Another recruiting device, the Junior Reserve Officers' Corps program, actually puts the Pentagon in a position to directly rob schools of local educational funds. Grassroots opposition to the military's invasion of public education has produced some important victories by community and student organizations. The military establishment understands the key role that schools play in the shaping of people's values and attitudes, and they know that the deeper they penetrate into education, the greater their influence will be on society as a whole. If allowed to continue, the result will be a more conservative political climate and, in the long term, a breakdown in the protective barriers that prevent further military encroachment on civilian rule. Organizing against military intrusion is a way to resist a trend which, if allowed to continue unchecked, will affect a wide range of issues in future years.
Militarism instills a conservative attitude toward life that children then carry into the community.
It is crucial that more social change activists realize the stake we all share in this issue. It's an immediate problem that we cannot afford to ignore if we hope to advance the cause of progressive social change in the future. For information, contact Project YANO, PO Box 230157.