Photo: Eared Grebe, Ron Wolf
January - Thousands of American high schoolers are being pushed into regular school-day Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (J.R.O.T.C.) programs across the country. The Pentagon budgets $300 million per year to pay faculty, buy equipment, and buy uniforms for these programs which are regarded as “critical to their military recruitment strategy”. The National Rifle Association (NRA) co-sponsors some of these programs to promote gun use among young people. Although the Pentagon asks these programs to be non-compulsory, many students are pressured to join and to continue their participation. While instruction in the program contains some general elements of character building, it also includes biased, military-oriented perspectives on American history and international relations. Publicly funded schools should not be promoting military-oriented history, military-oriented careers, and military-oriented thinking about international affairs.
ACTION: Contact your Representative in Congress and ask him/her to inquire and let you know if any schools in your Congressional District have these Junior R.O.T.C. regular school-day programs--and that you oppose them in your Congressional District or anywhere. Ask him/her to oppose funding for these programs in upcoming military budgets. Public school course offerings should not promote military-oriented history, military-oriented careers, and military-oriented thinking about international affairs.
You may also want to call your city or town’s School Superintendent to ask if they have Junior R.O.T.C. programs during the regular school day. If they do, let your Superintendent and school board members know your thoughts about this.
CONTACT: Your Representative and your local school Superintendent
- Web: Find your Rep’s name and link to their website at house.gov; send an email or leave a message via ‘Contact’ on their website
- Tel: 202 224-3121 (Capitol switchboard-ask for his/her office & leave a message)
- Mail: Representative (first & last name) U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. 20515
Please send this email on to family and friends and/or write a letter-to-the-editor on this important issue. It is a good way to educate others and build support for needed policies.
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