Marine Recruiters Harass (and kidnap?) 17 year old ---MUST READ

[cyberpj]

Wednesday, June 8, 2005
When Marine recruiters go way beyond the call
By SUSAN PAYNTER
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER COLUMNIST

For mom Marcia Cobb and her teenage son Axel, the white letters USMC on their caller ID soon spelled, "Don't answer the phone!"

Marine recruiters began a relentless barrage of calls to Axel as soon as the mellow, compliant Sedro-Woolley High School grad had cut his 17th birthday cake. And soon it was nearly impossible to get the seekers of a few good men off the line.

With early and late calls ringing in their ears, Marcia tried using call blocking. And that's when she learned her first hard lesson. You can't block calls from the government, her server said. So, after pleas to "Please stop calling" went unanswered, the family's "do not answer" order ensued.

But warnings and liquid crystal lettering can fade. So, two weeks ago when Marcia was cooking dinner Axel goofed and answered the call. And, faster than you can say "semper fi," an odyssey kicked into action that illustrates just how desperate some of the recruiters we've read about really are to fill severely sagging quotas.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/paynter/227497_paynter08.html

[Solly Mack]

1. Holy shit! Those people need to be charged !!!!!

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

2. That is an outrage

In essence they used sensory deprivation to torture him into enlisting

[AverageJoe]

3. My dad was a Marine

He served honorably in Korea and won a Purple Heart after being wounded by shrapnel. He is proud of his service and so am I. The actions of these marines make me sick and I know they would make my dad furious.

Jesus, this is disgusting. It is also terrifying.

[cyberpj]

24. My Dad and yours would agree about this.

And I know all Marines aren't like this but it seems like "Today's Military" is fast on it's way to becoming a terrorist organization itself.

And a shame to the many who have served admirably.

[AverageJoe]

26. Amen!

And here's to our dads! :toast:

[rocktivity]

4. If someone had written this as a screenplay

it would have been laughed out of every studio in Hollywood.

:headbang:
rocknation

[Renew Deal]

5. This is a DUers son or nephew.

It was posted here last week.

[dmr]

36. OMG! NO!

You or someone else wouldn't have a link would you?

[MissB]

6. I can smell the desperation from here

Absolutely frightening. They certainly are taking a page from their commander-in-chief with their deceptive recruitment practices.

[cyberpj]

28. And how about here?

The Children’s Crusade
Military programs move into middle schools to fish for future soldiers
By Jennifer Wedekind

Tarsha Moore stands as tall as her 4-foot 8-inch frame will allow. Staring straight ahead, she yells out an order to a squad of peers lined up in three perfect columns next to her. Having been in the military program for six years, Tarsha has earned the rank of captain and is in charge of the 28 boys and girls in her squad. This is Lavizzo Elementary School. Tarsha is 14.

http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/2136

[rateyes]

7. Turds!

[FreedomAngel82]

8. That's just nuts

Damn Bush.

[cyberpj]

9. Military programs move into middle schools to fish for future soldiers

The Children’s Crusade
Military programs move into middle schools to fish for future soldiers
By Jennifer Wedekind

Tarsha Moore stands as tall as her 4-foot 8-inch frame will allow. Staring straight ahead, she yells out an order to a squad of peers lined up in three perfect columns next to her. Having been in the military program for six years, Tarsha has earned the rank of captain and is in charge of the 28 boys and girls in her squad. This is Lavizzo Elementary School. Tarsha is 14.

http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/2136

[mrfrapp]

12. Another piece...

"In 2002 the Bush administration passed the No Child Left Behind Act with a small, unpublicized provision: Section 9528, "Armed Forces Recruiter Access to Students and Student Recruiting Information," requires high schools to give all student contact information to the military. Most students aren't aware they can opt out by filling out a form."


Another piece of the jigsaw falls into place.

[InternalDialogue]

10. More from the story...

Next thing Axel knew, the same sergeant and another recruiter showed up at the LaConner Brewing Co., the restaurant where Axel works. And before Axel, an older cousin and other co-workers knew or understood what was happening, Axel was whisked away in a car.

"They said we were going somewhere but I didn't know we were going all the way to Seattle," Axel said.

Just a few tests. And so many free opportunities, the recruiters told him.

<snip>

At about 3:30 in the morning, Alex was awakened in the motel and fed a little something. Twelve hours later, without further sleep or food, he had taken a battery of tests and signed a lot of papers he hadn't gotten a chance to read. "Just formalities," he was told. "Sign here. And here. Nothing to worry about."

If you didn't know that the people who the boy was with were recruiters, what would you call this?

[musette_sf]

15. Amway n/t

[InternalDialogue]

18. *snork*

Nice. You owe me a new keyboard.

:P

[tavalon]

40. Replies like this

are the reason I instituted a no drinking fluids at the computer rule.

That was too funny!

[musette_sf]

42. funny, yes

but (sadly) true.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

16. Sensory deprivation...brain washing

[Q3JR4]

11. This is an outrage.

Holy Fucking Shit!

If it's THIS bad now think of the shit their going to try to pull in the future.

Email this story to everyone you know...especially parents of 15, 16, and 17 year olds.

Email your congressperson and demand them to look into it. These high pressure tactics DO NOT contribute to the "volunteer" status of the U.S. military.

If the fuckers want a draft, we should fucking force them to reinstate it. At least that way everyone would know exactly what they're getting themselves into.

[stanwyck]

13. Marine Mom weighing in

My son is back in Iraq for his second tour. He's been back since Frebruary. He loves being a Marine. A liberal Marine who voted for Kerry. He says he's there to protect his fellow Marines. It was his decision to enlist. We have no quarrel with his recruiter or the methods during his enlistment two years ago.
That said, my co-worker has had a very different experience. Her son joined the Marines last fall. It's been a nightmare. He should never have been sent to boot camp. He wasn't in adequate physical condition. How he passed the mandatory physical is a mystery.
Needless to say, his boot camp experiences were hellish. He spent over seven months in boot camp...seven months. And never made it through the training. He's home now on a medical discharge.
I don't feel confident that the necessary safeguards are currently in place.

[cyberpj]

17. Thank you for your input. We pray for you and yours as well as

these that need our outrage.

"I don't feel confident that the necessary safeguards are currently in place.

That comment from you is valued and appreciated.

[Jose Diablo]

14. Hmmm..maybe 'press gangs' can fill the quota

I can see it now, military teams closing in on the rave pit, some poor smucks too wiped-out to escape, waking on a ship to Iraq. A CO with a bullhorn administering the oath and they are in, for the duration.

Thats one way to fill the quota.

:hide:

[cyberpj]

27. And I was thinking Laura's appointment to the GANG PROBLEM was for this

same thing -

-talk those bad boys into enlisting so they could put that raw energy to good use. You know, get their anger pointed at the right people --the one's Georgie boy hates.

[enigmatic]

19. This is complete bullshit

And the tactics they are using are straight out of any cult member's handbook; hell, Jim Jones could have done this.

Fuck this shit.

[Pacifist Patriot]

20. Also being discussed here...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1838705

It's kidnapping, plain and simple. If it were me I'd be all over a bunch of marine asses right now. I hope this mom pursues the issue.

[LizW]

21. Sounds like they're profiling just like pedophiles do

Compliant, polite sons of a single moms, taught to be nice and not cause a fuss. "Be a man." "Think for yourself." "Don't be a burden to your mom."

Bush will get my boys over my rotting corpse.

[Pacifist Patriot]

22. It does sound like that, doesn't it.

*shudder*

[meganmonkey]

23. Yep - 'Make your (dead) dad proud" ?!

:puke:

[TexasLawyer]

30. really good point

I'll bet they didn't reckon on this particular mother's ferocity in getting her son back. She really saved the day-- I shudder to think what would have happened to Axel if his mother didn't know what the family's rights were, and if she weren't willing or able to press those rights.

I bet they also didn't expect that she would get a lawyer.

This is yet another "tax" on the poor-- you're son is targetted by military recruiters because of your family's lack of resouces, then you have to pay a lawyer to get your son back from the military recruiters after they abduct him.

[cyberpj]

31. "tax" on the poor - couldn't have said it better - and yep, I'm sure

they didn't expect his Mom to be so ferocious, brave, and knowledgeable!

Can I get an AMEN for MOMs?!?!

[ryan_cats]

25. OMG!

I kept reading expecting a punch line. How the hell do they think kidnapping a kid is OK? They should be arrested for kidnapping, kicked out of the Marines or at least lose their rank.

Reminds me of the Simpsons boy band episode.

yvan eht nioj

[Walt Starr]

29. Do you smell that? I said, do you smell that? That's desperation, son.

I love the smell of desperation in the morning.

Smells like...

Victory.

[cyberpj]

32. Oh I smell it alright -- and so do these guys!

[derby378]

33. Send this to Randi Rhodes, Keith Olbermann, etc. NOW

This brings back the old concept of "press-gangs" in a very real and threatening way.

[derby378]

34. Your children can opt-out of No Child Left Behind

NCLB allows recruiters to target your children with aggressive campaigns. Use the form provided to opt your children out of this travesty:

http://www.militaryfreezone.org/opt_out

[neuvocat]

35. Funny. Remember how everyone was so in favor of fighting terrorists?

My my how things have changed.

[derby378]

37. We're not fighting terrorists anymore

We had our chance in Afghanistan - and we blew it. Now the Taliban are even thinking of making a comeback.

[DarbyUSMC]

38. "And before Axel, an older cousin and other co-workers knew or understood

what was happening, Axel was whisked away in a car."


Let me just say that the USMC in my name does mean that I am a former Marine. However, I'm not basing my opinion on my loyalty to the Marine Corps. If there are recruiters out there taking advantage of the mentally impaired or if they are not taking "no" for an answer from the prospective recruit, then things need to change.

Axel ----- yes, I'd say he's pretty passive. All through the article he is acting like he just arrived on the planet. Then he is signing papers and taking tests. All of a sudden he's in a motel room. A screenplay? No, no one would believe that a boy this age, in college according to the article, would be so easily led by anyone ------ especially after being pestered since turning seventeen, according to his mother. He already knew the routine. He wasn't interested and his Mom did not want them calling but still ----- Axel answered the phone by mistake and then after time had passed Axel was confused and got in a car and gosh, took tests and signed papers. He was mixed up, poor baby. He hadn't had a chance to read the papers and there he was in Seattle. Magically transported to Seattle in a car he somehow was "whisked" into. Hmmmm. My children are pretty easy going but at that age, none of them would ever have been whisked off in a car by anybody.

Rereading the article I would bet a bit of moula that Axel (named after Axel Rose?) was saying one thing to Mom and another to the Marines. The ultimate decision comes from the person being recruited. If indeed, he has no judgment and can't make a decision that is his own, then let the chips fall and let other Marines thank the powers that be that Axel isn't watching their backs. If the two recruiters are guilty of all these charges, and more, then they definitely should be removed and lose rank. I'd like to hear their version or even Axel's without mother and sister.

Of course I could be wrong.

[cyberpj]

39. Thank you for adding your thoughts. USMC is NOT a dirty word -

and though there may be some dirty tactics out there it doesn't mean any of us should disrespect everyone in the corps. As I've mentioned, I too have relatives in the marines and they are really upset by some of what's been happening in their arm of the service lately.

I hate to blame everything on the Bush administration but since so much bullying is going on since his and his PNAC buddies took over, I just can't help it. These guys don't seem to know any other way to get what they want.

[tblue37]

41. Remember pressgangs and the War of 1812? (eom)