Although I know there are numerous differences between JROTC and CAP, but nevertheless could this demonstrate something CAP needs to be worried about (in certain locations):
https://screen.yahoo.com/proposed-jrotc-program-east-bay-014300485.html
This is, unfortunately, nothing new. Both JROTC and CAP have been "protested" by clueless parents or school administrators, especially if they tend to be opposed to the military.
The principal of one of the schools in our district is a dyed-in-the-wool aging-hippie type who's made it quite clear that he won't allow us "warmongers" onto the campus grounds to "corrupt our children."
Yes, exact words.
CAP does very well in the San Francisco Bay area which is where this "protest" took place.
Not a problem. Heck, there's even a Cadet Squadron in San Francisco! :o
The ignorance of some people.
Correct me if I'm wrong but if you do a certain amount of time in JROTC or acheive a certain level in CAP's cadet program you get to enlisted in the military at a higher paygrade?
So that stupid former teacher who said it limits choices is wrong because if you do either program and hate it, you will most likely steer away from enlisting but if you like it the program it gets a step up when you do enlist.
It's like AP classes, they only make you better and gives you more options. Surely she isn't recommending doing away with AP classes. ;)
It is not a protest against JROTC per se........it is a protest against a) War in general. b) the economic gap in recruiting c) The racial make up of the economic gap and d) Old concept that JROTC is just there as an in school recruiter.
The problem from out point of view....is we got no answer for her....because everything she says is true.
a) War is bad we should protest it.
b) Yes the military does looks like a good option to a certain socioeconomic class and the military actively targets recruiting to this audience.
c) Yes African Americans are in that class and again the military activity targets recruiting toward African-Americans.
d) Finally it is true that one of the purposes of JROTC is to be an in-school recruiter.
So.....you will never please those sort of people. You make your best sales pitch and move on.
I often find that it is helpful, although not frequently persuasive, to let people know what the percentages are of Cadets who go into the military.
The anti JROTC crowd would have you believe that 100 percent of students who do JROTC are going to be cannon fodder. The reality is considerably different.
Many of our cadets on to other forms of public service jobs: fire, police, EMS. And of course many go to college.
If you can say with a degree of certainty " only about 20% of our cadets actually go into the military.." then you can take the conversation on a different tack.
I ran into this with the army cadets too... " you are just turning people into baby killers "
I have actually told people that since we ran a career exploration program (USAC) many of our cadets actually found out they were not that interested in the military. So it actually served as a disincentive. I would rather someone spend a year or two as a cadet and decid that the military was not for them, rather than enlisting for a four or six year hitch, and finding out then.
Some kids are going to go into the military, that's just the way it works. If we can give them a leg up to be successful, give them a good grounding in ethics and leadership now, perhaps we can be helpful to the overall effort
Quote from: NIN on June 12, 2014, 02:32:35 PM
I often find that it is helpful, although not frequently persuasive, to let people know what the percentages are of Cadets who go into the military.
The anti JROTC crowd would have you believe that 100 percent of students who do JROTC are going to be cannon fodder. The reality is considerably different.
Many of our cadets on to other forms of public service jobs: fire, police, EMS. And of course many go to college.
If you can say with a degree of certainty " only about 20% of our cadets actually go into the military.." then you can take the conversation on a different tack.
I ran into this with the army cadets too... " you are just turning people into baby killers "
I have actually told people that since we ran a career exploration program (USAC) many of our cadets actually found out they were not that interested in the military. So it actually served as a disincentive. I would rather someone spend a year or two as a cadet and decid that the military was not for them, rather than enlisting for a four or six year hitch, and finding out then.
Some kids are going to go into the military, that's just the way it works. If we can give them a leg up to be successful, give them a good grounding in ethics and leadership now, perhaps we can be helpful to the overall effort
Not to mention that only about 30-50% of the kids that are in JROTC are physically/medically qualified to enter the military in the first place.
There's a legitimate issue here that will get lost in the mix of uninformed nonsense, and it has little
directly to do with JROTC.
In these cash-strapped times, should any school district be spending $200K for what will ultimately
benefit a very small group of students?
We've had the same issues locally, with my district wanting to raise a bond issue to spend in excess
of $10M for a pool, which ultimately will be used mainly by a small group of students from the local swim teams.
That's the legit, real issue here. It's one more instance of Outrage! except the people are Outraged!
about the wrong thing, as usual because it's easier to be !Political! then informed.
My personal opinion on the matter is that it is worth the $200K if you look at it from a different perspective. These protesters and parents are so wrapped up in the military aspect to it that they don't see other potential...DDR.
Any activity like that that gives kids another option in high school than to go find creative ways to get high and brain damage is a good investment in my humble opinion.
That being said, I can certainly understand the sticker shock for a program like that where the PTA May think there would be better ways to spend that money.
As I often say, I wish I would have known about JROTC (none of my schools had it) and/or CAP and/or NSCC and/or Army Cadets and/or Young Marines when I was a kid.
Given my interest in things military, I would have gone for that in a big way, and my parents (including my Army veteran dad) would have supported it.
I was a Cub Scout, Webelos Scout and Boy Scout (attaining the rank of Life Scout), and, believe me, the BSA has its very good qualities, but finally it just failed to hold my attention.
I grew up in an area with a lot of Mennonites and Amish, who are devout pacifists, and do not approve of Scouting, much less something like CAP, and I know that filtered into the local schools to not have JROTC units. Plus, I was a kid in the '70s, post-Vietnam, and military service was not high on the list of things kids were encouraged to pursue.
However, only looking at the military trappings of JROTC, CAP, etc., is simply choosing to ignore the positive aspects that such activities can have on a kid's life.
The City of Richmond :) Just let out a big siiiiigh. What a hole. Cry and complain about your circumstances and saving our children. This nonsense about low income people being sent off to war is pretty old. Sure, why not stay in the hood. Either way your being paid by the government, who needs a job skill?