Friday, March 7, 2008

Tap Dancing Marine Recruiters and Other Threats

"Anti-war judge rejects foster teen's bid to join military" Daily News, Los Angeles (March 7, 2008)

At least one California official, and her loyal bailiff, seems determined to protect this nation's citizens from an insidious threat: tap dancing recruiters.
  • Shawn Sage, 17, wants to join the United States Marine Corps
  • He's in California's foster system, so he had to ask permission from Children's Court Commissioner Marilyn Mackel
  • Commissioner Mackel 'knows' that all recruiters are alike, and that the war in Iraq is wrong, so she denied his request
Commissioner Mackel seems to have made it part of her mission in life, to protect America's youth from the wiles of recruiters. Excerpts from the Daily News article:

" 'The judge said she didn't support the Iraq war for any reason why we're over there," said Marine recruiter Sgt. Guillermo Medrano of the Simi Valley USMC recruiting office.

" 'She just said all recruiters were the same - that they 'all tap dance and tell me what I want to hear.' She said she didn't want him to fight in it.' ..."

"Mackel said she denied delayed enlistment to an eager Navy recruit as well, Medrano said.

"She expressed concern that recruiters treat recruits 'like another warm body,' he said. 'She said, "All you care about is your numbers." "

"At this point, the 10-year Marine said the court bailiff raised his hand and addressed the young Sage.

" 'My son's in the Army,' he said. 'He did the Delayed Entry Program. They don't care about you. They're just there for the numbers.' "

You can't make this sort of thing up. Here's a judge - and her bailiff - 'protecting' a young man who wants to protect her right to say whatever they want: No matter how crazy.

Sadly, since Mackel has official powers, her opinions change the lives of people who fall under her power.

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Blogroll

Note! Although I believe that these websites and blogs are useful resources for understanding the War on Terror, I do not necessarily agree with their opinions. 1 1 Given a recent misunderstanding of the phrase "useful resources," a clarification: I do not limit my reading to resources which support my views, or even to those which appear to be accurate. Reading opinions contrary to what I believed has been very useful at times: sometimes verifying my previous assumptions, sometimes encouraging me to change them.

Even resources which, in my opinion, are simply inaccurate are sometimes useful: these can give valuable insights into why some people or groups believe what they do.

In short, It is my opinion that some of the resources in this blogroll are neither accurate, nor unbiased. I do, however, believe that they are useful in understanding the War on Terror, the many versions of Islam, terrorism, and related topics.