numbers, generally held to be privileged information. U.S. officials complain that 15 percent of the schools are "problems." In other words, the school administrators won't hand over information to the Army, even if this means risking desperately needed federal funding. High school administrators are providing these names to the armed forces and military recruiters are setting up near high school campuses. Student rights are being trampled under the guise of offering students a chance to "tour the world" and "pay for college." What the Army doesn't tell these students is that they will receive low pay for the privilege of going halfway around the world and killing children their own age. Meanwhile Wall Street will reap the benefits. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Education Secretary Rod Paige Army sent a letter last month saying they are "presenting military opportunities to our young people for their consideration." In fact, these soldiers may be commanded, just as the troops were in Afghanistan, to violate international laws and treaties and expose themselves to indictments for war crimes. The Army tells young people that they will be there to introduce "democracy" and "remove weapons of mass destruction" from the countries they invade. Democracy--this from an administration that stole the last election by disenfranchising so many Black voters. This from an imperial military power with the biggest arsenal of weapons of mass destruction on the planet. Recently, a Blackhawk helicopter made a guest appearance, circling low during homecoming at the John F. Kennedy High School in Plainview, Long Island, N.Y. High school senior Ben Mayer told Workers World: "I didn't see the need for it. It wasn't really doing any damage, but it didn't need to be there as part of the procession for the football game." How much power does a school principal or student council wield to call the Army and ask the brass to send over a military gunship? Isn't it more likely that the Army contacted the school? What is clear is that if the sheer number of students who attended the historic Oct. 26 anti-war protests means anything, high-school and college-age students are coming out against this Pentagon war despite the Army's invasive recruiting tactics. Even greater numbers can be expected to come out if the United States attacks Iraq or if the brass enact a draft. n - END - (Copyright Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but changing it is not allowed. For more information contact Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe [EMAIL PROTECTED] Support the voice of resistance http://www.workers.org/orders/donate.php) ------------------ This message is sent to you by Workers World News Service. To subscribe, E-mail to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, E-mail to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To switch to the DIGEST mode, E-mail to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Send administrative queries to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
