Exercising of Rights

Darth Commando directed me to a story where people refer to me. Yay! I like being referred to. It makes my ego feel loved.

Some protestors in Grand Rapids, MI (First town to flouridate their water) took station outside their local recruiting station, and claimed victory since the recruiters followed procedure, secured the station, and left the matter to local authorities. Stories like this make me feel good. It always makes me feel warm and fuzzy to see Americans being allowed to exercise their rights to assemble and speak. With all of the talk about how the government is collecting phone data on terrorists calling Americans from abroad, tracking the financial data from people suspected of ties to terrorist organizations, and holding journalists who reveal secret programs, and those who leaks them, ijn secret government prisons where they're subjected to the most brutal of interrogation tactics.

Oops, sorry, only two of those things were actually happening.

Anyway, I do like stories like this because they show that America isn't really descending into a horrific, 1984-esque, totaltarian state. At worst, according to this story, the protestors were advised by the police that neighboring businesses were complaining about the noise. And I'd do the same if 15 people were outside my McD's beating drums and chanting stats about rape. The cops didn't arrest anyone, didn't make any threats, and didn't do anything other than enforce the peace while repsecting the protesters rights. I do hope that maybe one of those 15 came away with the realization that their rights only extend as far as someone else's.

I'm curious. This story says that I use my blog to recruit people. If that's the case I have conclusivly demonstrated my least effecient and effective lead source. Dear God my blog is the worst recruiting tool ever. Jack Army, Darth Commando, Military Recruiter, what am I doing wrong where your blogs were so much better at recruiting people for y'all? I've answered plenty of questions from parents, prospects, and soon-to-be recruiters who emailed me, but none of them even became an Appointment Made. My blog sucks for recruiting. If my blog was a recruiter it would be working at the CLT, wearing its service uniform, running police checks because it was such a sucky recruiter.

The whole thing was a decent enough read until it came to Ex-Marine Chris White. White's an ex-Marine (his words, not mine) who served his four years, went to school, and now writes essays about how the military sucks. His contribution to the article in question is misrepresented in the first place. He is not, as Media Mouse alludes, a former recruiter. He spent some time on the Marines' equivalent of HRAP. He's as qualified to talk about what it is to be a recruiter as I am to talk about being an Infantryman because I went through Basic. I don't mind having my current assignment lambasted by people. It comes with the turf, but at least use someone who has some experience in recruiting (IRR Soldier, looking your way), not someone who was a PVNothing at the time.

All in all though, it's nice to be noticed. If I was a recruiter in that Grand Rapids station I'd probably ask them to come back. They got to lock their doors, leave the office, and go hang out at the local wing joint. If your protest leads to me eating wings come on by and exercise those rights I help protect. It's your right, and you're welcome. Pass the ranch.