The
Army and National Guard have been failing to meet their recruiting
goals for the last four months. Summer is typically the time they
have their greatest success in recruiting and they are counting
on this summer to make up for their shortcomings in the previous
months. They are increasing their efforts and making more promises
to get America’s youth to sign up for war. As a result those
of us who oppose the war need to step up our efforts in counter-recruitment
as well. Below is an interview with a counter-recruitment activist
from Washington State that provides directions on how to get started
and documents to assist in your efforts.
Clint
Coppernoll is the father of two, a son who is a lawyer and a daughter
who is an activist and student in San Francisco. He is the husband
of an activist organizer and midwife, Belinda Coppernoll. He has
been a peace activist and organizer since 1969 and has worked
with many organizations on a range of issues including immigrant
and farm workers rights, prison reform, and open access to the
political system for all Americans.
Most
recently his work has led him to work with a number or organizations
on ‘Telling the Truth Behind the Sales Pitch’ that
the counter recruiters are giving the young people of this country
and their parents. One of the great outcomes of this work is his
contact with young persons of Washington State and around the
country. Any young people interested should contact him or Carrie
Hathorn at 206-963-4873.
Zeese:
Describe the counter recruitment project you are involved with.
Coppernoll:
Kevin, Our counter recruitment effort is a ‘Direct Action,
Direct Contact’ effort. We are a group of concerned people
and organizations that have become sick and tired of the half
truths and outright lies that are being told to young Americans
by military recruiters. We are focusing on three areas; opt Out,
Get the Truth and How to Deal with Delayed Enlistment.
Opt
Out: Hidden in the No Child Left Behind Act is a provision known
as section 9528 that requires public high schools to hand over
private student information to military recruiters. If a school
does not comply, it risks losing federal education funds. This
breach of privacy gives recruiters access to addresses and phone
numbers, allowing them to actively call and visit teens at home.
A parent or student can present a letter to the school board or
superintendent exercising the right to request that the school
does not turn over the name, address, telephone listing and other
school records to the Armed Services, Military Recruiters, or
Military Schools. Information like exit test scores, assisted
lunch programs and other information allow recruiters to target
low income students and students that are being affected by the
pressures of the high stakes testing for graduation. The No Child
Left Behind Act has turned up an ugly card in this high stakes
game of our children’s lives. The ugly card is exampled
in our state as the WASL test. This is a test, like testing in
most other states, that requires a student to pass an exam to
graduate. After 6 years of WASL administration, we are still telling
over 70% of our 4th graders, over 75% of our 7th graders and just
under 70% of our 10th graders that they are sub-standard in at
least one of the 4 WASL subjects. This means they would not graduate.
When the children of already stressed communities are faced with
this kind of threat, the drop out rate drastically raises. These
communities of immigrant, color and lower economic status become
a target for recruiters. The recruiters get the scores and lists
of drop outs and start their Sales Pitch. The No Child Left Behind
Act thus becomes a tool for the military to implement an ‘Economic
Draft’ That is why students and parents must protect themselves
and OPT OUTThis
is how the Students and Parents “OPT OUT:” fill
out a letter to OPT OUT the student or contact Carrie or I
and we will send you a form that can be reprinted in English or
Spanish filled out be pen for those without computer access.
Get
the Truth: This involves giving the students a chance to speak
with a Veteran for Peace and Get the Truth.
We
give the student at least three opportunities. First, the Veterans
for Peace have been great at having at least one Vet on hand at
the schools for direct first contact. Secondly we try to have
a general informational meeting with a Veteran for Peace the week
after a school action for students and parents.
Third,
we give out the GI Rights Hotline 800-394-9544 or in our area
Washington Truth in Recruiting local number. The student can then
speak with a veteran on the phone and Get the Truth. We also promote
Career Councilors, Principals, PSTA's and Teachers to always give
an equal opportunity for a Veteran for Peace or any of the other
Veterans organizations working for peace and against war to present
the truth when Recruiters have access to students.
Dealing
with Delayed Enlistment: Most young people enter the military
through the Delayed Enlistment Program (sometimes called the Delayed
Entry Program). This program allows youth to sign up with a military
recruiter for one of the service branches, but receive a report
date for basic training for up to a year later. When entering
the Delayed Enlistment Program (DEP), youth sign an enlistment
agreement and take an oath of enlistment.
It
is very common for young people to change their minds after enlistment
in the DEP. A young person may re-evaluate their decision. It
is important to realize that up until a young person actually
reports for basic training, they can be released from any military
obligation.
The
official way to gain release is to write a letter to the commanding
officer of the recruiting station, explaining one's decision not
to report to basic training.
The
young person may or may not receive an official response before
the date to report for basic training. Military recruiters are
instructed to be understanding of these changes in plans. Nonetheless,
in some cases military recruiters may and have used intimidation
or threats to persuade the young person not to withdraw their
commitment to serve. However, not reporting for basic training
will result in release from any further obligation. (for more
information http://www.objector.org/girights/)
Zeese:
What made you get involved in this effort?
Coppernoll:
The Peace Movement in the United States is stagnant. It seems
stuck in a loop that started in the 2004 election cycle, even
though we have nearly six in ten Americans saying the United States
should withdraw some or all of its troops from Iraq according
to the June 2005 Gallup Poll. Yet the peace movement continues
to not be able to generate the energy to do much.
Sadly,
some of this, it seems to me, comes from rivalries between organizations
that are still arguing over what position or standing in leadership
of the movement they should have. Position doesn't mean a damn
to me. The last couple of years I've slept on couches and basement
floors with other activist organizers, because the mission far
outweighed the position.
I
got involved because I had to. My mission; end the wars that the
United States is waging against countries of the world, now. All
who care, about stopping our government, that is supposed to be
representing us, from conducting the Iraq War and all the other
wars of oppression that it supports around the world, must do
something direct and immediate. This project begins that.
Zeese:
How does it work? What materials do you give to youth or parents?
Coppernoll:
Kevin, it's pretty straight forward. You get in contact with your
local Veterans for Peace group. This can be just one individual
in your small town or a neighboring town if you're not in a big
city. You then reach out to anyone you know. Ask them the questions
“Do you think the military has the right to not tell our
young people the whole truth? Do you think military recruiters
have the right to our children's school records?” Then you
ask student or parent or any one concerned; “if they would
committee just one hour of their time a week and a couple of dollars
for printing some information, to hand out, for saving a young
persons life?”
Then
you schedule one meeting for one hours worth of business, that
business will cover organizing, the time for the first hand out
of information to the students. The best time is after school
when students are going home. Tell the people and organizations
that after the business part of the meeting is over they can have
a discussion period. But you've told people that the meeting is
set for an hour to actually plan and set a date for your action.
Plan
the first action if you can for the first day of school this fall.
This
is very important. The first week we want as many students and
parents to sign an OPT OUT letter as possible. On September the
24th we will announce while the first national protest are going
on all the OPT OUT letters that have been signed. We will then
demand our legislators support the “Student Privacy Protection
Act” that would turn current policy around, allowing the
military to talk only to students whose parents approve of such
contact. Instead of having the responsibility of opting out, Parents
should be asked to opt-in. Critics charge that this will make
it far harder for recruiters to discuss military careers with
the nation's high school students, so be it.
If
you have a group that wants to start this summer, at events that
high schools students might attend. Print out an OPT OUT letter
that can be filled out by pen and does not require a computer.
(See earlier example or contact us.) Have some literature that
you or your group has studied to hand out. If possible have a
Peace Veteran at hand to speak to the students. Have a leaflet
that has the next time and place a meeting is available, and where
a student and their parents can speak with a Veteran. Also have
on the meeting leaflets the GI Rights Hotline 800-394-9544. You
have the right to stand on a public sidewalk in front of your
school and hand out this information to students or any public
place.
This
direct contact may be out of some peoples comfort zone. However,
this is the most important part. The only way to reach these students
is eyeball to eyeball. You must show them that you care enough
about their lives to stand there and talk with them. If they say
they don't care if they die in war you must tell them “you
care for them and that's why your there.” You don't tell
them that they can't join the military. This is a free country
and they have the right to do as they wish. These young people
are smart, once you get them past the propaganda, which they are
constantly bombarded with they will make the right decision.
Just
ask them would they buy something important on a slick sales pitch
or would they want the truth about what they are getting into
before they make a life changing decision?
The
week after the school action you have the meeting you called for
in your leaflet you handed out. You have a Peace Veteran there.
Keep it informal, this is a time the student, their parents and
the veteran should have to dialogue with each other. It is important
to have a sign up sheet. Ask students if they would like to start
a club on campus that talks about peace and alternatives to war?
I
also want to say that many groups are doing a number of things
for counter-recruitment. I think it is great what they are doing.
You will notice we use leaflets from other groups around the country
and we support you getting material that they print and pay for
it if they request it. The material we have developed is free
to use.
Zeese:
What has been the result of your efforts?
Coppernoll:
They have been really good. We have incorporated a street theater
group that come out at our campuses. They really got a buzz going
with the students. It was great to see the actors and students
interact. Kevin, I get goose bumps when I think of different moments
I've had and observed between students and activists. The young
people get it. They are a lot smarter than the government thinks.
The government uses Slick Sales Pitches with Trained Recruiters.
We use the Truth and People Who Care about Young Peoples Lives.
We
started now before the fall because this time is what the Recruiters
call "Christmas in July". Students are getting out of
school in a dismal economy with pressures to get a job and find
away to get training or go to school. The Chicken Hawk Recruiters
are circling them with lies and false promises. We also started
now so we could prepare for an all-out push for OPT OUT this fall.
The
first day we had an organized effort at a high school we got 18
OPT OUT letters signed. That was 18 young people that the recruiters
were told to keep their hands off their records.
We now have a coalition of groups like Veterans for Peace, Washington
ACORN, Stand Up Seattle, The Green Alliance (national), Youth
Against War and Racism (from Franklin High School an U of W) to
name a few and more are coming aboard daily. Many individuals
are coming forward and showing solidarity such as parents, students,
teachers, councilors, school board members, and people of the
community. However this is a call for more help to people that
care.
Most
importantly we have parents who are coming forward to work on
getting a speaker to speak to their Parent Teacher Student Association
about the recruiting situation. Students that are planning to
set up clubs on campus around the military and peace. We are working
on a packet for social studies teacher with resources so they
can have debates in classes on military recruitment.
Zeese:
What is the goal of your efforts?
Coppernoll:
Quite simply, to have one or more activists, on every high school
side walk, in every community, that has one person who cares for
our youth and peace, when school starts this fall.
Some may say that it's a huge undertaking. However, it all can
happen, when we the people, who believe in peace, decide to stop
war. When we the people say, I won't let them lie to my children
any more. When we the people say, I want our next generation to
build a country that is a place that cares for all the people
in it and doesn't waste life subjecting others around the world
for power for the few.
Zeese:
Do you have any future plans you can share?
Coppernoll:
Well, we are going continue our actions here in Washington State
focusing not only on the cities but also on the rural and suburban
areas. We are open and available for anyone or an organization
that need some help in the country to get started with direct
action on the counter-recruitment and OPT OUT program. We are
already contacting groups that may want to help around the country.
But don’t wait to be contacted, individuals and groups that
want to tell our youth the truth need to start now and contact
us.
We
want to see students and teachers form ‘Peace Clubs.’
We want all the many organizations and individuals working around
the country on counter-recruitment to come together this summer
and work with each other.
We
are also working toward a coalition of organizations and peace
advocates who want to work now instead of waiting for the next
war.
The
young people that I have come in contact with and seasoned organizer
are forming to build on this action. The youth of today have been
given a bad rap a lot of them care and want to do something. But
they need to be organized by other youth that they fell connected
with. The youth need some help with training and once they get
it watch out. They have the energy to make change.
Zeese:
Where can people get more information?
Coppernoll:
They can Email me Clint Coppernoll at coppernollcc7@hotmail.com
or phone 509-964-9219 or any outstanding young activist Carrie
Hathorn 206-963-4873.
Kevin
Zeese is Director of Democracy Rising. You can read more
of his interviews and columns at http://www.DemocracyRising.US.