Counter Recruiting on Parent Night at New York City High Schools

The Granny Peace Brigade and Code Pink NYC believe wholeheartedly that students and their parents should be aware that there are alternatives to military service, that an education can be secured without risking lives in needless wars. To further that objective, volunteers travel to New York City high schools with Opt-Out forms and information about the actions of military recruiters in their schools. Download the Opt-Out form here.

Standing in front of the schools, the volunteers meet with parents and students to give them the information needed to protect a student’s privacy and prevent her/his personal information from being sent to military recruiters.  With just a few words - “Protect your child’s privacy from military recruiters’ or ‘Bring this form to the principals office’, parents are encouraged to stop for a minute and find out more.

Few parents know about the importance of completing the Opt-Out and filing the form in the school office.  Parents thank volunteers for explaining the serious nature of the choice, for being at the school to furnish information, and for providing the Opt-Out form.  Many students also take the form, ‘I’m not going into the military. I don’t want to be called and harassed. No way, not me.’  The message is clear – parents as well as students want high schools to provide an education and are not comfortable with military recruiters having personal information or coming to call.

Meeting parents and hearing ‘They’re not getting my baby’ and ‘Thank you for helping me understand’ is the reward volunteers receive. Thanks to all the volunteers for their time, effort and commitment to providing Opt-Out information – you make a difference.  Your dedicated service can help guide a youngster’s education and career or save a young life.  There can be no greater satisfaction.
- Barbara Harris

Read The New York Times story about Barbara Harris, 71, of CODEPINK NYC,  “a retired teacher and longtime peace advocate … on a personal crusade to block recruiters for the United States military from contacting New York City high school students.”