marine information booth at my school

There are these all the time at my school, and I hate it. It's possible for the government to cut federal funding for schools if they don't allow military programs, which I think is very fucked up.

 

thats just sick. i suppose you could try and inform people what the us army actually does abroad, if your school lets you. free speech, eh? set up your own anti-war booth right next to it.
not really related, but kinda; here the army has started calling in girls when they get 17, in 2009 or 2010(not quite sure)they used their school pictures in something they called "future book", where each of the students had profiles with status updates where they talked fondly of the army and how much they were enjoying it. haha, they failed miserably. they were forced to removed their pictures and personal information once it got out.

 

1. Join the marines
2. Enter ROTC leadership program
3. Receive combat training
4. Subvert
5. Subvert more
7. ???????????
8. Insurrection!


This reminds of back when I first started college and was in SDS ( ). One time we were tabling right next to the National Guard and there were arguments exchanged. That was also back when I secretly considered joining the national guard for combat training . But I remember the recruiter actually saying that they wouldn't exist in a few years because they were supposed to get absorbed into the Army. What with NG going to Iraq and all.

But do you have anyone else at your school that you could organize with against such booths??

If so

is a pretty good idea. Distributing literature around school could work too depending.

 

I hate that. I went to an urban high school with poor funding so the military was able to buy itself into the hallways. Posters up the wazoo, tables almost daily during lunchtime, soldiers coming in and giving bullshit speeches during gym. It's gross how they never acknowledge that they want kids to be killing machines, they just talk about how fun it is to wear a uniform.
They try to promise a better living for all that joins. What a crock. Of course a good chunk of my classmates signed up (hey, did you know you can join at 17 years old if they get your parents permission? And boy can they sweet talk mom and pop with illusions of a hearty pay!)
Almost all of them are out now, mostly due to mental problems that they inherited from the military. Hmmmm, why aren't they ever honest about that?

 

^ i can only imagine why.
i just found out a few weeks ago that 2 good friends of mine have already started filling out paperwork to join the u.s. military before they finish high school, one of them going to some sort of officers school (i had no idea those things existed) and another (a SOPHOMORE) is knowingly signing up to be a fucking grunt in the marines. i've had loads of debates with the one that wants to be a grunt, saying he'll end up fighting for a country that doesn't give a fuck about you, he may ruin his family and all of that stuff, but every time he brushes it off as if he sees absolutely NOTHING wrong with it. i'm almost 100% sure he's following through with this for attention from all of his friends.

i guess this is all a little irrelevant... i suppose all i really wanted to do was vent it out, but you can look at this as a result of military recruitment. he's slowly ruining our friendship. i'm fucking hurt.

 

I think that holding radical world views means that you will lose a few of your friends in the long-run. Some of your non-radical friends may take offense to you being an anarchist. Or on the other hand one of them turn into a republican and you'll feel obliged to cut them out of your life. It's sad but it happens. You both grow up and only one of you wakes up. You can't force the other person to wake up and sometimes trying makes it worse. Sometimes you'll have friends who will receive your beliefs openly and even wake up themselves. One of my best friends from childhood hated when became an anarchist and we didn't speak for almost two years. But they came around and we're really great friends again.
It kind of reminds me of my parents too, actually. When I first starting talking about anarchism they hated it and thought I wanted to become some violent terrorist. Now they're a lot different. Like my mom got the anarchist primer from Crimethinc and a few other sources to read and my dad believes in wage slavery (that it exists, not that it should exist). They even stand up for me when the people they know are all like "is your son still a crazy anarchist?" So proud

Maybe your friend will also come around and see he's making a horrid decision (for his reasons) But it sucks he may not until he's knee deep in carnage and PTSD. He sounds stubborn so good luck to you if you keep trying to talk sense into him.

 

They did it at my school (before I dropped out) I always told my friends not to sign up because war is evil.

 

was it really that easy to convince them? they just ate it and said "tastes good"?

 

Well no one I personally hung out with at that school enlisted, but my one friend joined the army last year.

 

Somewhat on topic, I'm going to be getting this shirt soon:
http://interpunk.com/item.cfm?Item=190613&

 

AWESOME SHIRT! I love LOC, they're what got me into anarchism.

 

I have a "Shoot the Kids At School" back patch. Can't really wear it now though because everyone will eat my asshole out for being so offensive :/

 

Yeah I just remembered that shirt is a picture of Stza's arm holding a gun with an elementary playground in the background. Back when I was like 15 I was wearing an Anti-Flag shirt to school and someone saw it and asked me if I was a nazi. tf? I didn't even have a shaved head. If people are that stupid then I can't imagine how they'd react if you sported the 'Shoot the Kids at school' thing. As far as I can tell, this thing wasn't like Columbine where the kids wanted to get revenge.

 

I used to like Stza until I saw Star Fucking Hipsters in concert the last time, maybe two years ago. Honestly one of the whiniest people I've ever met. He'd like play a song then vent about some trivial bullshit for like 4 minutes, play a song, vent for 6 minutes. Was like 'ugh, just shut up already'.

 

Fat Mike must have rubbed off on him. But meh, when you're touring playing several shows a week, occasional bad nights are inevitable. I've been to a disappointing show here and there, but I try not to think less of anyone unless it's consistent.

 

I reckon that's true. Plus I think he was in a rough spot with drugs at the time so that could have also had something to do with it.