High School Oppression

[HoChiMihn01]

Every Month, branches of the military come to our school and try to indoctrinate us in to beliving that the armed forces are the only way for less fortunate people to succeed in life.

They set up booths and hand out pamphlets and hand out stickers and such. My friend and I got an idea to make a pamphlet of our own and hand them out. This pamphlet listed many of the attrocaties out military commits and explains that the armed forces is just a form of global police that enforces the idea of Americas moron leaders.and that advertising the military in our schools is a form of promoting violence and death.

We handed out hundreds of these pamphlets and for awhile no authorities found out. But someone left one on a table and all hell broke loose. The principal started rounding up everyone who had them and started a witchhunt, trying to find out who handed them out and word leaked out that I did it. So now i am suspended for 2 days. But all this does is let me plan out my next pamphlet and a full on protest.

Any ideas for someone like me please help and give advice

[Jimmie Higgins]

Wow, in High School? Good job. I think the anti-recruitment stuff really has the authorities scared.

I would suggest trying to find other people in your are who are doing the same work and could help you or give advice.

You're not alone:
http://sf.indymedia.org/news/2005/09/1720203.php

[HoChiMihn01]

Thanks man. It feels good to know that there are some open minded people who arent brainwashed.

[Free Palestine]

Heard of the Solomon Amendment? It's a piece of legislation that forbids DOD funding of schools unless the schools provide military representatives access to their students for recruting. This enables military recruiters to set up shop in high schools across the US and to call students at their homes trying to entice them into joining. That means the likelihood of any school denying these recruiters access is pretty slim. What can you do? You can start a petition or protest their presence, but despite this, recruiters will still show up unannounced on campus. Unless you want to chase military recruiters off campus on sight whenever they show up (which has actually happened before).

Yale Law School faculty sued Rumsfeld (http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/10/17/yale.lawsuit.ap/) back in '03 when he attempted to deny federal funds to Yale because it prevented military recruitment on campus. A classic case of the Solomon Amendment at work. Yale denied the recruiters access because of their discriminatory policies against gays and lesbians and Rummy wanted revenge. A federal judge in Connecticut ended up concluding that the government unconstitutionally applied the Solomon Amendment to Yale.

Not the first time Rummy's done that either..( See Rumsfeld Asks to Deny Funds to Seattle College (http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2005/2/14/232822.shtml))

[HoChiMihn01]

What it be a little too extreme: after school as everyone leaves to wrap our heads in turbans and have bandanas over our faces and burn the american flag in front of everyone.

[HoChiMihn01]

My group of supporters consist of about 15 people who all quite intelligent and capable of defending their opinions. our school only consists of about 1000 kids, and most are in military families who are clueless about the atrocities our goverment commits.

[HoChiMihn01]

i got suspended for handing out pamphlets at school today. maybe not just for the pamphlets but i was yelling at the Principal and swearing at the campus cop. thats why i want to burn a flag.

i am looking for a shirt that says i support the insurgents but i cant find. Anyone know were to find one.

[Jimmie Higgins]

I would get your 15 people and go to the recruiters in front of everyone and start asking them about why the military feels it needs to lie to students in order to get them to join:

http://www.counterpunch.com/jacobs03052005.html

You could have a few people not standing in line to talk to recruiters passing out info-sheets about the lies that recruiters tell and get people to sign a petition that they don't want the military to come on campus and recruit for the war.

A petition like that would probably not stop your school from having the recruiters come, but it would give you some clout and a show of support. If the petition goes well, it would also serve to show students that the school cares more about military recruiters than the wishes of its own students. A petition with lots of signatures would also make it harder for the school to disapline students for protesting recruiters. Additionally, see if you could get parents to sign the petition as well!

People who might be anti-war, might not support you because they'll feel like: "I'm anti-war, I'm not going to sign-up with the military, so what do I care if there are here or not". SO they might not see the importance of spending their lunch and time after school organizing with you, but they would probably sign an anti-recruitment petition. Then, when they see that many many students have signed the petition but the school still sides with the military over its own students, the people who felt like military-recruiting was a "free-speech" or "induvidual-choice" issue may be convinced that there are more systmatic concerns afoot. Additionally, if the school tried to dicipline protesting students, more students might come to your support since you would be seen as representing the views of a large chunck of students!

[Jimmie Higgins]

If you make a fact-sheet, concentrate on a few major points, don't go into the whole theory of imperialism on one flier.

1: THe military lies to recruits:
a. mone for college...
b. "no-combat" clause...

2: The military targets poor and minorety kids:
a. All the war money could be used to build new colleges and give more people educations.
b. THe military has a continueing history of discrimination...

3: Recruiters lie because the war is a lie:
a. THey always claim that troops will be home by x-mas and that the people in the invaded country want the US there, but Iraqis don't want the US to occupy them and so the government will keep troops there indefinately.
b. Troops home now, Iraq for Iraqis...

[Xvall]

Your principal is a *****. I hope he dies.

[HoChiMihn01]

Those topics are exactly wat my pamphlets says. It also shows statistics about how minorities make up 2/3 of the military and only 1/8 of the officers.

[HoChiMihn01]

And yes, by principal is a *****. I told her to suck my genitals in front of aobut 50 kids.

[Clarksist]

A similar thing happened to me, and I'm working on fighting back. Would you mind posting your flyer? I would love to use it, as I am creating my own as we speak.

High School sucks, but shit like this makes it exciting at least. :lol:

[HoChiMihn01]

http://www.notinourname.net/downloads/anti...entflyerpg1.pdf (http://www.notinourname.net/downloads/anti-recruitmentflyerpg1.pdf)

its in adobe reader

[Latifa]

You got suspended for pamphleting? Man, your school really sucks.

[ComradeOm]

Originally posted by [email protected] 19 2005, 03:43 AM
http://www.notinourname.net/downloads/anti...entflyerpg1.pdf (http://www.notinourname.net/downloads/anti-recruitmentflyerpg1.pdf)

its in adobe reader
That is one very nice pamphlet. Did you make it yourself?

[cormacobear]

Dude You kick ass! :wub:

That's the coolest thing i've heard all week good for you. And just think if you convinced one kid not to join you may have saved a dozen lives. Everyone he'd have killed and possibly his own life would have been saved by you. I can't believe that suspension is even legal what state are you in? Oh I missed the yelling at the principal and a cop. LOL so yah that's sufficient grounds for a suspension. What did they say to you about it? That's a conversation I'd have liked to have seen.

[somebodywhowantedtoleaveandnotcomeback]

:lol: Rock on Comrade !

[poetofrageX]

I wish i had a leftist support network. There's only one other communists in my school to my knowledge and he's a passive one. He refuses to get involved in debates, which leaves me to argue against as many as 6 people at a time. He just keeps saying,"i'm not really one of those "revolutionary" communists, i just think it's better than capitalism." He doesn't realise that all communists are revolutionary. He's a nice guy, but pretty much worthless politcally, since he refuses to defend his opinion.

[Wanted Man]

Hmm, yeah, I think some commies don't really care about the world anymore and become more or less a-political, try to convince him that the world still needs to be changed. Anyway, it's amazing when I hear about this, we don't have anything like that on high schools and colleges, the last I've heard is on the Education Fair, where it's allowed because all sorts of education can advertise there.

[ComradeOm]

Originally posted by [email protected] 22 2005, 07:37 AM
I wish i had a leftist support network. There's only one other communists in my school to my knowledge and he's a passive one. He refuses to get involved in debates, which leaves me to argue against as many as 6 people at a time. He just keeps saying,"i'm not really one of those "revolutionary" communists, i just think it's better than capitalism." He doesn't realise that all communists are revolutionary. He's a nice guy, but pretty much worthless politcally, since he refuses to defend his opinion.
Then your first task should be to convert him. Though he does sound like an idiot who just likes wearing Che t-shirts. A non-revolutionary communist? :huh:

[poetofrageX]

Originally posted by [email protected] 22 2005, 11:49 AM
Though he does sound like an idiot who just likes wearing Che t-shirts.
He's not, he's read the Communist Manifesto and actually knows a lot about communism, he's just too timid to get directly involved in debates or any other political action. i'll try to show him the light, of revolutionary communism.

[AK47]

Hey, I'm all for some good clean civil disobedience, but I think the balls in the mouth in front of 50 might be counter productive. (Though maybe satisfying.) You can't give these people a red herring to show people. State your position, demand you are free to act on that position, If she tells you not to disperse, display, or communicate information on that position say "yes maim" and continue to ignore her. You will confuse more people with calmness, and politeness in such situations. Better for any cause.

Just a little advice from someone who's been there.

[HoChiMihn01]

passive communists are the worst. I truly feel that passive aggression is a waste of time and rescources. To truly get your point across you must take a chance and do something people will see and remember. For instance, 9/11. This got the whole world involved. I feel that radical actions must be taken to achieve our goal.

[HoChiMihn01]

Also, thank you for your reply ak-47 i do agree that tell her to suck by balls was rash, but it was so satisfying.