Wheres the connection between JROTC and violence? Are you saying JROTC cadets are going out and killing people?
We do not claim that the publicized cases of JROTC cadets and instructors engaging in violent and criminal behavior constitute a pattern. (On the other hand, it is clear that some JROTC participants fall far short of the high standards of behavior the program claims to instill.) But an increased military presence in schools — complete with training in how to shoot a rifle — sends the wrong message to youth about our values. We live in a country where the death rate from firearms among children under 15 is the highest among industrialized countries, 12 times higher than the combined rate of 25 other industrialized nations. Schools choose to sensitize — or further desensitize — youth to the consequences of using weapons. Many schools have adopted a stance of zero tolerance for weapons and made it a priority to teach students to find alternatives to aggressive behavior. What is the message we want our schools to convey to young people about weapons: how to use them safely, or not to u
