This is one of those articles in the Globe that just makes you insane. Yes guys, putting anything like a positive spin on the Army, you know, those volunteers that willingly lay down their lives in defense of all of us, is a bad thing. First off, we get this:
The roughly dozen complaints come at a time when the military is struggling to meet recruiting goals and has undertaken more aggressive efforts to draw the interest of youngsters.Yes, in recent months, like two years ago, the Army has been missing some of their recruiting goals. Of course, last year, they exceeded them. So, maybe, big stretch here, it fluctuates. But that's a nit. Here's where it gets weird:
Titled ``Duty, Honor, Country," the issue depicts a soldier in Iraq manning a machine gun on its glossy cover and includes articles ranging from what it's like to go through boot camp -- ``You're in the Army Now" -- to a rundown of the Army's ``awesome arsenal," to a detailed description of Army career opportunities.
But most controversial has been the pair of teacher's guides ...
It's the combination of these two sentences that makes me crazy. They describe what sounds like a benign description of the basics of military life and then add the "But most controversial." I must have missed it. What was controversial about the last part? Go read it. I'm not taking this out of context.
More:
For example, the Army has funded the development of video games to bring its message to teenagers across the country
Yeah, in 2002. What the heck is it doing in this story? Oh, I mean, apart from making the Army sound really scary.
Some complaints have centered on the fact that little attention is paid to the combat role of the Army -- its risks and sacrifices.
So, you'd be OK with it if it showed pictures of some guy's head splashed across his Humvee in addition to the fact that kids can learn computer skills?
Oh and speaking of missing recruiting goals, the Globe can't seem to satisfy it's New York Times masters in terms of revenue. Maybe they should do a story on that.
2 comments:
Isn't it interesting how they rail against the failure to provide the hazards of the army. I wonder when these schools have career days if they require that those presenting also discuss the unpleasant parts of their jobs.I'm betting no.
The Boston Globe seems to be meeting the NYT standards of finding and over-reacting to the least controversy. Personally I'm not surprised that the teachers are finding this offensive. Imagine if they actually had some touch with the realities of life and then have to teach that.
Sheesh. I'm starting to think all liberals should wear t-shirts that say "I'm a big whiny scaredy-cat who pees myself at the thought of weapons, and opinions I don't agree with." Because you know it wasn't the conservative teachers (if such a thing exists) who are freaking out.
Go and look at the Cobblestone site, at http://www.cobblestonepub.com/magazine/COB/. They FOCUS on military history. It's not like this issue is some fluke in a magazine that usually covers science. You can read the teacher's guide for this particular issue. Yes, a sample classroom activity is for the teacher to ask who might be interested in joining the army. From the Globe, you might think the next recommended activity is for the teacher to write down those students' contact info and send it off to Don Rumsfeld, ASAP. But no, the next activity recommended is for the students to share with the class their reasons for wanting to join or not join. After several more activities that require thinking about the skills that a soldier might need, and which skills might be learned in boot camp, the teacher again revisits the question of whether the students wants to join the army. Students then write their response in their journal and use information in the articles to back up their reasons. Does that sound so out of line if you're learning about life in the army? Does that sound like the magazine is recruiting? Another activity from a back issue asks the students to find their way through a maze of impedements during the French and Indian war. Recruiting for the Colonial army?
Spend a litte time checking out the magazine. The teachers that are freaking out are doing so because what the magazine DIDN'T do is portray the modern army as being populated by drooling, blood-thirsty killers, lumbering off to do the bidding of the evil US government, getting themselves maimed and killed because they're just too darn stupid to know any better. The magazine commits the sin of not condemning the soldiers, so to the "intellectuals" it's the same as promoting them.
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