... and hot on their heels are the members of the Suffolk Peace Network Counter Military Recruitment Committee.
A provision of the ‘No Child Left Behind Act’ requires school districts to release the names and contact information of high school students to military recruiters. The law also requires that parents be made aware of the 'opt-out' provision which allows parents to tell the schools not to send personal data on their children to the military. If the school does not comply with the provisions of the law it risks the loss of federal aid. Military recruiters have also been visiting our schools and students as young as 14 have been approached by recruiters at local beaches and at their homes.
A group of parents and peace activists have been mobilizing to counter the efforts of the military recruiters on eastern Long Island. They took their campaign to Sag Harbor this week. Joined by members of the South Fork chapter of the Long Island Progressive Coalition, the committee discused an initiative to keep military recruiters out of local schools, combat the flagrant abuses of the federal government in forcing school districts to provide information on students to the military in return for federal funds, and ensure that our school districts are informing parents of their right to opt out.
With the war raging on in Iraq, this is something we can do here and now to promote peace.
If you would like to join this effort and especially if you live in the Bridgehampton, Hampton Bays or Westhampton Beach school districts where recruiters may concentrate their efforts please contact either Terry Sullivan at 631- 725-4805 or Seth Weingart of LIPC at 516-541-1006 extension 13 or seth@lipc.org.
