Deception was Marine recruiter's game

[Snazzy]

Deception was Marine recruiter's game

By MIKE KALIL
Reformer Staff

BRATTLEBORO -- When Staff Sgt. Jimmy Massey worked as a Marine recruiter, he felt like a god.

Now, he prays to God for forgiveness.

"I pray to God every day for his forgiveness for what I've done," he said Tuesday.

...

Massey recruited Marines for three years, during which time he said he brought 75 men and three women on board. About 95 percent of those recruits, he said, are most likely serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

...

His platoon killed innocent civilians, he said, and the news was covered up. The military has used depleted uranium munitions in the war, he said, shooting the armor-piercing ammo at vehicles.

....

Much more, this guy needs some Nat'l press:

http://www.reformer.com/Stories/0,1413,102~8862~2298883,00.html

[thebigidea]

1. a headline you'd NEVER see in the Nat'l press

[JSJ]

2. is the sgt bi...?

...because he seems to want to have it both ways, now.

[DulceDecorum]

3. One reason Paul got Wellstoned

was because he permitted the children
of the nations of the rest of the world
freedom from being compelled into war by the Pentagon.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
November 10, 1999
Mr. WELLSTONE submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing condemnation of the use of children as soldiers and the belief that the United States should support and, where possible, lead efforts to establish and enforce international standards designed to end this abuse of human rights.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c106:S.CON.RES.72:

In October, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution, introduced by Senator Paul Wellstone (D-MN), calling on the United States NOT TO BLOCK INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO ESTABLISH EIGHTEEN AS THE MINIMUM AGE FOR PARTICIPATION IN ARMED CONFLICT. The United Nations working group negotiating the proposed international agreement will convene for its next session in Geneva in January.
The letter's signers note that setting a minimum age of eighteen for recruitment or participation in armed conflict would be consistant with existing international norms that guarantee children under the age of eighteen special care and protection. Such standards include the nearly-universally ratified Convention on the Rights of the Child, international treaties prohibiting children from hazardous labor, and other protective legislation. A new policy recently announced by the United Nations Secretary General sets eighteen as the minimum age for UN peacekeepers.
http://www.hrw.org/press98/dec/csltr.htm

The Office of International Development Assistance, argues against establishing eighteen as the minimum age of enlistment because “the United States considers the seventeen-year age limit an important improvement in the protections extended to children by nations and the most feasible approach at the present time to secure the broadest possible consensus among the nations of the world.” The U.S. also argues against establishing eighteen as the minimum age of enlistment into military because THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT WILL OPPOSE MEASURES THAT PREVENT THEM FROM RECRUITING 17 YEAR OLD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS and, therefore, make it difficult to achieve consensus within the U.S.
http://www.rac.org/issues/issuecs.html

STOP THE USE OF CHILD SOLDIERS
On February 12, 2002 a new international treaty banning the use of child soldiers will become reality. This treaty - the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict - prohibits the military recruitment and conscription of children under the age of eighteen, as well as their participation in armed conflict. Currently, an estimated 300,000 children under the age of eighteen are fighting in conflicts in about 40 countries around the world. Ninety-three countries have signed the protocol, and fourteen have ratified it.
details, please visit http://www.hrw.org/campaigns/crp/callin.htm

Washington, DC
December 24, 2002
The United States has officially become a State Party to the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict by depositing its ratification instruments at the United Nations today. The Senate unanimously provided its advice and consent to ratification and PRESIDENT BUSH SIGNED THE INSTRUMENTS OF RATIFICATION. This illustrates the commitment of the United States to the protection of children by working with the international community to end abuses and recognize universal human rights norms. This protocol seeks to protect children from the harmful and widespread impact of armed conflict. ......
States Parties agree, inter alia, to –
take all feasible measures to ensure that persons under the age of 18 do not take a direct part in hostilities;
establish 18 as the minimum age for compulsory recruitment into their armed forces;
declare the minimum age for voluntary enlistment at time of deposit (in the U.S., 17 years old with parental consent); .......

The Departments of State and Defense were deeply involved in the negotiations leading to the adoption of the protocol.
• The Department of Defense has determined that it can comply with the protocol while fully protecting U.S. military recruitment and readiness programs.
• U.S. law already prohibits the compulsory recruitment of persons under the age of 18 for any type of military service.
• U.S. law also prohibits accepting voluntary recruits below the age of 17.
• The protocol does not affect the U.S. military’s ability to carry out its national security missions.
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2002/16213.htm


Article Published: Wednesday, July 28, 2004 2:17:23 AM EST
"As long as he's 17 and he's fixing to be a senior, I can sign him up," he said.
He said he would feed off the student's desires and weaknesses -- money, self confidence. He would drive around in a brand-new Ford Mustang to show that his way of life brings in the money, even though Massey could hardly afford the car payments.
This was his job, he said, and not doing it brings punishment. Nevertheless, he said parents and students have a choice: They can opt out of allowing the military to get their children's name through public schools.
http://www.reformer.com/Stories/0,1413,102~8862~2298883,00.html

PLEASE DO NOT HAVE AN ABORTION
when you can
Allow the GOP to kill your child a few years later.

The most widely ratified human rights treaty in history is the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was adopted by the UN on 20 November 1989.
Only two countries have failed to ratify it.
Somalia, which until recently did not have an internationally recognised government,
(thanks to US intervention)
signed the Convention in May 2002 but has not yet ratified it. The United States has also signed the Convention, but has failed to ratify it. This may be because some US States want to continue to be able to execute their juveniles - an action expressly forbidden by the Convention.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/people/features/ihavearightto/four_b/treaties_children.shtml