During the slaughter at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, several of the Army Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets acted heroically to save the lives of their classmates.
Three of them, Cadets Peter Wang (15), Alaina Petty (14) and Martin Duque (13) were gunned down during their rescue efforts. We noted that these three young heroes had been accorded various military honors when they were laid to rest.
Now, one of the most loathsome groups of social justice warriors is demanding the end to the JROTC program in schools.
Progressive activist group CODEPINK is advocating for removing JROTC from schools after last month’s shooting in Parkland, Florida.While students across the country participated in mass walkouts for gun control on Wednesday, CODEPINK tweeted that they want to remove JROTC and the NRA from schools, despite the fact that JROTC students saved lives during the shooting.“We must pass gun laws, get JROTC and NRA out of our schools, and #DivestFromWar,” CODEPINK wrote.
[The woman the right end of the image above is anti-Israel extremist Ariel Gold]
Normal, rational people were furious at this idea.
Perhaps the angriest were parents (including myself), who have children that thrive in the JROTC program.
Fox News covered the predictable backlash to the hyper-politicized inanity.
In contrast to the “violence” CODEPINK asserts that JROTC is promoting, JROTC students are working to make the country a better place to live. A group of Kentucky cadets recently spent their day cleaning a park:
Students with the George Rogers Clark High School JROTC program spent their Saturday morning cleaning up trash and debris at Fort Boonesborough State Park….The clean-up was part of their annual service learning project, and also serves as a way to prepare for their upcoming Raider event. Stepp said cadets picked up trash throughout the park, cleaned up the fire pits and the camping area, removed large branches and even cleared the beach of any debris.
I thought CODEPINK activists like the environment!
Another JROTC cadet recently used his training to save a man involved in a car wreck.
When he got to the scene, [Mount Tabor High School junior Malik] Sheppard says there was a woman trying to get one of the doors open, while the unconscious man was still inside. While remaining calm, Sheppard put his JROTC training to use.“I had to actually put more force into it, so I had to put my body into the door, so it could actually crack open,” he recalled. “I guess you would say it was just more of an in that moment thing, I have to get this done before something worse could possibly happen.”
The toxic, anti-male vitriol tossed out by CODEPINK is in direct contrast to the reality of the program.
On a personal note, my son has really matured since he joined his high school’s JROTC program in September. He is now Cadet Petty Officer Third Class, and is now making plans to apply to the US Air Force Academy.
Interestingly, the Cadet Commander of that group is female. She is heading to the Air Force Academy next year. I thought CODEPINK was about female empowerment?
On a more serious note: For those who may be interested in donating to the Parkland school’s JROTC group in honor of the fallen cadets, the link to the fundraising shop is HERE. Supporting these programs robustly is the best way to battle social activists.
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