Military Recruiters and the Opt-Out form
Hi all,
***If anyone is offended by this email, I am sorry but my morals will not allow me to sit idly by and watch anyone to join the military without full knowledge of what it means to join. Please know this letter was not sent with malicious intent but truly with regard to life and preservation of our children's lives which I value highly. If you know me, you know that I value your opinion and I would hope you would do the same for me, or in the very least research what I've sent you today.***
Today was High School registration for my daughter who is now in the 10th grade. I register my son next week, he's in the 11th grade. Once again I'm reminded that I have to fill out an opt-out form, each year I have to submit a new one. Many of the people in her school didn't know what the opt-out form was and I find it scary to think that they are OK with recruiters contacting the children in this High School. I offered to print several copies on my own dime for them to hand out but they said that it wasn't necessary. They went on to say that when asked they'll just have their parents sign a letter stating they didn't want their child contacted and keep the letter in a safe place. Not good enough for me, and maybe you should think about it also if you have a High School aged child. We turned in a copy to the school, the superintendent and kept a copy for our own records.
With registration going on nation-wide, if you have a child or know of someone with a High School aged child I implore you to sign the form on the links below and turn it into your child's school no later than the first week of school. Some schools state that if it's not turned in within that time then they have no power over whether or not the recuriters contact your child. I think that's a lie since I once worked for a school district and know that is simply untrue. However, those who are for sending our kids to war will say what they want without accountability, and they are expecting us to follow like sheep. Please err on the side of caution and turn it in before the first week of school is over.
What is an opt-out form you ask? It is a form that you must sign and give to your student's school so that the recruiters cannot contact your child, take your child off of school grounds and convince your child to join the military (this form is for High School students but you can sign one for your middle school student too just to be sure). You can find the form and an explanation at http://www.afsc.org/youthmil/militarism-in-schools/default.htm. The English version http://www.afsc.org/youthmil/militarism-in-schools/opt-out.rtf and Spanish version http://www.afsc.org/youthmil/militarism-in-schools/optar-fuera.rtf .
According to the AFSC website: The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 contains a provision that forces secondary schools to turn over students' name, address and telephone number to military recruiters upon demand. Parents and students have a right to "opt-out".
- Under the No Child Left Behind Act, Section 9528 requires that all secondary schools release contact information about students to military recruiters upon request.
- The same section specifies that parents may "request that the student's name, address, and telephone listing. not be released without prior written parental consent, and the local educational agency or private school shall notify parents of the option to make a request and shall comply with any request."
- When schools inform students of their right, they are complying with the stated requirements of No Child Left Behind. This helps them maintain eligibility for federal funding.
- The law states that a parent or a student may request that their contact information be withheld from recruiters
This is about protecting student's right to safety In 2004 there were 320 counts of recruiting violations reported including:
- Sexual assault
- Arrest threats
- Forgery of documents
- Cheating on entrance exams
- Doctoring drug tests
This is about students' right to choice about their future. A student cannot make a fair choice about his or her future when we allow recruiters into students' homes while they spout off myths like:
Myth: You are guaranteed $70,000 for college
Reality: Only 43% of those who enlist in the Montgomery GI bill will ever see a penny for college, and all must pay in $1200 that they will never see again
Myth: You can try out the military for a few months and quit if you do not like it:
Reality: Once you state the oath at the beginning of basic training, you are there until your contract runs out. or longer. Moreover, Section C9c the military enlistment contract states that: " In the event of war, my enlistment in the Armed Forces continues until six (6) months after the war ends, unless my enlistment is ended sooner by the President of the United States."
Myth: A recruit is guaranteed any promise made by a recruiter
Reality: The military enlistment agreement states that: " Laws and regulations that govern military personnel may change without notice to me. Such changes may affect my status, pay, allowances, benefits, and responsibilities as a member of the Armed Forces regardless of the provisions of this enlistment/reenlistment document."
Myth: The military will leave you better prepared for a career upon exiting the service
Reality: Less than 12% of veterans surveyed claimed that they used any of the skills learned in the military in their civilian jobs
And if any of your children are in the Delayed Enlistment Program and want out, and have not yet gone to boot camp, please contact us. We can help him/her get out before they go in.
We have to protect our children from these predators who promise a lie they cannot deliver. Our children are counting on us to protect them too.
Pass them out far and wide to as many High Schoolers as you can.
Peace always,
Yvette and Tim Coil
--
"Too long I have lived among those who hate peace." - Psalm 120:6
"Every bit of this war is mans bullshit. They call this war a cloud over the land. But they made the weather and then they stand in the rain and say 'Shit, it's raining.'" - Renee Zellweger as Ruby Thewes in the movie Cold Mountain.
"Never, never be afraid to do what's right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society's punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way." ~~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
Ready for the edge of your seat? Check out tonight's top picks on Yahoo! TV. ---------------------------- Original Message ---------------------------- Subject: Military Recruiters and the Opt-Out form
From: "Yvette"
Date: Wed, August 15, 2007 7:37 pm
To: ycoil@kent.edu
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi all,
***If anyone is offended by this email, I am sorry but my morals will not allow me to sit idly by and watch anyone to join the military without full knowledge of what it means to join. Please know this letter was not sent with malicious intent but truly with regard to life and preservation of our children's lives which I value highly. If you know me, you know that I value your opinion and I would hope you would do the same for me, or in the very least research what I've sent you today.***
Today was High School registration for my daughter who is now in the 10th grade. I register my son next week, he's in the 11th grade. Once again I'm reminded that I have to fill out an opt-out form, each year I have to submit a new one. Many of the people in her school didn't know what the opt-out form was and I find it scary to think that they are OK with recruiters contacting the children in this High School. I offered to print several copies on my own dime for them to hand out but they said that it wasn't necessary. They went on to say that when asked they'll just have their parents sign a letter stating they didn't want their child contacted and keep the letter in a safe place. Not good enough for me, and maybe you should think about it also if you have a High School aged child. We turned in a copy to the school, the superintendent and kept a copy for our own records.
With registration going on nation-wide, if you have a child or know of someone with a High School aged child I implore you to sign the form on the links below and turn it into your child's school no later than the first week of school. Some schools state that if it's not turned in within that time then they have no power over whether or not the recuriters contact your child. I think that's a lie since I once worked for a school district and know that is simply untrue. However, those who are for sending our kids to war will say what they want without accountability, and they are expecting us to follow like sheep. Please err on the side of caution and turn it in before the first week of school is over.
What is an opt-out form you ask? It is a form that you must sign and give to your student's school so that the recruiters cannot contact your child, take your child off of school grounds and convince your child to join the military (this form is for High School students but you can sign one for your middle school student too just to be sure). You can find the form and an explanation at http://www.afsc.org/youthmil/militarism-in-schools/default.htm. The English version http://www.afsc.org/youthmil/militarism-in-schools/opt-out.rtf and Spanish version http://www.afsc.org/youthmil/militarism-in-schools/optar-fuera.rtf .
According to the AFSC website: The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 contains a provision that forces secondary schools to turn over students' name, address and telephone number to military recruiters upon demand. Parents and students have a right to "opt-out". Under the No Child Left Behind Act, Section 9528 requires that all secondary schools release contact information about students to military recruiters upon request.
The same section specifies that parents may "request that the student's name, address, and telephone listing. not be released without prior written parental consent, and the local educational agency or private school shall notify parents of the option to make a request and shall comply with any request."
When schools inform students of their right, they are complying with the stated requirements of No Child Left Behind. This helps them maintain eligibility for federal funding.
The law states that a parent or a student may request that their contact information be withheld from recruiters
This is about protecting student's right to safety In 2004 there were 320 counts of recruiting violations reported including: Sexual assault
Arrest threats
Forgery of documents
Cheating on entrance exams
Doctoring drug tests
This is about students' right to choice about their future. A student cannot make a fair choice about his or her future when we allow recruiters into students' homes while they spout off myths like:
Myth: You are guaranteed $70,000 for college
Reality: Only 43% of those who enlist in the Montgomery GI bill will ever see a penny for college, and all must pay in $1200 that they will never see again
Myth: You can try out the military for a few months and quit if you do not like it:
Reality: Once you state the oath at the beginning of basic training, you are there until your contract runs out. or longer. Moreover, Section C9c the military enlistment contract states that: " In the event of war, my enlistment in the Armed Forces continues until six (6) months after the war ends, unless my enlistment is ended sooner by the President of the United States."
Myth: A recruit is guaranteed any promise made by a recruiter
Reality: The military enlistment agreement states that: " Laws and regulations that govern military personnel may change without notice to me. Such changes may affect my status, pay, allowances, benefits, and responsibilities as a member of the Armed Forces regardless of the provisions of this enlistment/reenlistment document."
Myth: The military will leave you better prepared for a career upon exiting the service
Reality: Less than 12% of veterans surveyed claimed that they used any of the skills learned in the military in their civilian jobs
And if any of your children are in the Delayed Enlistment Program and want out, and have not yet gone to boot camp, please contact us. We can help him/her get out before they go in.
We have to protect our children from these predators who promise a lie they cannot deliver. Our children are counting on us to protect them too.
Pass them out far and wide to as many High Schoolers as you can.
Peace always,
Yvette and Tim Coil
--
"Too long I have lived among those who hate peace." - Psalm 120:6
"Every bit of this war is mans bullshit. They call this war a cloud over the land. But they made the weather and then they stand in the rain and say 'Shit, it's raining.'" - Renee Zellweger as Ruby Thewes in the movie Cold Mountain.
"Never, never be afraid to do what's right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society's punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way." ~~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
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posted by Alfons at
12:30 PM
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