ROTC and the NRA indirectly trained the Florida school shooter.

[Mihalik]

https://www.vox.com/2018/2/16/170218...team-nra-grant

The Associated Press reports that in 2016, Cruz had been a member of the school’s Army Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) air-rifle marksmanship team, a small group who met together after class for target practice using air rifles and traveled to other schools to compete.

That program was supported by a grant from the National Rifle Association Foundation, the NRA’s charitable arm, as part of a multimillion dollar national campaign to promote youth shooting clubs. In 2016, when Cruz was a member of the team, the NRA Foundation awarded the school program a $10,827 non-cash grant.

“He was a very good shot,” Aaron Diener, who was part of Cruz’s shooting team in 2016, told the AP. “He had an AR-15 he talked about, and pistols he had shot. ... He would tell us, ‘Oh, it was so fun to shoot this rifle’ or ‘It was so fun to shoot that.’ It seemed almost therapeutic to him, the way he spoke about it.”

This raises an interesting question, setting aside the gun control debate, it is worth raising a question around the worth and value of such essentially paramilitary training programs like the ROTC. While undoubtedly it was a career starting point for many, it also instills militaristic values in extremely young individuals, transfers military skills to possibly dubious people with mental issues which would have disqualified them from military service.

While I am personally OK with ROTC programs in universities, I do feel that military recruitment programs and recruiters in general should be banned from high schools and from targeting high school age kids.

What do you think?

[Zeta333]

That if you dig hard enough you can find that anyone helped someone do somthing. The school lunch ladies are partially responsible becuase they kept him fed and health enough to do the shooting.

I think religion in the classroom is a far bigger threat than recruiters or rotc in high schools.

[bladeXcrasher]

I think you are really stretching to call the JROTC programs paramilitary.

[Blownload]

What kind of dimwit would call JROTC Air rifle practice paramilitary training? Mental gymnastics.

[Flarelaine]

This raises an interesting question, setting aside the gun control debate, it is worth raising a question around the worth and value of such essentially paramilitary training programs like the ROTC. While undoubtedly it was a career starting point for many, it also instills militaristic values in extremely young individuals, transfers military skills to possibly dubious people with mental issues which would have disqualified them from military service.

While I am personally OK with ROTC programs in universities, I do feel that military recruitment programs and recruiters in general should be banned from high schools and from targeting high school age kids.

What do you think?

So far, I have always thought of the ROTC system as something we should adapt.

Now you're telling me it's just another gun club with no admittance standards?

[McFuu]

JROTC and ROTC has done way more good helping people get started on careers and giving them the proper discipline to improve their lives than 1 example of a fucked up kid, who would have done the same if he was on his highschools basket weaving team.

[shadowmouse]

He would tell us, ‘Oh, it was so fun to shoot this rifle’ or ‘It was so fun to shoot that.’ It seemed almost therapeutic to him, the way he spoke about it.

It didn't work for him, but notice that language. For some, it may get them on a different path. We don't know if, or how many, students in JROTC might pull it together and find focus through those activities.

At this point, he has what he wanted, he's a symbol. Now, people will look at everything he has done and try to second guess, trying to assign blame. I suppose we need to do that and hope to dodge the next one, but as much as I detest the NRA -- we can probably start by blaming screwed up counseling, mental health programs, and even care for orphaned children first.

[Deleted]

Does studying ballistic trajectory in physics indirectly train shooters?.

[Mekkle]

Even i think this is a bit of stretch.

[Deleted]

Even i think this is a bit of stretch.

This is how almost every topic is handled in the media these days.

[Vargulf the Happy Husky]

The NRA should be outlawed.

so you want to outlaw responsible gun owners? one bad apple doesn't spoil the bushel

[Mekkle]

This is how almost every topic is handled in the media these days.

Makes me hard to believe any source posted anywhere, why I don't really talk about this stuff.

[Projectmars]

JROTC and ROTC has done way more good helping people get started on careers and giving them the proper discipline to improve their lives than 1 example of a fucked up kid, who would have done the same if he was on his highschools basket weaving team.

JROTC and ROTC havebeen training cold blooded murderers for a long, long time.

[McFuu]

JROTC and ROTC havebeen training cold blooded murderers for a long, long time.

No.

/10char

[Moshots]

That if you dig hard enough you can find that anyone helped someone do somthing. The school lunch ladies are partially responsible becuase they kept him fed and health enough to do the shooting.

I think religion in the classroom is a far bigger threat than recruiters or rotc in high schools.

because teaching kids morals and to not kill people is so dangerous. /s

- - - Updated - - -

The NRA should be outlawed.

Meanwhile the number of mass shootings in america that have been shown to be committed by card carrying NRA members.


0..

[Deleted]

https://www.vox.com/2018/2/16/170218...team-nra-grant



This raises an interesting question, setting aside the gun control debate, it is worth raising a question around the worth and value of such essentially paramilitary training programs like the ROTC. While undoubtedly it was a career starting point for many, it also instills militaristic values in extremely young individuals, transfers military skills to possibly dubious people with mental issues which would have disqualified them from military service.

While I am personally OK with ROTC programs in universities, I do feel that military recruitment programs and recruiters in general should be banned from high schools and from targeting high school age kids.

What do you think?

Where would the army gets it's recruits from if it can't actively target the young and poor?

[Deleted]

He was wearing his JROTC shirt when he got busted wasn't he?

[zenkai]

What kind of dimwit would call JROTC Air rifle practice paramilitary training? Mental gymnastics.

Leftest with stretch armstrong arms.

[Deleted]

What percent of recruits come from JROTC? What percent if JROTC students enlist?

You obviously know the answer to these two questions since you expressed this opinion.

Do you want me to Google it?

[Mihalik]

I think if you cite anything from Vox you should automatically get a week-long forum ban.

As much as you "fake news" folks might hate it, Vox is a fairly decent source. You just don't like it because it's editorial board is not trying to pretend that the right wing is reasonable or sane.

On the other hand Vox itself sourced Associated Press for the article. You know, it's literally in the first 3 words of what I quoted.