Friday, June 03, 2005
Growing Problem for Military Recruiters: Parents
The New York Times had a great article today: Growing Problem for Military Recruiters: Parents. For those of you with high school kids out there, it's definitely worth a read.
I am not anti-military, nor am I anti-support-our-troops. But to borrow a quote from another parent (listed as "Ms. Rogers" in the article): "The point is not whether I support the troops. It's about whether a well-organized propaganda machine should be targeted at children and enforced by the schools."
The schools, of course, have no choice: the "No Child Left Behind" act requires schools to turn over students' home phone numbers AND addresses to military recruiters -- unless the parents "opt out." The NCLB also mandates that school districts can receive federal funds only if they grant military recruiters "the same access to secondary school students" as is provided to colleges and employers.
The problem here is that recruiters are contacting the most vulnerable students, recruiting them to go to war by handing out free - and cheap - items (T-shirts, key chains, doughnuts, whatever it takes) and making it sound "fun."
How many of our young boys grew up wanting to "play war?" To play with toy guns? To be taught the very essence of what it means to be "patriotic?" Remember when you were 17? 18? How idealistic were you then? Weren't we all?
As a parent of a son who will be a high school junior this fall (and no end to the war in sight), my idea of him having "fun" is not killing innocent civilians or being killed in an unprovoked war. And to quote another parent (Mr. Terrazas), "It's the policy that I'm against, not the military."
I suspect one day, many of us will return to our former ideology that serving in the military is truly "patriotic" -- when those serving are doing so for the right reasons. Today, however, I do not want my son to become just another meal fed into Bush's propaganda machine.
I am not anti-military, nor am I anti-support-our-troops. But to borrow a quote from another parent (listed as "Ms. Rogers" in the article): "The point is not whether I support the troops. It's about whether a well-organized propaganda machine should be targeted at children and enforced by the schools."
The schools, of course, have no choice: the "No Child Left Behind" act requires schools to turn over students' home phone numbers AND addresses to military recruiters -- unless the parents "opt out." The NCLB also mandates that school districts can receive federal funds only if they grant military recruiters "the same access to secondary school students" as is provided to colleges and employers.
The problem here is that recruiters are contacting the most vulnerable students, recruiting them to go to war by handing out free - and cheap - items (T-shirts, key chains, doughnuts, whatever it takes) and making it sound "fun."
How many of our young boys grew up wanting to "play war?" To play with toy guns? To be taught the very essence of what it means to be "patriotic?" Remember when you were 17? 18? How idealistic were you then? Weren't we all?
As a parent of a son who will be a high school junior this fall (and no end to the war in sight), my idea of him having "fun" is not killing innocent civilians or being killed in an unprovoked war. And to quote another parent (Mr. Terrazas), "It's the policy that I'm against, not the military."
I suspect one day, many of us will return to our former ideology that serving in the military is truly "patriotic" -- when those serving are doing so for the right reasons. Today, however, I do not want my son to become just another meal fed into Bush's propaganda machine.
Harkin Staff to Hold Social Security Public Forum
***MEDIA ADVISORY***
HARKIN STAFF TO HOLD MOBILE OFFICE "FIX IT, DON’T NIX IT" SOCIAL SECURITY TOUR IN LEMARS AND ONAWA
Washington, D.C. -- Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) announced today that a member of his staff will be conducting Social Security forums in LeMars and Onawa on June 8. The public forums will discuss the need to protect and strengthen Social Security without risking its future through privatization.
“I want to work with the president to strengthen Social Security, but I want to do it right,” Harkin said. “There is no excuse to rush into a plan that will cut benefits for America’s seniors, adds trillions to the debt, and does nothing to strengthen the program. That is unacceptable and the American people are rejecting that approach.”
President Bush’s privatization commission has proposed creating private Social Security accounts that would cut benefits by one-third or more, even for those who choose not to invest in privatized accounts. Workers could invest two-thirds of their Social Security contribution in stocks and bonds, but those returns could not make up for the deep benefit cuts and would be subject to the whims of Wall Street.
Even many supporters of the president’s plan acknowledge that private accounts have nothing to do with ensuring the long-term financial health of Social Security. In fact, to fund the private accounts, the government would have to borrow almost $5 trillion dollars over the first 20 years from foreign countries like China and Japan – making Social Security’s financial problems much worse and even further from being solved.
“We must be responsible and take reasonable, moderate steps to strengthen Social Security for future generations,” Harkin said. “Millions of Iowa seniors, Americans with disabilities and others who rely on Social Security are depending on Congress and the president to protect this program. I hope the president will work with Congress to do just that.”
THE DETAILS
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 2005
TIME: 10:00 a.m.
STAFF: MAUREEN WILSON
LOCATION: ONAWA PUBLIC LIBRARY
MEETING ROOM
707 IOWA AVENUE
ONAWA
TIME: 2:00 p.m.
STAFF: MAUREEN WILSON
LOCATION: LEMARS CITY HALL
CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS
40 CENTRAL AVENUE SE
LEMARS
If you have any questions, please call Senator Harkin’s Des Moines office at 515-284-4574. If you need an accommodation to participate please notify the office at least 48 hours in advance.
HARKIN STAFF TO HOLD MOBILE OFFICE "FIX IT, DON’T NIX IT" SOCIAL SECURITY TOUR IN LEMARS AND ONAWA
Washington, D.C. -- Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) announced today that a member of his staff will be conducting Social Security forums in LeMars and Onawa on June 8. The public forums will discuss the need to protect and strengthen Social Security without risking its future through privatization.
“I want to work with the president to strengthen Social Security, but I want to do it right,” Harkin said. “There is no excuse to rush into a plan that will cut benefits for America’s seniors, adds trillions to the debt, and does nothing to strengthen the program. That is unacceptable and the American people are rejecting that approach.”
President Bush’s privatization commission has proposed creating private Social Security accounts that would cut benefits by one-third or more, even for those who choose not to invest in privatized accounts. Workers could invest two-thirds of their Social Security contribution in stocks and bonds, but those returns could not make up for the deep benefit cuts and would be subject to the whims of Wall Street.
Even many supporters of the president’s plan acknowledge that private accounts have nothing to do with ensuring the long-term financial health of Social Security. In fact, to fund the private accounts, the government would have to borrow almost $5 trillion dollars over the first 20 years from foreign countries like China and Japan – making Social Security’s financial problems much worse and even further from being solved.
“We must be responsible and take reasonable, moderate steps to strengthen Social Security for future generations,” Harkin said. “Millions of Iowa seniors, Americans with disabilities and others who rely on Social Security are depending on Congress and the president to protect this program. I hope the president will work with Congress to do just that.”
THE DETAILS
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 2005
TIME: 10:00 a.m.
STAFF: MAUREEN WILSON
LOCATION: ONAWA PUBLIC LIBRARY
MEETING ROOM
707 IOWA AVENUE
ONAWA
TIME: 2:00 p.m.
STAFF: MAUREEN WILSON
LOCATION: LEMARS CITY HALL
CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS
40 CENTRAL AVENUE SE
LEMARS
If you have any questions, please call Senator Harkin’s Des Moines office at 515-284-4574. If you need an accommodation to participate please notify the office at least 48 hours in advance.
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Steve King Loves His Sugar Daddy DeLay
It's been said that to his colleagues in Congress, Tom DeLay is the true sugar daddy, that everybody (according to the New York Times) "owes Mr. Delay for something - a job, a piece of legislation, or a large campaign contribution."
Steve King is not only no exception, he ranks right up there at the very top in "The DeLay Rankings" - the Public Campaign Action Fund's list of representatives closest to the scandal-plagued Tom DeLay. DeLay Rankings, State view
The list ranks representatives based on how often they vote the way DeLay does (King: 97.5% of the time), how much DeLay's PAC has contributed to them (King has received $15,000), how much they've contributed to DeLay's legal defense fund (at $1,000, King is the ONLY Iowa representative who's contributed to this fund), and their overall DeLay ranking.
Of the current 434 congressional members, King ranks #30. He nearly made the top 5% of those most closely aligned with "The Hammer" himself. Even Tom Latham couldn't beat King, although Latham received $26,085 from DeLay's ARMPAC. Then again, Latham voted with DeLay only 94.08% of the time, and (heck - talk about no reciprocation!) - didn't donate a dime to DeLay's defense fund.
Interesting list, and it's sortable by dollars received/donated, voting percentage and the like.
And one other site you'll want to bookmark: The Daily DeLay, where you can dish the DeLay dirt about your rep!
Steve King is not only no exception, he ranks right up there at the very top in "The DeLay Rankings" - the Public Campaign Action Fund's list of representatives closest to the scandal-plagued Tom DeLay. DeLay Rankings, State view
The list ranks representatives based on how often they vote the way DeLay does (King: 97.5% of the time), how much DeLay's PAC has contributed to them (King has received $15,000), how much they've contributed to DeLay's legal defense fund (at $1,000, King is the ONLY Iowa representative who's contributed to this fund), and their overall DeLay ranking.
Of the current 434 congressional members, King ranks #30. He nearly made the top 5% of those most closely aligned with "The Hammer" himself. Even Tom Latham couldn't beat King, although Latham received $26,085 from DeLay's ARMPAC. Then again, Latham voted with DeLay only 94.08% of the time, and (heck - talk about no reciprocation!) - didn't donate a dime to DeLay's defense fund.
Interesting list, and it's sortable by dollars received/donated, voting percentage and the like.
And one other site you'll want to bookmark: The Daily DeLay, where you can dish the DeLay dirt about your rep!
Monday, May 30, 2005
Editorial: Memorial Day/Praise bravery, seek forgiveness
Printer version: Editorial: Memorial Day/Praise bravery, seek forgiveness
"... President Bush and those around him lied, and the rest of us let them. Harsh? Yes. True? Also yes. Perhaps it happened because Americans, understandably, don't expect untruths from those in power. But that works better as an explanation than as an excuse..."
"... President Bush and those around him lied, and the rest of us let them. Harsh? Yes. True? Also yes. Perhaps it happened because Americans, understandably, don't expect untruths from those in power. But that works better as an explanation than as an excuse..."
