Say no to recruiters
I'll never forget a great line of Gene Hackman's in the movie The Heist: "they are young dumb and full of cum." The line reminds me of what military recruiters look out for when finding recruits. And sadly, I was once that same type that volunteered back during Vietnam.
These recruits, many of whom from the lower socio economic class, wind up either dead or maimed. Those lucky enough to return are forced to fight a VA bureaucracy for help, not unlike vets in my era of Vietnam had to do.
I am happy to see that these military recruiters are not welcomed in all of our neighborhoods. I see New York City is taking some action.
BTW, one easy solution to the recruiting problem: Washington ought to wage only just and necessary wars. Folks would line up to volunteer. End of problem.
http://www.indypendent.org/2009/09/17/anti-recruiter-regulations/
I'd settle if conversations with military recruiters were videotaped and the law allowed them and their superiors to be sued for misstatements and promises not kept.
October 7, 2009 10:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
I don't disagree, Dave, but to some extent, those who join are making rational choices in their own self interest. When a recruiter tells them the military will give them job skills and perhaps pave the way for them to afford a college education, I think those are truths rather than lies. What's deplorable is that those benefits aren't available to many disadvantaged individuals except via the military.
If there were no legitimate incentives to join, and if false promises were eliminated, would we recruit enough volunteers to fight "just and necessary wars"? I'm not sure. Wasn't the military draft instituted during the Lincoln Administration?
October 7, 2009 3:34 PM | Reply | Permalink