The news item:
SALEM, Ore. -- A new bill passed by the Oregon House is designed to get Oregon students thinking about the future.
House Bill 2732 would require students to submit a college or Armed Forces application or attend an orientation related to an apprenticeship or training opportunity in order to get their high school diploma.
The bill passed in House with 33 votes and is headed to the Oregon Senate.
Critics of the bill might say this requirement would be an obstacle because it costs money to apply to some schools. For example, it costs $50 to submit an application to an Oregon University System school, but deferrals may be granted in some cases.
The editorial:
I don't know about other public high schools, but School District 4J has a 2 tiered graduation system, one allows for a student to have enough credits to graduate, and another gives a student enough credits to enter college.
Also private schools are not likely subject to these kinds of rules.
How ironic to require a student to apply to college, but not necessarily have enough credits to be admitted to college.
I find it offensive that there would be a graduation requirement option, to fill out an application for the armed forces. Any male student wanting any kind of financial aid for college is required to sign up w selective service. As soon as your child turns 18, that selective service application arrives in the mail.
If you are a man ages 18 through 25 and living in the U.S., then you must register with Selective Service. What is the penalty for not registering?
Failure to register is a violation of the Military Selective Service Act. Conviction for such a violation may result in imprisonment for up to five years and/or a fine of not more than $250,000.
Make no mistake- registering for selective service is NOT the same as applying to the Armed Services.
The military solicitations will start to arrive when your child is 15 years old even if you sign the "no military solicits" card @ the high school. If all that is not bad enough, high schools allow military recruiters to roam the halls or sometimes address captive audiences in classrooms during class time. The military services are predatory on young kids in high school. You just know this armed forces application will wind up having some unknowing kids tricked into enlisting.
If the Oregon legislature wants to " help ensure students are thinking about their future as they leave high school.", why not make sure they have college funding & jobs?
They never did answer the question Cindy Sheehan asked years ago when her son was killed in Iraq- "What is the Noble Cause?"
4 comments:
must admit this is perplexing. since when does getting a high school diploma require having applied for college or military?
oh when I posted this comment, google popped up with a message that I should register my phone number with them for some inane reason. they assured me they would NEVER use the phone number. needless to say, I refused their offer.
same as oregon students should refuse to go along with what that bill is peddling.
BTW WHAT is that bill peddling? what is behind the sudden requirement that getting a HS diploma is dependent on applying for college or military?
You just know recruiters are going to corner kids into enlisting in the Armed Services, as a result.
Just sign this "application".
They are relentless. I can;t believe the marketing schemes they use.... free dog tag, free gym bag, free t shirt. The verbiage is slick -- turn all that game time into a paid skill ( because being @ war is just like playing a video game, kids!).
They promise to let you pick your military career path - the captive class was a band class, touting the career. Guess what? Once those kids sign, the military can do with them what they want. You signed up for a band career? Too bad, you will be driving humvees through IED's in some godforsaken outpost in Afghanistan. I've even heard recruiters say "you are safe in the Navy". (not going to do land based detail). My son;t teacher in the Navy was called to active duty -- & told she was now in the Army & sent to Iraq.
They claim this requirement will get high school grads "thinking about the future."
How about making the graduation requirement giving students enough credits to go to college?
I think the lessor credits diploma is a disservice to students. They cut a corner & means less classes for students.
So they are required to apply to a college, but will be denied because they don't have enough high school credits.
So much for logic & reasoning!
They should have counselors who work with students throughout high school, encouraging them to apply for all scholarships & grants they can. Making sure they know how many credits they have & need to graduate.
Back in the Bush era, they offered a 14.9% VARIABLE rate college loan!
Obama cut out the bankster middle men & now college loans are somewhere in the 5 to 7% apr.
fixed rate student loans.
I don't do variable rate loans. Students struggle enough with college loans without having the surprise of the interest rate taking a huge hike
This mandate is so wrong on many levels.
But giving the military recruiters an open door in this mandate, means they will prey on low income students, who know the $ for college is not there, so take the military option, with the promise of college, not realizing their meager pay will have education $ taken out of each paycheck.
This bill will have more students looking at military options without counterpoint information ,and full disclosure about all the ramifications of enlisting.
Most soldiers say they do not get skills in the military that yields jobs in the civilian sector.
Or as my son put it... they give free toe tags & body bags too.
your son is a smart young man. don't believe a word, not one word, of what the recruiters promise. they are like commissioned car salesmen.
so many young people today are literally being funneled toward military because they have no other options. They weren't to the manor born; they barely eked their way through school; maybe they have some petty crimes on record. The military sounds good compared to flippin burgers or dealin dope. Maybe their family thinks it will straighten them out. But, is that really what our military should be ... a jobs plan for children of low income families ... benefits include the chance to die for ill defined esoteric purposes?
I don't fault those who are truly drawn to the military ... but they will find their way there without relentless recruiting. To me, the idea of recruiters seems a bit too much like press gangs of a couple centuries ago.
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