JROTC -- training or recruitment?
The Chronicle ran a noteworthy pair of op-ed pieces on the JROTC issue. These follow an in-depth feature about the program and the drive to bannish it: S.F. school board set to pull trigger on JROTC
CON: Popular doesn't = appropriate by Dan Kelly and Mark Sanchez:
CON: Popular doesn't = appropriate by Dan Kelly and Mark Sanchez:
JROTC has not been free from controversy or cost. Students and parents continue to complain that some students are coerced into joining, or are placed in the program automatically, that the JROTC acts as a stand-in for counseling or other services students need and deserve, and that the JROTC drains resources from other programs. Parents and students have complained about militarization of their campuses and school events by the prominent presence of uniformed cadet units. There have been episodes of hazing and group ostracism, and homophobic comments are still made against JROTC opponents. The U.S. military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy toward gays and lesbians prevents JROTC from employing openly gay instructors and bars openly gay students from the preferential enlistment opportunities that are among JROTC's touted benefits.PRO: A battle over values by Michael Bernick:
The JROTC proponents are a varied group politically -- liberal, conservative, aging anti-war activists, libertarians. What unites them are values: the value that structure and discipline can play in being a good citizen and good person; the value of finding a positive affinity group in a large public high school; and perhaps most of all, the value of choice, the recognition that young people should have a diversity of organizations and activities to develop their maturity and self-confidence.Personally, I am very much opposed to banning this program. I've written about this before and hope to again. My biggest fear now is that Dan Kelly and the lame duck BOE will take action before the new members have a chance to consider this issue. Some difficult, pressing questions need to be acted upon by the current board. But an issue as divisive and inherently political as JRTOC should not be determined by this board, where 3 of the 7 commissioners will be vacating their seats.
Labels: SFUSD Politics
5 Comments:
Banish, one 'n'.
Keep, with a capital "K", capital "E", capital "E", and a capital "P".
Hard to believe that people in elected positions will use their power to NOT do what is right for the very students they are sworn to keep the welfare of in the forefront of their mission. The students want JROTC, the parents want JROTC, the Community wants JROTC...where do we draw the line on politics and concern ourselves with the welfare of these students.
I do not see the School Board stopping Driver's Ed, yet every year, 6000 teens die on the highways from inexperience behind the wheel. This just proves the school board's motives.
The city has spoken. Mr Kelly was not re-elected. That says something in tself. I hope the three new members will step up and care about the students.
If people were to check their facts, less than a quarter of cadets in JROTC in my battalion join the military. That is because they already wish to do so. JROTC is not a military recruitment but a citizenship program that uses the military as a guide because it is the best organization of anything, epescially over politics. If people wish to be a part of JROTC, that is their choice and they can drop the class any time they wish to do so. When I hear you speak of how bad JROTC is I know one thing, you have never been a part of the program, you have not seen the good things the cadets do for their community and schools, you do not see how the students in JROTC are some of the best students in school. Cutting JROTC is a mistake you will regret for years. As for your excuse as to pulling the program, JROTC does not discriminate against anyone for any reason. The only way that you can be kicked out of the program is if you do something that would bring tremendous harm to the JROTC image, such as habitual fighting, violence and other such horific actions. Not if you are openly homosexual.
I am a JROTC alumni from San Francisco, and all I can say is that those Board Members don't know what they're talking about when it comes to JROTC.
I've never heard of any of them actually going to the high schools and talking to the students. All their arguments are about the military branding our kids, or that the "don't ask don't tell" policy trickles down to JROTC as well... Let me ask them this, the military is a significant part of our history. Neglecting the need of a military is just extremism, that I'm starting to feel disgusted about. And for all the LGBT issues, ask the students!! There were and are openly gay students in the program... can you imagine a guy saying that he's gay on the football or wrestling team?? They'll get more abuse than ANYONE in JROTC...
The hope is for the incoming board to overturn this decision.
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