Military Recruiters: Stop marketing war to our children

In this issue: Green City, Part I: Remedial environmentalism is so 20th Century! California faces a fiscal and political crisis California enfrenta una crisis política y fiscal Dear Dennis Kucinich Prop 54 is racist and dumb Tom Hutchings runs for Assembly Form and Function On the "Progressive Democrat", and their threat to progressives Military Recruiters: Stop marketing war to our children Stay Green! New Way of Thinking Needed Book review: "The Candidate's Handbook" Book review: Once upon a time in the future Recall FAQ Letters to the Editor News Clips

"No Child Left Behind Act" of 2001 requires that all secondary schools provide the military with access to a student's private information.

By Craig Peterson

One of the things I find most annoying when sitting down to eat dinner is getting a telephone call from someone asking if I have considered refinancing my home, getting a free insurance check-up, or changing my phone company.

Thankfully, some telemarketing calls are less likely now that our son is no longer in high school-calls from military recruiters. Like other organizations with a product, recruiters contact many high school juniors and seniors each year hoping to fulfill their military enlistment quotas.

Unlike other businesses, however, the military doesn't have to buy lists of names, addresses, and phone numbers. They can go to any secondary school and get the contact information of every student for free.

This was not the case before the "No Child Left Behind" Act of 2001. This education reform measure included a provision few noticed: Section 9528 requires that all secondary schools provide the military with access to a student's private information. Refusal by the school can result in loss of federal funds.

The law, however, has a provision for each child or parent to deny the government a student's information, and requires the school to inform students and parents of this right.

Basically, the government now requires schools to violate the privacy of all of their students; if the schools refuse, they lose federal funds. If parents complain, schools are blamed for not following the law.

Green Party members should inform students, and their parents, about this act. It is our hope that we will have volunteers contacting every secondary school in California to see if they have informed families about their rights. With that information, we can reach out to the parents and students about this important change impacting the lives of our children.

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