CODEPINK Women for Peace

May 18, 2005

Busted! This Friday, May 20th, every military recruiting center across the country will be closed for what the U.S. Army Recruiting Command calls an "Army Values Stand Down Day." The "stand down" will be a retraining in ethics for the military's 7,500 recruiters, following a rash of complaints that recruiters are resorting to unscrupulous tactics to enlist new soldiers. Recruiters' lies can be cruel and ridiculous; a Houston army recruiter threatened to arrest a local young man if he
didn't report that day to the army recruiting station. Rae, our CODEPINK student
coordinator met an army recruiter in Oakland during our action last week. He promised her a college education and world travel. The recruiter squelched her fears about being sent to war by assuring her that she would not serve in Iraq, and added that women are not engaged in combat, and that if they return home wounded, it is probably because they went out for a "joyride in a Hummer."

While the Army stands down, WE STAND UP! On May 20th, we are joined with UFPJ, AFSC
and US Campus Anti-War Network in asking you to stand up for the demilitarization of youth. Stand up for students' rights to privacy from the military. Go to
www.Militaryfreezone.org
to call your local representative and tell them to support Mike Honda's "Student Privacy Protection Act" H.R. 551 and sign the petition.

We cannot allow these deceptive and predatory recruiters to infect our neighborhoods and schools. In addition to recruiting centers, recruiters are roaming the halls of high schools, stalking teenagers by repeatedly calling their homes, and enlisting
cheap sales tactics to draw more young people into the military. Currently, each
student's contact information is available to the Army recruiters, unless a parent
signs an "Opt Out" form.
Go to www.leavemychildalone.org
to opt out your child, to adopt a school board or to host a house party.

Check out our counter-recruitment page
www.codepinkalert.org/article.php
for local CODEPINK actions planned for May 20th around the country, especially Washington D.C. and New York City or for ideas to create actions in your own communities.