Love a man in a uniform?
The raging debate on Army recruitment strategies
The National Union of Teachers is in defiant mood. Standing in the dock today, Army recruitment strategies. We've all met kids as young as 18 signing up after a game too many of 'Call of Duty' or 'Command and Conquer'. And we've all read those (infuriating) interviews with the parents suddenly finding themselves on the anti-war side the moment their kids come back from Iraq in a coffin. "I was in favour of the war at the start, but now I realise my son died for a pack of lies".
Well, being loyal with whatever your government decides to do -including the Iraq adventure- is the essence of joining the armed forces. If you're the questioning type then you're in the wrong trade.
But here's exactly what Britain's National Union of Teachers are debating and it's difficult to argue they haven't got a point: "They are too young to vote, too young to drink, too young to drive, but they are considered old enough to sign up for years in the armed forces without being fully aware of what they are signing themselves up for in their lives", a union member presenting the motion said.
The other issue, along the lines of the debate in the US (as infamously seen on Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11), is that of recruitment programmes running in high unemployment areas. Click on the link for coverage of the issue on today's BBC online. HERE
More on the Birmingham (UK) site Hagley Road to Ladywood
