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Anti-Military Bias Promoted at Mount Si High School LibraryThe library at Mount Si High School is promoting anti-military messages to students through pamphlets placed prominently in the school library. There are three objectionable pamphlets located on a rack just inside the library door: One pamphlet, titled “One Day of the Iraq War = 720 Million Dollars” advocates for the end of the war in Iraq: Another pamphlet, titled “Do You Know Enough to Enlist,” attempts to discourage students from joining the U.S. military as part of a National Youth and Militarism Program. The third pamphlet gives a list of suggested questions that students who are considering joining the U.S. military should ask recruiters:
All pamphlets are published by the American Friends Service Committee, a religious-based organization. After these were discovered by CoDE, parents contacted school administrators and challenged this material as inappropriate. MSHS Principal Randy Taylor agreed that the anti-war pamphlet was not appropriate and ordered librarian Elaine Harger to remove it. This is not the first time Principal Taylor had to intervene with information placed in the library by Ms. Harger. In November, 2007, he ordered her to remove an anti-war display she had put up before Veteran’s Day. He has also received complaints from parents and staff members about other materials she has purchased for the library, including an anti-religion book ordered removed by the school district. The anti-enlistment pamphlet, however, is officially sanctioned by Principal Taylor. Mr. Taylor states that he authorized the anti-enlistment pamphlet to counter information provided by military recruiters. His intention was to provide students considering a military career with a balance of information. Access to this information is not balanced, however. Anti-enlistment literature is prominently placed on a rack inside the library door, whereas enlistment literature is only available in the Career Center. CoDE is not aware that Mount Si High School takes steps to discourage any career choice other than joining the U.S. armed forces. By singling out those students considering a military career, the Coalition believes that the administration has allowed the anti-military bias of some staff members to become school policy. This bias is reinforced by providing easier access to anti-enlistment pamphlets than to enlistment brochures. CoDE has issued a press release about this problem, which is available on our Communications page. |
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