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All freshmen are required to take the Freshman Focus class, which also teaches study skills, college prep and looks at an educational plan and what students would like to do with their future.
However, Julie Slavick sees the inclusion of the National Guard as potentially opening a door for subtle recruitment for careers in the military.
“That’s part of recruiting; you don’t just get them when they’re in 11th and 12th grade, you build a relationship with them,” she said. “If you’ve built a relationship, they’re more likely to go in that direction.”
Victor Slavick said his classmates told him that the National Guard instructors discussed some aspects of life in the military.
“They said they told them stories, like war stories,” said Victor. “This one guy said he went to Iraq for six months and said it wasn’t that bad.”
That’s not what the Sandy High School teachers involved in the Freshman Focus class, have experienced, however.
“Whenever I brought that up to any of my teachers, they look at me like ‘No, none of that is going on,’ ” said Welsh. “I get quite a bit of reinforcement that they’re focused on doing what they say they’re trying to do.”
The National Guard exercises have drawn an occasional complaint from parents in the past in other school districts. (Whalen and two other facilitators cover the entire state of Oregon.) Some of the complaints stem from the fact that the facilitators wear their National Guard uniforms when they lead a class, presenting an immediate image of the military.
Whalen, however, notes that wearing uniforms is part of their job and is not related to any subtle recruiting technique.
“What I told Principal (Brian Heinze) and what I usually tell the parents is the reason we’re in uniform is because that’s our daily wear,” said Whalen. “If a fireman or policeman came in that’s what they’d wear, not because they want to recruit but because that’s what they wear.”
“They wore their Army stuff, but it wasn’t very related to (the exercises),” said freshman Milo Rentenaar, 14, of Boring.
District officials note that information is sent to families and parents can opt their child out of the exercises. However, Julia Monteith, communications director for the district, reported that the district had not received a complaint about the exercises previously.
The district invites other outside organizations to speak or meet with groups of students as part of the educational process. According to the district’s policy, organizations must present ideas that “will have a demonstrable relation to the curricular or cocurricular activity in which the participating students are involved.”
Julie Slavick, for one, appreciates the effort that these organizations put into helping the students, but remains skeptical about what a group like the National Guard brings to the classroom.
“I think it’s great an outside body would want to do something like that, but it seems a little subversive to have military bonding with kids” she said.
The complaint comes on the heels of an attempt by several parents to ban and/or limit the presence of military recruiters at Sandy High School. That discussion last month resulted in a new policy that requires recruiters from the military and colleges to make appointments with the school, and gives students equal access to both groups. The school board discussed possibly creating a code of conduct for college and military representatives in response to allegations of pushy recruitment tactics.
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What is it about this state and what it has become that people like Slavick can potentially influence who gets to set foot on schools we pay for? These are some of our nation's best people, and this lady would do well to kiss the ground she occupies.
(email verified)
Thu, Oct 04, 2007 at 08:26 AM
While I agree with R. Lee one hundred percent, it is fair to note that while we are chastising Ms. Slavick for her short-sided attack on our militrary volunteers, she is in fact excercising the rights that we hold dear and are willing to die for (Navy, acitve and reserve, Veteran of 21 years).
So while I too think that she needs to wake up and get a life, I (and those of my ilk) will defend her right to denounce us...to the death.
Now isn't that funny?
(email verified)
Thu, Oct 04, 2007 at 08:56 AM
Julie Slavick, get a life. Your ideas about the military are subversive.
(email verified)
Thu, Oct 04, 2007 at 09:15 AM
It's sad that there are people out there who share Julie Slavick's view of the military...It's a choice that is open to all, and in my opinion an honorable one. How soon people forget that the reason we have what we have is because of the people have have served this country in the military.
(email verified)
Thu, Oct 04, 2007 at 11:31 AM
While the "Guards" contribution to our freedom cannot be debated let us not forget thier contribution in times of disaster from fire, earthquake and so on. Our children must be aware that the uniform may contain the person that may save their life.
(email verified)
Thu, Oct 04, 2007 at 11:46 AM
May be Julie should go live in France. My heart goes out to all those young men and women that have lost their lives in making Julie's freedom possible.
(email verified)
Thu, Oct 04, 2007 at 02:13 PM
Julie wouldn't like it in France either. There is more of a military presence there on the streets (especially Paris), and you often run into cops carrying rifles and machine guns as they patrol the Metro.
Thanks to all of the great citizens that serve both in the Guard and in our armed forces.
(email verified)
Thu, Oct 04, 2007 at 03:24 PM
I'll bite: What exactly does it subvert to have high school kids bond with soldiers?
(email verified)
Fri, Oct 05, 2007 at 05:28 AM
But don't question her patriotism.
(email verified)
Fri, Oct 05, 2007 at 06:48 AM
Okay - its all fun and popular to bash the lady; but going on and on about soldiers and patriotism is moronic at best.
She has an applicable grudge. If she doesn't like the military, and doesn't want her son to be infected with that mindset, then I think its commendable that she is willing to speak up even when she faces a lot of criticism for her actions.
I wont outright say its a ploy to gain recruitment; but I dare any one of you really research the tactics used by our Military to recruit members. Its downright disgusting, and letting them start even subtly at the age of 14 is sickening. Most 20 year olds are not even smart enough to comprehend what they are getting themselves into; Go ask some of them. Ask them if they were told the truth, or if military service was sugar coated and forced down their gullet.
As someone who has been hounded by some idiot with a quota of fresh meat to fill, I would like to be the first to thank miss Slavick.
(email verified)
Fri, Oct 05, 2007 at 10:29 AM
"It seems a little subversive to have military bonding with kids,” she said.
Historically, which kids were subverted by our military? German Kids? French Kids? Japanese kids? Italian Kids? Iraqi Kids? Vietnamese Kids? Korean Kids?
Where do these people think the freedom to be so blatantly stupid comes from?
The National Guard!
God bless you Julie. Stronger, braver, unselfish, men and women are tucking you in tonight so you can sleep in blissful ignorance.
(email verified)
Fri, Oct 05, 2007 at 10:51 AM
What do the National Guard members have to do with our 14 year-olds getting an education? I'd rather have my kids spending time with, y'know, teachers, with college educations and credentials. The only reason the military is present on campus is for recruitment -- and I can't think of a less appropriate venue for recruitment than the Freshman Focus class, with 14 year-olds.
Let the military recruiters have a shot at the seniors when the time comes.
(email verified)
Fri, Oct 05, 2007 at 11:10 AM
To appear in Uniform and have your form of dress to be UNIFORM is a function of self discipline. Being "Uniform" shows students that if they practice self-discipline, they will have more opportunity to succeed. The military, and our independence from England, has helped provide us with the opportunity to have public school. The Military uses every opportunity it has to recruit and other businesses also recruit at high school. The military is a profession and when children graduate from high school they can decide to join the military as a profession. If they decide to attend a Domestic Military College, they will graduate with an engineering degree that brands them among the most elite engineers in the world. Parents do a disservice to their children by denying them the opportunity to decide their future.
(email verified)
Fri, Oct 05, 2007 at 12:10 PM
Derric Sandstoms has a pretty low opinion of the men and women serving this country. I joined when I was 20. My son joined at 19. We both knew what we were getting into and felt like it was worth it, even if it meant serving people like Derric.
Teamwork and problem solving. How dare they teach such useless garbage to the kids.
That last line is sarcasm for the slower readers out there.
(email verified)
Fri, Oct 05, 2007 at 01:34 PM
Really? Freedom isnt free? Well i was born free and dont remember paying a red penny for it. Freedom is free untill the collusion of fearing people across society deem to take it from them. The national guard does not give freedom. The national guard gives security. Freedom is a scary thing - its success relies on people acting in eachothers best intrest. So when you claim that freedom isnt free you should ask what it really means to be "free". I think being free is fantastic - I think the social order we CALL freedom is a horrible sham though.
To claim that this woman is placing her petty politics in front of her sons welfare is WRONG. She is standing up for a belife that she holds very dear. She believes that the welfare of her child is endangerd - she believes that having military play a role in her sons education is wrong. Therefore she is placing her sons welfare very highly! You are wrong because she is the parent and its her FREEDOM to raise her child in the manner she sees most fit.
Sigh - Besides, The national guardsman was frivolous - any teacher or youth councilor could teach these principles and exercises - the participation of the military is an active attempt to get youth comfortable with the army so they will resist recruitment less.
Imean wasnt it quincy adams that once said (and im paraphrasing here) "Only through the acquisition of a standing army may tyrants come to power"
(email verified)
Fri, Oct 05, 2007 at 04:38 PM
Wearing a military uniform is NOT "recruiting." If the National Guard facilitator had been passing out brochures and talking about career opportunities in the military, THAT would have been "recruiting." The inability to distinguish between the mere presence of a uniform and active "recruiting" is a product of blind, appalling ignorance and anti-military hysteria; and all complaints about the uniform based on such ignorance and hysteria are inherently invalid.
However, even if the National Guard facilitators HAD been recruiting, the complaints would STILL be invalid. Our military forces are the defenders of this nation's security and freedom. Military service is noble, and ought to be honored and respected by all Americans.
Those who FEAR our own military are ungrateful, ignorant fools at best; and they are cowards and traitors at worst. Either way, they are scarcely worthy of the freedom that our military has given them. They would not even have the freedom to whine about military uniforms and recruiting, were it not for the military protecting them.
Fools, cowards, and traitors may have the freedom to speak their minds; but such vermin should NEVER be allowed to impose their ignorance and fears on the policies of our public schools.
(email verified)
Fri, Oct 05, 2007 at 06:36 PM
As a 22 year veteran of the US Army, I can say with complete conviction that a majority of the children raised by airheads like Julie Slavick wouldn't make it in the Army. So don't worry, you progressive parents of Sandy. Your children, should they decide to join the NG, will be back in your loving arms within a few weeks. It's called "failure to adapt" and gets an immediate discharge out of Basic. Think Jessie Macbeth.
(email verified)
Fri, Oct 05, 2007 at 11:49 PM
Reminds me of Europe in the mid thirties. Conform, obey. Never mind the education that just gets in the way.
(email verified)
Sat, Oct 06, 2007 at 12:38 AM
It's a good thing Ms. Slavik wasn't here in the 1770's or she'd now be an English subject. Why is it that we have so many stupid people? I do not deny her the freedom of speech to say whatever she believes. I did not deny Ahmadinejad 'our' rights for him to speak as he wished at Columbia. By allowing people to speak their minds (regardless of their sanity) we get to understand their true objectives and the shallowness of their thought. Now we understand Mahmoud, and we understand Ms. Slavik. If it ever comes to it, and I hope not, when invaders threaten her home and in I wonder what she will think of the soldiers who will die to protect her and what she will think of her son who, never having talked to a soldier in his 'formative' years, maybe think soldiers just kill and maim and rape. Ms. Slavik probably knows little of history, knows nothing of Darfur, or Cambodia, little about North Korea, nothing about Soviet Gulags, and thinks, as apparently some of the posters here do, that we can have a peaceful world if only there were no armies, and that there would be no armies if we, the United States and our 'bad' politicians, would just make nicey-nicey with the scum of the world, the dictators and power-mongers out there.
You just have to shake your head at the ignorance of some people.
As an aside, in a poll conducted and released today, it was revealed that 20% of all Democrats believe it would be a good thing for the US to lose the war in Iraq (5% of Republicans believe that). This is what passes for intelligence in todays world.
Than god we have Brittany Spears to provide us with the really inportant happenings and a media circus willing to inform us of her doings instead of the horrors of the real world!
And for the Slaviks out there, that last sentence was sarcasm.
(email verified)
Sat, Oct 06, 2007 at 01:49 AM
Parents and college administrators who are resistant to military recruiters coming into contact with their kids are, collectively, illogical fools.
A civilized society cannot exist if it is easy prey to force-wielding predators. The police are used to defend against force-wielding predators domestically. The armed forces are used to defend against force-wielding predators externally.
If every parent took the same attitude as Ms. Slavick, and were successful in steering their children away from military service, the people of the United States would be unprotected against those who would gladly rob them of their liberty. Ms. Slavish -- sorry, Slavick's -- moral code cannot therefore be correct, since the exercise of her principles by everyone would result in the defeat of her principles. Reductio ad absurdum.
Military service, at least in the U.S. armed forces, is a worthy and moral act, and a parent who goes to such paranoid lengths to avoid contact between their children and military personnel in general is thereby reducing their child's access to much that is ennobling, much that could increase character, maturity, and breadth of experience.
What a disappointment that those whose rights, including the right to make fools of themselves, are protected by the United States military seem so regularly incapable of treating that military with the respect it deserves.
(email verified)
Sat, Oct 06, 2007 at 02:03 AM
Do you know who else was real big on having military interact with children?? Hitler and his Nazi party!!!
He was very big on getting to the German Children young, so by the time they grew up they didn't know any differance!!!
Its just one more way our goverment is desentitizing the population as a whole,to try and strip us of our rights!!
"The Posse Comitatus Act"
First they are "having Fun and teaching valuable life skills" in full combat gear.... Next thing you know they will want to teach more, and they already have their foot in the door!
Read your History people!!! Same tactics!! Just different costumes!!!
(email verified)
Sun, Oct 07, 2007 at 04:28 PM
With all the stories one reads today about kids being nintendo addicted overweight etc, I think it is a good thing that any group outside the school take an interest in team building.
My experience at such "military team building" occurred at Ft Sam Houston in the Leadership Reaction Course. LRC's have in fact been utilized by businesses seeking to create greater cohesion among groups of engineers, accountants and others engaged in group project -type work.
I think kids will gravitate to team-building activities anyway. Only the "natural" ones tend to lead to gangs and cliques and those in turn lead to gangs and violence a la Dylan Klebold and other school-room shooters. Having myself been fairly insular and isolated in civilian society-- where we stratify and categorize one another by family income, skin pigment, religious affiliation--- the team-building games at the Leadership Reaction Course certainly helped me cast off prejudices and preconceived notions of folks I would otherwise never worked or played with voluntarily.
(email verified)
Sun, Oct 07, 2007 at 07:18 PM
With all the stories one reads today about kids being nintendo addicted overweight etc, I think it is a good thing that any group outside the school take an interest in team building.
My experience at such "military team building" occurred at Ft Sam Houston in the Leadership Reaction Course. LRC's have in fact been utilized by businesses seeking to create greater cohesion among groups of engineers, accountants and others engaged in group project -type work.
I think kids will gravitate to team-building activities anyway. Only the "natural" ones tend to lead to gangs and cliques and those in turn lead to gangs and violence a la Dylan Klebold and other school-room shooters. Having myself been fairly insular and isolated in civilian society-- where we stratify and categorize one another by family income, skin pigment, religious affiliation--- the team-building games at the Leadership Reaction Course certainly helped me cast off prejudices and preconceived notions of folks I would otherwise never worked or played with voluntarily.
(email verified)
Sun, Oct 07, 2007 at 07:18 PM
Wow...
Such venom! Nothing like a little anti-military talk to get the "Confederacy of Dunces" up in arms. Anyway,the article was incorrect on one major point ...Parental Consent. There was NO information informing parents of this activity. If the administrators are saying that the Opt out forms covered this activity, then why were so many children who's parent's had signed them still in the class? I happened to find out about the activity by chance...I was not informed. I think we all deserve the right to make informed decisions about what our children are exposed to.
(email verified)
Mon, Oct 08, 2007 at 07:58 AM
I'd be interested in a broader approach to this thing. What about mandatory service to your country, (say a year) after the age of 18 or graduation, whichever comes last.
Such service could be military or civilian, and representatives of all of the various options could interact with the kids officially during senior year.
In this way, we'd all be tied in to the idea of obligation and we'd appreciate the country more whether we were offering military or civilian service.
Ms. Salvick and her detractors might find common ground here..........
(email verified)
Tue, Oct 09, 2007 at 03:10 AM
How sad that this article even made the paper - we are at war with people that want us all killed unless we switch our religion to Muslim.
As long as there is man, there will be war - I worship the ground I walk on everyday after spending 11 months in a jungle that cost us dearly.
For those of you that think it is OK to bad mouth the military - you need to think about the poor bastards that have sacrificed their lives in defense of this country.
(email verified)
Tue, Oct 09, 2007 at 06:14 PM
Ox Kovaly;
Thank you for pointing out the obvious to the fools standing in line waiting to do their masters bidding such as RC and Flak-Jak. As those of us that haven't succomed to propaganda know, the real preditors among us are the Cops and industrial financial interest that dictate the actions of our military. I expect my children to get an education at school, not be lied to or influenced by recruiters to become fodder for rich industrialist that care nothing about human life anywhere. There is absolutely nothing noble about swallowing the lies of one of the most corrupt governments in history as we have now, and contributing to an illegal war that was started on the pretext of intentional lies.
Patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels and it is obvious when you see what kind of ignorant, greedy, corrupt, selfish, brainwashed, scum come to the calling at this junction in our history. The real patriots among us are people like Julie Slavic that have the courage and character to stand up and question authority. The real cowards with no character or guts are those still waving the flag and pretending they dont hear the cries of the thousands of our good soldiers that are shedding their blood every day for the corporate profits of Haliburton and Black Water. Wake up you mindless idiots. Nothing has changed since we started the Vietnam war based on what we now know were lies about being attacked in the Gulf of Tonkin.
These fools that listen to the neo-con propaganda of whores like Limbaugh, and Billo are a much bigger threat to democracy than a billion Alquada sympathizers.
The real supporters of our boys in uniform are Cindy Shehan and those like her that are trying to stop this illegal war. All one has to do is read about the recent return of the longest serving unit in Iraq that are being denuyed their education benefits, to know how corrupt the government is they serve. I'm afraid Mr. Flac has swallowed every lie of our military profiteers. Ignorance is nothing to be proud of or celebrate. My hat is off to Julie Slavik for having the guts and the humanity to stand up against the same type of military expansionism that brought ruin to Germany and Japan a half a century ago.
(email verified)
Wed, Oct 10, 2007 at 02:09 AM
What a disgrace to our fine boys in uniform and an insult to reason to have Mr Flip Flak jump on the absurd neo-con band wagon by insisting there is something unpatriotic about standing up to an illegal war and corrupt government. Those that know Flak know that he spent no time in the jungle and that he will make up any kind of lie to support his unsupportable position. My Vietnam service means something much different to me since I found out that the Gulf of Tonkin incident was another fabricated lie by the military industrial establishment and that truth and justice were betrayed by those in power. I worship the ground Julie Slavic walks on and consider Flak and those like him to be the real enemies of freedom and democracy.
(email verified)
Wed, Oct 10, 2007 at 02:42 AM
Reductio ad absurdum;
Those are pretty big words coming from the person that has made the biggest fool of themselves by having no understnding of history or our constitution. Shame on RC
for being the fool to suggest that our violent society is civilized. Let's not confuse our WW2 era military mission with our current situation. Our soldiers back then went overseas to kill people like those running and supporting our current fascist military government. It is people like RC that are the moder day equivelent of those our fathers and grandfathers killed in Germany. Don't be fooled by these boot lickers bowing down and blindly following the dictates of a corrupt authoritarian regime. This is not patriotism, it is absolute treason and folly.
Education is the only thing that can effectivly counter
the totalitarian thinking of war mongers and resist the irrational propaganda of parrots like RC. Lets keep miltaristic propaganda peddlers out of our schools and do our part to stand up the the uncivilized among us.
(email verified)
Wed, Oct 10, 2007 at 03:12 AM
"Military service, at least in the U.S. armed forces, is a worthy and moral act, and a parent who goes to such paranoid lengths to avoid contact between their children and military personnel in general is thereby reducing their child's access to much that is ennobling, much that could increase character, maturity, and breadth of experience.
What a disappointment that those whose rights, including the right to make fools of themselves, are protected by the United States military seem so regularly incapable of treating that military with the respect it deserves." "RC"
How embarrassing to know that there are tyrants among us
that are this ignorant. Usually these are the kids that were beaten and abused as children that grow up to worship the authoritarian creed. Whats really scarey is knowing that these injured cripples are able to infect others with their desease through fear mongering.
(email verified)
Wed, Oct 10, 2007 at 03:56 AM
We Love you Julie Slavic. Thanks for being there for our kids, our school, and our country.
(email verified)
Wed, Oct 10, 2007 at 04:30 AM
"He who joyfully marches to music rank and file, has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice. This disgrace to civilization should be done away with at once. Heroism at command, how violently I hate all this, how despicable and ignoble war is; I would rather be torn to shreds than be a part of so base an action. It is my conviction that killing under the cloak of war is nothing but an act of murder."
(email verified)
Wed, Oct 10, 2007 at 04:54 AM
One cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war"
- Albert Einstein
"Force always attracts men of low morality."
- Albert Einstein
Thanks for your thoughtfulness Julie Slavick
(email verified)
Wed, Oct 10, 2007 at 05:00 AM
It's just like Nazi Germany all over again. Just turn on the military propaganda channel (FOX NEWS) and there you have it; question or criticize the administraton or their military agenda and your patriotism is in question and you hate America. We seem to have a lot of unsohisticated Americans falling for the same type of blatant propaganda the Germans were brainwashed with when the fascist took power.
Anyone that does't understand that our right to question and criticize our government, especially the military, is missing the whole point of democracy and what so many Americans sacrificed their lives for. No one disgraces our soldiers both past and present more than these pathetic, extremist, neo-cons posing as conservatives now-a-days that try so hard to silence free speech and twist the truth. I am retired military, and it sickens me to here someone say something like, "As long as there is man there will be war". Evidently, this soul sick, fatalistic, nihilist gave up on himself and humanity a long time ago. People this weak should just shoot themselves in the head and spare humanity from suffering their desease.
The only hope we have as a nation and as humans is to strive to overcome the preditory nature that the neo-cons hold up as being the crown jewel of civilization.
As someone that spent his whole life serving his country, my hope and faith are with those people like
Julie Slavick that haven't lost their humanity and still remember what our boys in uniform are really fighting for.
(email verified)
Wed, Oct 10, 2007 at 07:42 AM
As a substitute teacher who worked at Sandy High during the two weeks of the National Guard team building exercises, I'd like to comment on the original intent of the article. Mrs. Slavick's concerns are valid ones. Four full days of class time were taken up in three core classes (English, Science and Focus) for these team-building activities. Collectively, that is 12 hours of direct instruction students missed out on in order to participate. While team building creates lasting social bonds and is a worthwhile use of student's time, I'm not sure placing these activities during core classes was the right place for it. Don’t we sent our kids to school to obtain an education? Reading, writing and arithmetic? Most freshman already have to take PE and quite a few are in sports. Many of them get lots of physical, and social interaction. Maybe they could do these activities during PE or after school.
I have to say that while I respect all who serve in the military and am extremely grateful for the security they provide my family, friends and myself, I agree with Mrs. Slavick's opposition of a uniformed, military presence in the classrooms. Students pick up on all kinds of messages given to them in class. I believe that the military uniforms directly "advertise" to a captive audience in classrooms. When instructors come in wearing military uniforms, their captive audience has no choice but to listen and be influenced by them. When they spoke about their positive experiences in Iraq, for example, students listened. While they didn’t actively recruit, these guardsmen and women had nothing but positive things to say about the guard. I think anyone out there posting on this blog would have to agree that serving in Iraq is not all sunshine and roses. But, you wouldn't know if from these folks. Students didn’t hear about the negative aspect of serving at all during the exercises. Just about the good times. Most of the students respected the National Guard instructors and hung on their every word. I’d say they had a great deal of influence on these kids.
By the way, the administration admitted that no information had been sent home prior to the activities. Parents were not informed about the activities or who would be presenting them. I believe that all parents should have the right to know if something outside the approved curriculum is being taught to their children. While these activities might be great social experiences, I don't believe they should be held during core classes.
(email verified)
Wed, Oct 10, 2007 at 10:10 AM
Thank you sub-
teacher for your balanced and thoughtful report on this all important matter. It's a shame that this anti intellectual, anti free speech frenzy that has enveloped our country can extend all the way to concerned parents being accused of being paranoid or anti-American.
In a perfect world, purveyors of this anti-American, right wing extremism would be publicly executed for their complicity in betraying our constitution, sending our civil rights so far down the slipery slide and destroying our nations reputation around the world. I believe it would be very healing for our nation if we could all witness King George, Dick Cheney, Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh and Bill OReiley being hung just as Sadam was.
Maybe next month our school administrators can allow the Jersey Girls 12 hours of class room time to talk with students about what really did and didn't happen on 9-11, and how our government has fought tooth and nail to prevent any real dialogue or investigation into these events.
(email verified)
Wed, Oct 10, 2007 at 11:22 AM
With all do respect for The Oregon Guard and all the good work they do, I guess the big questions here would be whether or not the guard demands random drug test from its members. Please remember that the other local agencies that are involved with drug prevention, Sandy Police and Clackamas County Sheriff's office, have lost all credibility with the public since it came out that these agencies refuse to drug test. The Clackamas County Peace Officers Association has vigorously objected to any random drug testing program even after a number of drug related felony convictions within their ranks these last two years.
My concern as a parent is that any drug prevention program be a legitamate one encouraging real drug education and not one coming from an agency that makes millions of dollars off the drug war and yet shows no accountability when it comes to it's own credibility.
In a way, the Guard coming into a school and using the buzz word Drug Prevention is about as credible as Rudy Giuliana using the word 9-11 sixteen times during a campaign speech. It's kind of like asking Black Water how the Iraqi war is going.
We have already militarized a whole nation of police departments and taken away precious liberties such as Habius Corpus and the right to privacy. When the military starts getting a footing in our high schools, I believe it's like the canary croaking in the coal mine. Time to wake up sleepy heads, cause it's looking more like a totalitarian police state and martial law every day.
(email verified)
Wed, Oct 10, 2007 at 01:04 PM
Mr. Freedom and Security Lover is the kind of fear mongering coward that has no deeper understanding of human nature or history than what he hears on right wing nut radio and dillegently repeats.
"Those that would sacrifice freedom for security deserve neither". "Ben Franklin"
If this war was so noble and neccassary you pathetic moron, why did the criminals running our country have to lie and stage 9-11 to get us into it. I have no doubt that when this all comes out, you will be one of the little piss-ant cowards pretending at innocence and saying you were just following orders and serving God and country. You are a filthy, disgusting excuse for a human and no doubt a cancer on your family and community. "Masters of War" is all about parasite losers like you.
(email verified)
Wed, Oct 10, 2007 at 03:16 PM
Oops. that last was from me. Forgot to fill in the name thingy.
Request to the editor:
Could you ask greater Pamplonia to make publication conditional on filling in the little boxes?
Most "comment sections" have that feature........
(email verified)
Thu, Oct 11, 2007 at 02:33 AM
Thanks Pat. You keep that bike on the road now.
(email verified)
Thu, Oct 11, 2007 at 03:02 AM
Say what you will about the politics of this situation
but please keep things in context. No one including Julie Slavick has demeaned our soldiers or troops that serve us. This rediculous knee-jerk reaction condemming anything or anyone that questions our government or military is totally disingenuous and is sad proof that our media is dishing out much more propaganda than news now a days.
Had this situation occured ten years ago there might not have been even the slightest interest or skepticism.
When is this country going to wake up? Our constitution has been so weakened and trashed that we may never regain what we have lost under our current corrupt administration. Our nation is fighting an illegal war that was started based on lies and has left us isolated from a more civillized world community. We have a leader who acts like a dictator and a congress too afraid to stand up to him.
Julie is right to question why we need soldiers in uniform teaching our kids skills that any other competent instructor could teach. What happened to gym class or the sports that teach team building? And why would administrators allow students to miss class when our school year is already so short? Do we need soldiers to teach kids how to make responsible decisions about using drugs? Some of us have tryed for years to get more responsible Drug prevention programs in our schools that really educate but we end up with the terrible government supported law-enforcement programs that continue to lie to kids about the real drug issues. Its all tied to grant money. If you want financial help you must tow the government line and perpetuate the lies of our government whoes main interest is keeping the drug war dollars rolling in and keeping the prices and profits high for the illegal drug trade.
Lon Welsh is proibably a contientious and good guy, but I'm afraid he is caught up in the devil's bargain. If he wants to get grant dollars into his school he has to give something to the government in return. In this case it is the subtle influence of letting soldiers into our school to let kids know that it's OK to support the military and war. I doubt that these guard members showed our fourteen year olds any pictures of soldiers blown apart or pictures of the thosands in hospitol wards missing limbs. I also doubt that these guard members told our children that "All Drugs" have the potential to be harmful including the legal Prescription ones that help finance all of our elections.
Iraq did not attack us, and all this tired old rhetoric about Julie Slavic kissing the ground she walks on and honoring our soldiers is pure political propaganda that starts in a basement think tank somewhere in Washinton DC and is sponsored by those making huge profits on this war like Haliburton and Black Water. It then goes to the right wing pundits like Limbaugh and BillO and is sold to the TV People. My father landed on the beech at Normandy during WW2 and he hated our government for what it has become until the day he died. Loving your country and your government are two entirely different things now-a-days.
I feel confident that Julie Slavick does love her country and respect those that serve in uniform: Maybe much more deeply and thoughtfully than those shallow members of the mob that would like to lynch her. Being a patriot at this point in our history does require questioning all that our government and authorities do and it requires the courage to stand up against what we know to be wrong even if it means being attacked by the most shallow and ignorant among us.
(email verified)
Thu, Oct 11, 2007 at 10:53 PM
Thanks reverend for saying some things that needed to be said about "real Patriotism". The person that penned most of the post attacking Ms. Slavick mistakenly compares our contemporary situation with that of post WW2 America. Back then we all had good reason to be patriots, rejoice in winning a war against evil tyrany, and show eternal graditude for those in uniform that served and sacrificed.
In his fairwell address to our nation in 1961, Dwight Eisenhower warned of the "Military Industrial Complex" whose motive was purely the shared greed between defence contractors- the Pentagon- and the executive/ congressional branch of government. Since that time democracy, the press and the power of the idividual citizen have fallen prey to the enormous power of the corporate state.
Anyone that believes we should all fall in line and wave the flag anytime we are summoned to do so, clearly has not been paying attention to modern history and the many clever lies and manipulations used by the MIC and the corporate media they own to shape public opinion. All this business about a liberal media is simply BS. It is the way those in power attempt to keep all media in line with their agenda. Anytime someone strays from the flock they are bashed and labeled "Liberal" although they are all mostly connected & working together behind the scenes with a single pupose.
As Paul Craig Roberts said,(President Reagan's Treasure Secretary)" the Neo-Cons are like Hittler's brown coats in being morally and intelectually inferior. We are slowly being marched down the road to authoritarian tryany and those posing as modern day patriots are our biggest enemies. God bless Julie Slavick and all those like her for sounding the alarm and probably at least occasionally reading a book or two
(email verified)
Fri, Oct 12, 2007 at 06:51 AM
"Little Beruit/ Reed College"
Yea, right. You are one of millions that have told people that you were "in country" and really were not. The National Guard has the right to be present in order for the school to get the federal money they deserve. You don't know me, you don't really know anything and I suspect you are part of the ECCW that has an agenda that appears to be radical. Good luck and thanks for living out in East County...
(email verified)
Sun, Oct 14, 2007 at 03:40 PM
I joined the national guard when I was 17 and I'll tell you a few secrets. First, I was/am the same person in a uniform as I was out of it. You think that simply because someone is in a uniform they change and suddenly they're this largely imposing force but I think getting to actually know the soldiers, the way that the school allowed lets you realize they're human beings. They are no different from Slavick or ANYONE who posted a comment here today. They simply agreed to devote a part of their life to your protection.
One weekend a month they work with the military. This means that they only get six days off out of four weeks, you get eight. It's not recruitment but it's the fact that people can understand that you're not a superman but a regular human who should be treated as such... I've been to Iraq, I've done homeland security missions in Arkansas, California and Washington... I'll tell you this much, if people understood the person in the uniform more I wouldn't be stared at so much when I was getting off of duty and filling my gas tank or going to the grocery store...
I'm sorry for my banter...
(email verified)
Mon, Oct 15, 2007 at 04:13 AM
Thanks Jeffery for your comments and for your service.
I don't believe Ms. Slavick or anyone else meant to undermine the support and graditude that we should all show for our national guard. Please believe me, you don't need or want the support that comes from some of the radical right wing extremist that have posted here. They don't care about anything but using our finest young men.
These neo-con idealouges posing as patriots don't really care about our soldiers or our country as they pretend. All they care about are the half baked, un-thought out plans for the New Millinium and carrying forth their agenda to enrich a small segment of societies parasites that profit from the human misery of war. These pundits are the same ones that celebrate police violence, marshal law, and a return to A fascist authoritarian government.
Lets have this conversation about welcoming all of our military friends into our schools and establishing a good dialogue and relationship with them after we have regained control of our current insurrectionist goverment and re-established our constitution and democracy at home. Maybe our National Guard can be part of the force that helps take back our freedom as a nation. Until then, God bless.
(email verified)
Mon, Oct 15, 2007 at 06:27 AM
Just who is PWFak trying to con calling members of ECCW, radicals? The real radicals are the rouge cops that belong to inner-department gangs that use drugs, terrorize innocent citizens, shoot unarmed civillians, and use violence and perjury as a means of enforcing their gang's code of street ethics. Give it up PWFlak, weve read all your right wing, boot licking, pro cop post before and know that you are a racist that supports the uglist crimes in our society. Glad you live in Idaho with the other radical white supremist.
(email verified)
Mon, Oct 15, 2007 at 06:40 AM
Comment to Dave and anyone else interested in the truth about the Counterdrug Support Program, I am one that began and worked with the National Guard to develop the Counterdrug Support Program Drug Prevention you are talking about that was held in Sandy. I am not a recruiter, never was and never intended to be. The men and women you see providing drug prevention to your students are individuals who have commetted their lives to helping youth develop assets that will help them be successful in life. These individuals do not recruit, take names or give military information. They encourage college and continued education and also provide positive role models for students to show drug use does not fit in to success. These people you see in uniform work long hours, sometimes over 12 hr days for 6 weeks at a time and they do it because they believe in our youth of today. I know this for a fact because I hand picked them myself. It is hard today to find people committed to helping young people today. You may think this is a recruiting tactic but I can tell you from experience, it is totally based on drug prevention research and a passion to help the youth. This is one reason why there are so few people selected to join the Oregon National Guard prevention team. These people truely care about your kids. And by the way Dave, your comment on wanting your kids to spend time with someone who has a college education, I have a degree and the prevention team encourages everyone to continue to further their education. They encourage students to further their education and to stay focused on their goals which is way more time than is spent on discussing the uniform. I for one want to recognize the miltiary for taking such an active role in drug prevention. They not only work with schools, they support local coalitions, state agencies and national programs to help create sustainability within Oregon. I bet you didn't know that. Freedom of speach is fine but you should know what you are talking about before you put someone or some organization down.
(email verified)
Mon, Oct 15, 2007 at 07:09 AM
As Joan Loftis says, there are plenty of wonderful young people in todays military dedicated to helping kids and doing all kinds of other great things. Not to discredit any of this kind altruistic behavior coming from these fine young Americans, but why is our military involved with drug education in our schools. Isn'r their job protecting our borders and national security? Do we really need another layer of government involving itself in this tyrannical war on drugs that has brought us such fine things as militarized police forces across the nation, illegal search and seizures laws that have weekened our constitutional rights, and billions upon billions spent on a drug war that has always been an absolute failure.
Ms. Loftis assures us more than once that none of this has anything to do with recruiting. Just nice well intentioned people in uniform trying to save our kids from drugs, no strings attached. Sounds good until you take a look at Joan Loftis's web site.
(email verified)
Mon, Oct 15, 2007 at 09:34 AM
Anyway as I was saying, go to Joan's website and you can plainly see that Joan Loftis is all about recruiting for all the branches of the military. I don't trust Joan, the Sandy school administration, or our government and I certainly don't want the military attempting to influence or recruit fourteen year olds, especially when we have an illegal war being fought that no one has an exit strategy for.
www.todaysmilitary.com/app/tm/get/opportunity/joan_loft
(email verified)
Mon, Oct 15, 2007 at 09:43 AM
Thanks for the tip Little Beirut. This little scrap of info has made me do a 180 on my earlier POV. This web-site of Joan Loftis kind of puts everything else in perspective.
It will be a long time before I trust the word of Sandy
High School Administrators, or their military recruiting friends.
(email verified)
Mon, Oct 15, 2007 at 10:08 AM
My biggest concern is that if the National Guard gets axed from goming into any local school, that school will lose its Federal dollars. It appears that are too many loonies out there that are opposed to the National Guard, or any other military organization, showing up on some school campus to let students know what is going on. If the military is so bad, why do so many young adults continue to enlist in one way or another. It is a sad state to read the postings in this matter. There are so many negative "ECCW" members posting stuff that is has gotten out of hand and this article should be closed.
(email verified)
Mon, Oct 15, 2007 at 09:59 PM
As the mother of one of these Soldiers that teaches this drug prevention program in the schools, and as a Soldier myself I can safely say I know the intent of this program and I know that when these soldiers go to the schools they go there strictly to do what they are "WELL TRAINED" and "EDUCATED" on; team building, drug prevention, and life skills. Talking to 14 yr olds about joining the military is absurd and furtherest from being factual. Kids being inquisitive will ask questions, then and only then will these soldiers talk about the military and their own experiences truthfully without adding any extra fluff to sensationalize the Guard. I know the commitment and dedication these soldiers have and I see the good that comes from these types of programs. Its difficult reading these comments from individuals that are not fully informed. I am so proud of what my daughter is doing for her country and the children in her community. I will continue to serve just as my daughter will, in hopes of someday all the people that are against this program will stand up and be just as proud of their children and the path they choose in life possibly because of what they learned from these citizen soldiers and the program.
(email verified)
Tue, Oct 16, 2007 at 06:22 AM
John mills is either reading post somewhere else or trying to spin the ones appearing here. I don't see any post saying the military is so bad. And just what is it "that is going on" that John thinks our boys in uniform need to inform our fourteen year olds of? Thank God for the vigillent parents and teachers that Mr. Mills refers to as loonies. Gee John, are you saying that our government is so corrupt that they would cut off federal funding for our schools if they couldn't have our military get a foot in the door to influence kids in our schools at the tender age of fourteen? Doesn't sound like you have a very high opinion of our government. God bless Julie Slavick ans all the other Americans that still believe in free speech and an open and transparent government. And thank Little Beirut for posting the the web-address of the Joan Loftis recruiting site: www.todaysmilitary.com. I found it very informative
(email verified)
Tue, Oct 16, 2007 at 11:15 AM
OK, I'll believe none of this has anything to do with recruiting if you will believe that our family value christian republicans aren't mostly closet homo-sexual devients. Who loves ya baby.
(email verified)
Tue, Oct 16, 2007 at 01:32 PM
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Re: Some up in arms over National Guard's class time
Julie Slavick needs to get a grip on reality. She should get on her knees and thank whatever God she believes in, that we have citizens who are willing to put their lives on hold, and on the line to protect her rights and her way of life. Members of the National Guard are serving not only the community, but the national interests. If it were not for the military, she would not be enjoying the freedoms she now takes for granted and takes advantage of.
By denying her son the opportunity to interact with members of the military, she is doing him a disservice. It's too bad she is putting her petty political beliefs ahead of the welfare of her son and other kids as well. If she has taught her child as she believes, what is she afraid of? Why doesn't she trust her child's ability to make the correct decisions after being exposed to something outside of her narrow view of citizenship? Is she afraid that her son may actually learn the truth?
A reminder to Ms. Slavick and her ilk, "Freedom Isn't Free."
"R. Lee"
(email verified)
Thu, Oct 04, 2007 at 05:15 AM