Teens need to hear anti-military side

In supporting military recruiters in high schools in your Thursday editorial, you said that kids don’t need to be shielded from recruiters, they need to learn to “think critically” about their options. They are “savvy” about “hard sells.” You said “teens on the brink of adulthood should be able to think for themselves.”

So why are teens being shielded from messages opposing military recruitment?

Your editorial gave the false impression that anti-recruitment groups just want to kick recruiters out of schools. Why not let students hear both sides? For years, our group has been trying to get the right to simply have an information table in school next to the military recruiters, to offer students an alternative view. School boards have rejected this, and any other means of informing kids about the military’s deceptive sales tactics. Meanwhile, the military is given far more intrusive access to schools than any other employers or colleges, such as being present in the cafeteria.

If you really mean what you say about teens being able to think for themselves, I challenge you to support equal access for students to groups presenting the other side of military service, so they can make an informed decision.

Chris L. Burks

Citizenship Action Team

Mill Creek