Clea | The Source Weekly - Bend, Oregon

Member since Jan 26, 2008

Contributions:

  • Posted by:
    Clea on 02/20/2008 at 12:25 PM
    To Jon Jegglie, I think it's abhorant that anyone would call service members "terrorists." I am not associated in any way with Code Pink, and refering to them as "ladies" was just in reference to the article and taylor's response to it. Thank you for your service to this country. I have a lot of friends who are vets of both Vietnam and the first Iraq war, and I have nothing but respect for them. My comments were a reaction to taylor exclaiming that it was "absurd" to imagine that recruiters would ever mislead or omit information. My response was simply to say, look - it has happened, it's been documented, and the military has even investigated it. I was not trying to, nor did I imply that enlisting in the military is wrong. I also made clear that I don't believe that every recruiter is unethical. But I do believe that people should be well prepared before even stepping foot into the recruitment office. They should know their rights, they should know to read EVERYTHING before signing, in case they do encounter a situation in which they feel pressured to sign up before doing so. They should go in, like you did, well prepared. I guess it must have sounded like I'm defending Code Pink. I couldn't care less about them, what I do care about is people making educated decisions. Can you imagine that it might be very intimidating for some 18 year olds to go into a recruiting office and be told that they're a "pussy" if they don't sign up? Again - I am NOT implying that this happens all the time, but it's been documented that it has happened sometimes. You cannot cry "false" or "absurd!" This isn't a black and white world. There are those of us who do a lot for this country who never serve in the military, but for those of you who do, thank you again.
  • Posted by:
    Clea on 02/17/2008 at 11:34 AM
    Hi taylor, First off, let me say - I don't mean to impugn you or your father in any way. I believe that within any group, organized or otherwise, you will find good, honest and ethical people, as well as those who have a weaker character and succumb to lying or manipulating. I imagine your father falls into the first category. The military is under a tremendous amount of pressure right now to turn out new recruits, since enlistment is dropping faster and faster. That some military recruiters omit or manipulate facts to potential recruits is becoming pretty well documented. Here are a few examples: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=2626032&page=1 and www.quakerhouse.org/truth-in-recruiting-01.htm I do have my own "beliefs," but when I want to engage in a discussion like this, I prefer to rely on evidence. You are totally correct that the commanding officers should "set things straight," and hopefully as more evidence of misrepresentation comes out, there will be tougher enforcement and oversight. Again, I'm not implying that all recruiters are inherent lyers. But there are documented cases of it happening. It seems like helping to arm young people with the information they need to ask the right questions and know their rights before they go into the recruitment office can't be a bad thing, right?
  • Posted by:
    Clea on 02/15/2008 at 4:45 PM
    taylor, According to this article, the Code Pink ladies are attempting to inform the public, particularly young people, about how those recruiters do intentionally mis-represent facts in order to seduce fresh young recruits. This indeed is the military's fault. You're right to a certain extent in that government oversight is lacking in this regard, but you don't even have to be against war to realize that these practices are unethical. Recruits, whatever their age, have a right to know what they're signing up for when they go into the armed forces, and that there really are very few promises the military can make that they can't also renege.
  • Posted by:
    Clea on 01/26/2008 at 11:23 AM
    Re: “The Virus of Hate
    What????