High School Opts to Vote Out Military
SEATTLE - While most Parent Teacher Student Association meetings might
center on finding funding for better math books or the best way to chaperone
a school dance, a recent meeting here at Garfield High School grappled with
something much larger - the war in Iraq. The school is perhaps one of the
first in the nation to debate and vote against military recruiting in high
school. In fact, the Supreme Court recently agreed to decide whether the
federal government can withhold funds from colleges that bar military
recruiters.
Garfield High School took a decisive step last week with a vote of 25 to 5
to adopt a resolution that says "public schools are not a place for military
recruiters."
"The mission of the PTA is to protect and defend kids," says Amy Hagopian, a
mother of three whose son is a Garfield senior. "It's not just limited to
education issues - which explains why the PTA takes positions on kids'
health, violence, and other serious issues."
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Talk Index, Summer 2005