Why I quit Cadets

[FidelCastro]

I quit Cadets, becasue for a few reasons. One was that I had to act well outside of the group. The other being the generally hate for Homosexuals that I found there (i'm not gay but i'm am an open gay rights activist) and they're attitude for left leaning people like myself. This is not a good group and I don't reccomend it.

[Body Count]

What are they?

[Hegemonicretribution]

Which cadets were you in, and in which area? Who were you badged to?

I spent a long time in cadets, evntually being top in my "county" and learnt some valuable lessons. It is not a particuarly left-leaning organisation, but it is not the army. There is definitely a lot of shit you have to put up with at first, but eventually you can have quite a platform.

Homophobia was commonplace, especially amongst the younger members who are trying to fit in. However communal showers were taken naked by all but the younger cadets.

Of course there are quite a few racists as well, but they were always very quiet around real soldiers <_<

Sexism was a definite problem, but it was often the females that were favoured where I was. It is actually a part of the publicity drive by the cadet-force, but females were generally disproportionately represented in both rank structures and limitted oppurtunities. Also there are requirements to have female NCOs also, but this was a good thing in the most part.

This atmosphere often caused a lot of negative feeling towards the female cadets, and sexism could be quite a big problem. Fortunately my sister was one of the top females when I was in charge, and as things were going really well people bit their lips.

The most startling thing about cadets however is how it can, on those special occassions, bring together a very mixed group. By the nature of it you will be stuck together through some pretty rough times, and you become very aware of each other. Most of the time those that have joined from a circumstance that one would expect to be discriminated against, are actually very strong and joined because of this. This quickly lays waste to people&#39;s genuine feelings of prejudice.

A little like in "To kill a mockingbird" when Atticus shows that the rape victim&#39;s father was the rapist beyond all doubt. The people are still racist, but they realise for the first time it was nonsense.

The problem however is that the majority of cadets (at least in my experience) are often from troubled homes, where discriminatory attitudes are common. These are often the hardest to reach, but I think they can be drven out if there are members willing to do it.

Of course I have also met with forces where they are almost without exception, assholes.

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

I used to be a member of the Army Cadets, but had to quit because I turned 18

It was hella fun, in my opinion. A really cheap way of spending a weekend playing at soldiers.

I don&#39;t remember any distinct sense of homophobia, but I definately remember the tension at the end of a long Summer Camp could almost be sexual in nature.
Someone did once try coming on to me, but I wasn&#39;t sure if they really had achey balls or if they were trying to embaress me. Either way, queer stuff :blush:

I didn&#39;t get any anti-English sentiment against me either.

My rank when I left Cadets was Lance-Corporal and I think I had two or three stars.

[redstar2000]

Originally posted by Body Count@Mar 12 2006, 12:05 PM
What are they?

Sea, Army & Air Cadets Canada

Approximate Canadian equivalent to the American Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps.

Teaching kids to be fascist assholes&#33;

[Janus]

Approximate Canadian equivalent to the American Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps.

Somewhat equivalent in purpose I suppose. However, The JROTC and ROTC do not place as much of an emphasis on military combat skills as the Royal Canadian cadets. JROTC and ROTC focuses more on leadership as both programs are designed to recruit and educate potential commissioned officers.

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

Originally posted by redstar2000@Mar 12 2006, 07:42 PM
Sea, Army & Air Cadets Canada

Approximate Canadian equivalent to the American Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps.

Teaching kids to be fascist assholes&#33;

Sorry, but as someone who&#39;s actually been through cadets, I disagree.

[Hegemonicretribution]

Originally posted by NoXion@Mar 12 2006, 08:28 PM
Sorry, but as someone who&#39;s actually been through cadets, I disagree.

I in part agree with your disagreement, but not entirely. It is my experience that cadet forces differ depending on which country it is in, which cadet force you are in, and also which particular branch you happen to be in.

I remember that the Canadian cadets I have trained with were much more right-wing and nationalistic than the cadet force I was apart of. Then again considering the background of where I live this isn&#39;t surprising, although there was at least an equal amount of English cadets.

[TC]

Originally posted by Janus@Mar 12 2006, 07:53 PM
JROTC and ROTC focuses more on leadership as both programs are designed to recruit and educate potential commissioned officers.

I believe that despite the name, JROTC targets poor minority students who primarily become enlisted soldiers (its like a recruitment tool) and ROTC students have to join the military (and they join as commissioned officers) because its part of a recruitment thing where they pay for part of their college education.

[FriedFrog]

I was in the Air Cadets. I got to learn how to fly for free, then quit when the planes got grounded (a prop fell off one when it was in flight.)

I enjoyed it though. It wasn&#39;t anything like the military.

[JC1]

I was in the Canadian Armour Cadet Corp. I joined so I could hang with my bro&#39;s and so i could get on the shooting range. I enjoyed the training, however was agrivated by all the patriotism they tried to instill in me.

[TC]

You Canadians should be patriotic&#33; Have to defend against the auld enemy to the south lol.

[The Feral Underclass]

Originally posted by FidelCastro@Mar 12 2006, 05:27 PM
(i&#39;m not gay but i&#39;m am an open gay rights activist)

I&#39;m interested to know why you thought this particular sentence was important?

[~*HastaLaVictoriaSiempre*~]

[QUOTE]QUOTE (FidelCastro @ Mar 12 2006, 05:27 PM)
(i&#39;m not gay but i&#39;m am an open gay rights activist)


I&#39;m interested to know why you thought this particular sentence was important? [QUOTE]

The Anarchist Tension, i see what your getting at, but he was just simply stating that he wasnt gay purley so unneeded questions for the thread werent asked, besides if your thinking hes a little bit against gays then he wouldnt have quit the cadets

[Black Dagger]

but he was just simply stating that he wasnt gay purley so unneeded questions for the thread werent asked,

Or because he wanted to make sure people didnt think he was gay? Because he didn&#39;t want people to make that assumption? He wanted to make it very clear that is NOT gay - what is he so afraid of? You really think that people were gonna say, &#39;hey, are you gay or something?&#39; i reallllly doubt it. He was trying to establish a distance between himself and the &#39;gays&#39; that he fights for.

This could very well be more of an issue of subconscious homophobia than overt prejudice, his choice of words is still nevertheless dubious.

besides if your thinking hes a little bit against gays then he wouldnt have quit the cadets

So people only quit the cadets because they dont like the homophobic atmosphere? He could have quit for a lot of reasons. And besides, many people stay in cadets, as he, and many other people have confessed to doing in this thread, even when the homophobic, and otherwise reactionary atmosphere was quite obvious. It&#39;s not like he quit after the first homophobic comment was made.

[STI]

JROTC targets poor minority students who primarily become enlisted soldiers

&#39;Major Payne&#39; is one of the best movies of all time&#33;