what marine recruiters will do!!

[mimitabby]

this is an incredible story!

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


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.

more...

[mimitabby]

1. look out, moms and dads!

[Tux]

2. No means no

If they want recruits, go to evangelical churches and say that the USMC needs crusaders for Jesus. They'd have more people than they cna train. And clean the gene pool to boot.

[Greyskye]

3. Unbelievable!

:wow:
If anyone else had done that, they'd be under arrest for unlawful detention!

So when is/was this big training day for military recruiters supposed to take place?

Recommended.

[pocket]

4. Just tell them that you're gay!

That should get them to fuck off.

[mimitabby]

15. it worked for MY son

[wicket]

17. Alice's Restaurant

"You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant" :D

[preciousdove]

31. Son's friend only told them he was a "creative writing" major

It had ths same message but it would keep him from being rounded up when they come for the gays (he wasn't). Worked so well he passed it around to his friends to use.

[pnorman]

5. Everybody here, please read the entire article!

Here's a choice extract:

"He could pursue his love of chemistry. He could serve anywhere he chose and leave any time he wanted on an "apathy discharge" if he didn't like it. And he wouldn't have to go to Iraq if he didn't want to."

Anyone here ever heard of an "apathy discharge"? Or a recruit having veto power over going to Iraq? The next thing they'll no doubt tell him would be that he "could be POTUS, if he played his cards right".

pnorman
On edit: Good idea! I too put this on "recommend".

[FreedomAngel82]

8. That's such bullshit

They're clearly lying to them. We all know why they're pushing for people to join. After training they'd be on the first plane to Iraq.

[Spectral]

10. We need to create a website for teens and parents to help them fight this

Especially the lies about "apathy discharge".

[City Lights]

12. I caught that.

What a bunch of lies.

I recommended also.

[JPZenger]

6. NPR - Fake Diplomas and How to Beat Drug Tests

NPR had a story last week about a writer for a high school newspaper who tape recorded his phone conversations with a military recruiter. The recruiter told him to go to an internet site to print out a fake high school diploma and told him where to go to buy a kit to beat the military's drug tests.

[FreedomAngel82]

9. I heard about that

How disgusting. Was this the guy who recorded his conversation with a recruiter and he raised various question's?

[FreedomAngel82]

7. And here I thought

we were winning the war on terror!!!

:crazy:

Can the family change their number?

[NJCher]

11. remember all that Cold War propaganda they fed us about Russia?

Those stories couldn't top this.


Cher

[cyberpj]

13. Sounds like kidnapping to me. nt.

[Pacifist Patriot]

23. Damn right.

If that were my kid I'd be pressing charges.

[understandinglife]

14. Related DU thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=3812002&mesg_id=3812002

Peace.


A wounded U.S. Marine suffering from a gunshot wound is carried by fellow Marines for a helicopter evacuation from his base at Camp Kalzoo near Iskandariyah south of Baghdad, Iraq (AP Photo/John Moore)


www.missionnotaccomplished.us - We support Apian's goal of 10,000,000 signatures on Congressman Conyers letter by June 21, 2005; make it happen! http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/6/6/214643/6438

[Sgt. Baker]

16. Pregnant wife

They called my pregnant wife and tried to recruit her. When she told them she was 8 months pregnant they actually apologised for calling.

[babylonsister]

18. Hey, Sgt.-

welcome to DU! :hi:

[Rainscents]

20. Welcome to DU!!! Stay around as we love to have you here!

This Seattle PI and your story is un-believable! These people are sick baster!:hi:

[Sgt. Baker]

25. Thanks for the welcome

Glad to be here.

[GreenPartyVoter]

30. I am waitng for them to call my 5 and 7 year old sons. Welcome to DU and

congrats on that baby! :D

[Lone_Wolf]

19. Let's see... sleep deprivation, constant busy work, not being left alone.

It sounds like the Marines have learned their recruiting tactics from a cult.

[Roland99]

21. Hitler Youth Party...they were compelled to join...remember?

I just had to put this story on my blog.

This is some scary shit!

[Jacobin]

22. I just read the whole article

Amazing abuse going on with this stuff.

[Pacifist Patriot]

24. Holy Sh**!

If that were my son I'd be raising holy hell and finding out exactly what my legal recourses were. Her son was kidnapped.

[dmr]

26. Couldn't they have been arrested for kidnapping?

Boy, I'm going to have to hang on more tightly to my 16 year old.

[OneTwentyoNine]

29. If this story is 100% on the level then HELL YES imo......n/t

[EC]

27. It's called shanghai-ing

that's how they used to crew pirate and war ships, just steal them off the streets...

On edit: if the kid is only 17, aren't there a bunch of laws about transporting minors across statelines they could get them on?

[MADem]

32. That is probably why they let it go, in a hurry!

I do think the mother should pursue that angle, but she is poor, and the attorney would have to do the work pro bono. Also, it is hard as hell to sue them, they just delay, obfuscate, and delay some more. It would take an attorney who isn't looking at the bottom line to make that happen.

[OneTwentyoNine]

28. What...tired of hanging around Walmart parking lots??

Probably got pretty hot pounding the asphalt at the local Wally World looking for fresh meat to join Bush's Iraq get together.