Post Action Press Release
by Adam Eidinger 12:27am Wed Dec 11 '02

Recruiters for Peace and Justice

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Virginia Rodino 410-704-4139
December 11, 2002

Five Arrested While Protesting Predatory Military Recruitment of Minors

WASHINGTON, DC - Five members of the Recruiters for Peace and Justice 
Anti-War Coalition were arrested yesterday during nonviolent anti-war 
demonstrations in Washington, DC. About 80 coalition members and other 
demonstrators protested outside two military recruitment stations in order 
to help publicize little-known facts on present military recruitment of 
high school and college students.

"Our protests were a day of action on Iraq, but we wanted to show how the 
prospect of war is affecting young people," said Adam Eidinger, one of the 
Recruiters for Peace And Justice organizers arrested during the protest. 
"For example, under the No Child Left Behind Act, a new federal education 
law, high schools can lose all of their federal aid if they do not give 
the military contact information for all of their students, including home 
telephone numbers and home addresses. Recruiters for Peace and Justice see 
this as a direct violation of young people's privacy."

A particular concern is the targeting of racial minority and lower class 
students in high school and college. Often U.S. military recruitment 
stations are situated in lower income neighborhoods. In addition, because 
of the military's unconstitutional policy of "don't ask, don't tell," 
increased recruitment of students as young as 15 and 16 only further 
discriminates and harms the youth of the lesbian, gay, and trans-gendered 
community

The Peace and Justice Recruiters also want to help dispel 
misrepresentations about joining the U.S. military. For example, recruits 
must first make a non-refundable contribution of $1200 to even qualify for 
G.I. Bill benefits. Between 1986 and 1993, the U.S. military actually took 
in $720 million more from GIs in non-refundable deposits than they paid 
out in college benefits.

Also, through the Montgomery G.I. bill, the maximum benefit over four 
years of college is only about half of the frequently cited figure of 
$30,000. Recruiters often tell young people that they can try the military 
for 6 months, and then automatically get out if they do not like it, which 
is untrue. Finally, most military jobs are so different from civilian ones 
that recruits often discover they cannot use their training after leaving 
the military.

Another little-known fact is that the Junior Reserve Officer Training 
Corps, in its recruitment of high school students, costs school districts 
about $50,000 per school. The Recruiters for Peace and Justice believe 
this money is better spent on improving school buildings, buying new 
textbooks, and raising teachers' salaries.

To express their disapproval over such misspent money and unfair 
recruitment tactics, four protesters blocked the doors of two recruiting 
stations, effectively closing them for business. Arrests occurred at the 
second recruiter station located at 14th and L Streets, NW after an 
earlier protest at 12th and F Streets, NW. Police charged the concerned 
citizens with disorderly conduct and were fined $25 dollars each.