Army Recruitment

The recruiters are expected this month…  with shiny smiles, friendly handshakes, pro-war propaganda, and promises of scholarships, salary, higher education, and glittery-gold American life.  They will come to the high school, they will come to the college, and they will come to the villages.  They will do their jobs : try to convince 18 year old boys that war is prestigious, and being militia is courageous, honourable, and brave.

When I asked my students if any of them wanted to join the American Military, 90% of the boys raised their hands.   

When asked why, the resounding response was:
M O N E Y

When asked what good the money would be to them if their heads were blown off, the response was dead silence.  

When asked if their mothers would be happier to have $20 000 in hand, than they would be to have their own child alive, the response was dead silence. 

In a education system without curriculum, you can essentially teach what you want.  I thought providing them an alternate opinion on recruitment was more important that SAT level vocabulary they may never use in life. 

Call me an idealist. 

Lesson materials: 

~ Music and Lyrics to Michael Franti's 'Light Up Ya Lighter'

~ Chalkboard on which to explain vocabulary 

~ 24 High School Seniors 

~ 1 (very-biased, non-american) Teacher 

Light Up Ya Lighter
By: Michael Franti

It never makes no sense

It never makes no sense

Fire, fire, fire, light up your lighter

Fire, fire, fire

Armageddon is a deadly day

Armageddon is a deadly way

They're coming for you everyday

While senators on a holiday

The army recruiters in the parking lot

Hustling kids, they're juggling pot

"Listen young man, listen to my plan

Gonna make you money, gonna make you a man”

*bomb, bomb*

Here's what you get: an M16 and a kevlar vest

You might come home with one less leg but this thing will surely keep a bullet out your chest

So come on, come on, sign up, come on

This one's nothing like Vietnam

Except for the bullets, except for the bombs

Except for the youth that's gone

So we keep it on, till you're coming home

higher and higher

Fire, fire, fire, light up your lighter

Fire, fire, fire

Tell me president, tell me if you will

How many people does a smart bomb kill?

How many of them do you think we got?

The general says we never miss shot

And we never ever ever keep a body count

We're killing so efficiently we can't keep count

In the afghan hills the rebels still fighting

Opium fields keep on providing

The best heroin that money can buy and

No body knows where Osama bin hiding

The press conferences keep on lying

Like we don't know

So we keep it on, till you're coming home

higher and higher

Fire, fire, fire, light up your lighter

So Mr engine, engine, number 9

Machine guns on a New York transit line

The war for oil is a war for the beast

The War on terror is a war on peace

Telling you they're gonna protect you

Telling you that they support the troops

Don't let 'em fool you with their milk and honey

No, they only want your money

One step forward and 2 step back

One step forward and 2 step back

Why do veterans get no respect?

PTSD and a broken back

Take a look at where you money's gone

Take a look at what they spent it on

No excuses, no illusions

Light up your lighter, bring 'em home

So we keep it on, til you're coming home

higher and higher

Fire, fire, fire, light up your lighter

Fire, fire, fire
So we keep it on, till you're coming home

higher and higher

Fire, fire, fire, light up your lighter

Fire, fire, fire

( photo: boy playing in the rain, Walung )