JROTC gets a reprieve…for now

By Michelle Malkin  •  May 14, 2009 03:13 PM

Sharing a bit of good news about the JROTC program in San Francisco, which I’ve blogged about for the past several years.

The school board has voted to restore the program after an extraordinary public backlash and campaign by past and present cadets — many of them minority students — to bring it back:

A three-year battle over whether Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps belongs in San Francisco schools ended Tuesday night with a 4-3 vote by the school board to restore the military leadership program weeks before its scheduled expiration.

More than 200 supporters and opponents of the program crowded into the school district headquarters to make their final pleas to the board. And their arguments were as emotionally charged as they were when the fight began in 2006.

“To some of you, this is a political issue,” Balboa High School sophomore Malik Douglas told the board. “But to me it’s a personal issue. Represent our opinions instead of yours.”

Board members Rachel Norton, Hydra Mendoza, Norman Yee and Jill Wynns voted to keep the program. Jane Kim, Kim-Shree Maufas and Sandra Fewer voted against the program.

The board’s vote reverses a controversial 2006 vote to get rid of JROTC in the city high schools. The armed forces, the board then argued, should not be in public schools, and the military’s discriminatory stance on gays made it unacceptable.

The 90-year-old program was scheduled to phase out in less than a month.

Students cheered and hugged each other following the vote, many clutching cell phones as they called family and friends with the news.

Vigilance, as always, is required in the city whose anti-military activists never sleep:

Recent anti-military efforts in california

November 2008: Arcata and Eureka voters pass measures blocking military recruiting within city limits.

January 2008: Berkeley City Council passes resolution calling Marine recruiters “unwelcome intruders,” which council members rescinded within weeks.

December 2006: U.S. Navy moves warship commissioning ceremony to San Diego, saying San Francisco is perceived as anti-military.

November 2006: San Francisco school board votes to phase out JROTC from city schools.

July 2005: San Francisco supervisors reject efforts to house the battleship Iowa as a waterfront museum, saying the peace-loving city is no place for a warship.

May 2005: Anti-military students storm military recruiting tables at a San Francisco State University career fair.

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Comments


  1. #700806
    On May 14th, 2009 at 3:18 pm, J S Ragman said:

    I’m still waiting for San Francisco to disband the police force. Then there will be no crime.

  2. #700811
    On May 14th, 2009 at 3:29 pm, zyzzyg said:

    This is a good thing. Especially for the students.

    And, I wonder if you were a gay student could you take part in JROTC? I believe no one would give a darn. Everyone can benefit from the program. Because it is about conduct, respect, responsibility, developing character, duty, honor and country.

    Though, I don’t know what difference it makes that many of them are minorities.

  3. #700813
    On May 14th, 2009 at 3:31 pm, englishqueen01 said:

    I say let them. Pull all military protection and funding from San Francisco. Goodness knows when the fit hits the shan in the next terror attack, San Franciscans can just hold hands and sing “Kumbaya” and never worry about being targets. Or, when the next earthquake hits, they can wait for unicorns and rainbows to help restore the city to civility and functionality.

  4. #700822
    On May 14th, 2009 at 3:36 pm, txvet2 said:

    On May 14th, 2009 at 3:29 pm, zyzzyg said: Though, I don’t know what difference it makes that many of them are minorities.

    Would it make a difference if none of them were?

  5. #700828
    On May 14th, 2009 at 3:43 pm, J S Ragman said:

    #2 zyzzyg

    I think the minority angle is something that flies in the face of the typical liberal paradigm of military people being mindless, skinhead, bigots. So some people might find it interesting that minorities find the military an unbiased opportunity to excel based on merit. But that’s just my opinion, based on a 20 year naval career. I could be wrong.

  6. #700847
    On May 14th, 2009 at 4:01 pm, ammo john said:

    I’m a proud USMC JROTC alumni from A. Crawford Mosley HS in Panama City, Florida. Ooooooorah!!

    I didn’t enlist in the USAF until 5 years after graduation. I’m glad it was something to fall back on during basic training. I guess the freaks in San Fransissyko didn’t want students to become more patriotic, loyal, confident, and disciplined. Everything that is opposite Jerkley Berkley. Hooray for the students and parents!!

  7. #700852
    On May 14th, 2009 at 4:03 pm, Hangfire said:

    I think that San Francisco should become a city state, like Venice or Trier, and have its own Palace of Electors. It can remain a possession of the United States as long as it pays an annual tribute.

  8. #700910
    On May 14th, 2009 at 4:51 pm, Flyoverman said:

    This is cyclical. As was mentioned, eternal vigilance is required.

  9. #700927
    On May 14th, 2009 at 5:13 pm, prendad said:

    NO NO NO, to any ole military ships or bases or recruiting stations in the SanFran area. Besides, they are too busy killing unborn babies, performing sex-change operations, protesting everything under the sun, spreading AIDS, and figuring out how to spend $30,000,000.00 on their salt marsh harvest mice.

  10. #700929
    On May 14th, 2009 at 5:16 pm, Cameron said:

    zyzzyg,

    The JROTC program is open to all students regardless of sexual orientation, ethnicity, etc and always has been.

    Because it is about conduct, respect, responsibility, developing character, duty, honor and country.

    Which is one of the many reasons it was attacked so viciously in San Francisco. And having witnessed a correction on a wayward student by one of the instructors, I think it’s a wonderful program.

  11. #700975
    On May 14th, 2009 at 6:47 pm, letget said:

    These students are trying to show our Republic, we will defend you. God Bless them.
    L

  12. #701044
    On May 14th, 2009 at 9:48 pm, zyzzyg said:

    On May 14th, 2009 at 3:36 pm, txvet2 said: #4

    Would it make a difference if none of them were?

    Nope. The program is a good thing, regardless of ethnicity. Mentioning race is a contrivance of liberals to solicit specific emotions.

  13. #701051
    On May 14th, 2009 at 10:03 pm, zyzzyg said:

    On May 14th, 2009 at 3:43 pm, J S Ragman said: #5
    #2 zyzzyg

    I think the minority angle is something that flies in the face of the typical liberal paradigm of military people being mindless, skinhead, bigots. So some people might find it interesting that minorities find the military an unbiased opportunity to excel based on merit. But that’s just my opinion, based on a 20 year naval career. I could be wrong.

    You could be right, you could be wrong, and that is not the issue. I don’t know and it is unimportant.

    Heck, there are other races and socio-economic groups that also benefit from the opportunities provided by military service. Colin Powell said military service has been good for him, and that others should consider it.

    My point is, that you could be blue-green with red polka dots, why mention race at all? Unless you want to solicit some sort of emotion. Mentioning race is a liberal contrivance.

    We are all Americans, and when the ultimate sacrifice is made, we all spill red blood. When we return to our final resting place, there is an American Flag on the coffin. There is no notation of race, or ethnicity.

  14. #701053
    On May 14th, 2009 at 10:08 pm, zyzzyg said:

    On May 14th, 2009 at 5:16 pm, Cameron said: #10

    The JROTC program is open to all students regardless of sexual orientation, ethnicity, etc and always has been.

    Which is one of the many reasons it was attacked so viciously in San Francisco. And having witnessed a correction on a wayward student by one of the instructors, I think it’s a wonderful program.

    Thank you for answering the question.

    Thank you for not mentioning the wayward student’s race, gender, or ethnicity. Because those things are irrelevant.

  15. #701085
    On May 15th, 2009 at 1:28 am, Send_Me said:
  16. #701106
    On May 15th, 2009 at 5:21 am, DagneyT said:

    Vigilance, as always, is required in the city whose anti-military activists never sleep:

    Vigilance is required…PERIOD! In these times, we need to watch what BOTH hands are doing, and not be thrown off guard!

  17. #701107
    On May 15th, 2009 at 5:25 am, DagneyT said:

    BTW, send me, the article you linked to has some good points…maybe it should take some consideration???

  18. #701110
    On May 15th, 2009 at 7:22 am, jamesgreenidge said:

    On May 15th, 2009 at 1:28 am, Send_Me said:

    Then there are those who wish to close West Point, the Naval Academy and the Air Force Academy, not to mention the service War Colleges…

    This is scary, that SO many think along these lines — and in grade schools! I said it way back, and it wasn’t a joke; my niece said that during her junior high class trip some adult asked her class where West Point was and the _guesses_ ranged from Mexico to Japan. Oh, they can tell you where the Apollo Theater was, but not the historic academy just up the river. Sick. Is this educational incompetence or lib agenda or what?

    I applaud those JROTC cadets and hope they get an airing on Fox (’cause the MSM isn’t).

    James Greenidge
    Queens, NY

  19. #701115
    On May 15th, 2009 at 8:56 am, Paul Revere said:

    I think the minority angle is something that flies in the face of the typical liberal paradigm of military people being mindless, skinhead, bigots. So some people might find it interesting that minorities find the military an unbiased opportunity to excel based on merit. But that’s just my opinion, based on a 20 year naval career. I could be wrong.

    Thanks for your service. Your take on this is correct.

  20. #701415
    On May 15th, 2009 at 3:56 pm, Bogtrotter said:

    It has always been mind-boggling to me that the same crowd who thinks a 14 year old girl is more than capable of deciding to have an abortion without parental notification is completely incable of making a resonable decision, or should not even be given the opportunity to consider, a military career or service. I wish they would be honest amd at least admit that they want no one to EVER consider the military. Let me take a few lines to relate a story. I was in the AF for 4 years. Nothing glorious, stateside service only in ND & AK. My son decided to join the AF, and did so. He was having problems with instructors while at tech school and was coming close to being kicked out. He is a child of the 80’s in many ways and thinks he has all the answers. I talked to him on the phone for HOURS. Told him how gettting out would ruin his life and to suck it up and deal with it. I told him that all the lifer Sgt’s he thinks he is smarter than have been around long enough to know every possible way of getting him if they so choose. I told him to STFU except for “yes sir, no sir, 3 bags full sir”., do his time. Must have got through to him. He finished, did his enlistment, and is now out and back in school to get his Masters. I really believe that popular culture belittling of the military, the need for instant gratification by most young people having given them little patiance (thanks internet), and the feeling among many young people that they are very much smarter than other, older people, contributes. But there is hope, the current conflict(s) have done much to boost the military up in the eyes of the average citizen, young and old (with the exception of many liberals who will NEVER approve of the military). I do not expect people to love the military. I certainly did not for my 4 years as a “SAC trained killer” working as a Engineering Entomologist (Exterminator) Yes, it is an actual real job in the service, though I have never run across another vet who had that job. . LOL! To finish this long-winded comment, despite the constant attempts from the left to instill a dislike for the military, young people still go in, still serve honorably, and get out to become much better citizens than their military hating peers.

  21. #701618
    On May 15th, 2009 at 9:05 pm, Cameron said:

    Thank you for answering the question.

    Glad to help. As you probably guessed, I am a big fan of this program.

    Thank you for not mentioning the wayward student’s race, gender, or ethnicity. Because those things are irrelevant.

    True. And even though I was not the one being yelled at, I felt my spine straighten. Hopefully, that young man grew up to be a good person.

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