Dear Editor,
We, the Board of Directors of the Redwood Peace and Justice Center, believe that limiting recruiter contact with youth is beneficial for the community. Passing Measures F and J would mean that teenagers would be less likely to be unwittingly subjected to recruiters, who are trained to think of teens as commodities rather than as human beings.
Members of our board have seen recruiters bringing pizza for the students onto junior high school campuses, presumably to start the process of creating positive associations with enlistment. This is the normal course of events and it is appropriate for the many people working on this measure to bring it our attention and seek to change the way the community views military solicitation of our youth.
We are not alone in our views. The Youth Protection Act is supported by Veterans for Peace, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, The Humboldt Green Party, and the hundreds of citizens who have already signed the petition to get this measure on the ballot.
We urge registered voters in Eureka to vote "Yes" on Measure J and those in Arcata to vote "Yes" on Measure F. If you or someone you know is concerned about military service, leave a message at 444-8270 and we will put you in touch with the Humboldt Committee for Conscientious Objectors/GI Rights Hotline.
Sincerely yours, Ross Mackinney Director of the Redwood Peace and Justice Center
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