Counter Military Recruitment

Aug. 30, 2008 / Associated Press / The Gainesville Sun - WILKESBORO, N.C. – Sally Ferrell bounded from the truck and grabbed a posterboard sign that read: "War is not the Answer." Over the years, she's organized dozens of peace vigils like this one being set up in a parking lot. Find common ground, she has always preached, and any conflict can be resolved. But she's now engaged in a conflict of her own — a dispute over military recruiting in high schools that has polarized rural Wilkes County. For three years, Ferrell has asked permission to distribute pamphlets and other materials that warn students to think twice before joining the military. But the school superintendent has stopped her, calling her activities unpatriotic. The American Civil Liberties Union, calling it a First Amendment issue, has threatened to sue.

March 2, 2026 / NNOMY staff / National Network Opposing the Militarization of Youth - Many young people think about joining the military because the benefits are real: steady pay, health coverage, college tuition, job training, and a sense of direction at a time when life can feel uncertain. These are powerful incentives, especially when school is expensive, jobs are unstable, and families are under financial pressure. Recruiters know this, and they speak directly to those needs. But there is a deeper question beneath the surface—one that every young person deserves the chance to consider honestly: What does it mean to accept personal benefits that may require participating in actions that cause harm to others? This is not a question about patriotism or politics. It is a question about moral agency, and about the kind of life you want to build for yourself.