Seattle Ballot Measure Bans Military Recruiters

(Seattle, Washington) The Garfield High School PTSA (Parent Teacher Student Association) has collected enough signatures to put an anti-war measure on the city-wide November ballot. Called the College Not Combat Initiative, I-86, the initiative will decide whether military recruiters should be allowed on Seattle city property and in schools.

In the past, the Garfield PTSA has spearheaded anti-military measures with most people believing them to be symbolic. However, supporters disagree.

From Seattle Times:

Amy Hagopian, president of Garfield's PTSA, is a lead organizer of the initiative effort. She bristles at the word "symbolic" and compares the initiative to effective historical protests such as civil-rights sit-ins.

In my opinion, the comparison to civil rights protests is inappropriate. Nonetheless, although it's ostensibly symbolic, the proposal, if passed, would establish a committee to report on "whether the public schools and the city were inadvertently encouraging recruiting."

It's not clear exactly what comprises 'inadvertent encouragement.' It is clear, however, that the parent-teacher association dedicates considerable attention to promoting a liberal political agenda which must distract from educating students in reading, writing, and arithmetic.