Not "For the Children"

SF's long controversy over the School Board's attempt to end the Junior ROTC in the local high schools is over. Somewhat surprisingly, the military-industrial complex won this one. SF Board Votes to Reinstate the JROTC

A three-year battle over whether Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps belongs in San Francisco schools ended Tuesday night with a 4-3 vote by the school board to restore the military leadership program weeks before its scheduled expiration.

A lot of people outside SF saw this as "typical San Francisco" anti-military showmanship, and there was some of that. But, this also resulted from a circumstance that is more common than folks realize: the capture of local boards by committed activists who are willing to put in the time and effort to pass their preferred policies in the relative obscurity of sparsely attended open hearings. The right has its creationists, and the left has its environmentalists and anti-war goofs. As long as they can avoid bad publicity, they can get good results (meaning bad for us) simply by showing up and making noise.

Luckily, this case pitted clean-cut high school kids against scruffy Greens and "peace" movement types. It's really no contest, as long as the contest is joined.

Douglas and other JROTC cadets told the board the program offers them motivation and direction during what can often be tumultuous adolescent years.

But Michael Wong, a member of Veterans for Peace, said JROTC offers "classic military leadership intended for war."

Yeah, maaaan, it's like all connected! The Empire must have its foot soldiers!

The only disappointment is that the JROTC's continued existence is dependent on the sort of procedural dodges that progressives love to inflict on people. In this case, there's some sort of complaint abouit whether this should qualify fo phys-ed credit.

While the program will continue to be offered in city high schools, it was unclear whether JROTC courses will qualify for physical education credit next year. The board will likely address that issue at some point during the summer.

"We can make this program work if we want this program to work," (board member Rachel) Norton said.

That is absolutely right. Too bad it's taken so long to reach that conclusion.