Does Uncle Sam Have Your Child's Number?

Military Recruitment in Brooklyn High Schools — Know Your Right to Say No

Military recruiters are in our Brooklyn neighborhoods and schools, especially those with working class students and young people of color. The No Child Left Behind Act requires schools to give out students' information, so that recruiters can pursue them.

Recruitment policy is to entice students with promises that the military will pay for college and provide good job training. Students and parents can have this information withheld from the military by sending in an "Opt-Out" letter but most parents and students are not even aware this information is being given out.

Join with the NYC Counter Recruitment Campaign, Brooklyn For Peace and others on September 19 at a public meeting of the Panel on Educational Policy (PEP) (the entity that replaced the NYC School Board) to present a resolution and to demand they initiate a high profile information awareness program to ensure that all students and parents know student's personal information is being given to the military and that they can "opt out" of this program. Also, we are demanding that organizations with a counter-recruitment message be given equal time and access to students.

BFP's Military in the High Schools Committee is working to ensure that Brooklyn parents and students are educated about the new law and able to make an informed choice about whether or not to opt out. Join our campaign — to volunteer or learn more, call 718–624–5921 or email us at nowar@brooklynpeace.org.

For additional information and resources, please visit these organizations:

Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors
Mission is to support and promote individual resistance to war and preparations for war. Provides resources on organizing the military out of our schools and draft counselling.

War Resisters League
Mission is to develop nonviolent means to organize for peace through education and direct action. Offers a newsletter, videotape on military recruitment, and flyers on military spending.

American Friends Service Committee
Provides many downloadable flyers about military recruiting of youth, various publications and videos, and notices about conferences and training around the issue.

Resource Center for Nonviolence
Provides information about efforts in California to use an "opt-in" procedure on notification. The text of the No Child Left Behind law relating to military recruitment is also available.