'Military Pedophilia'
'Military pedophilia' is how one member of protest group Veterans for Peace described the US Army's attempts to recruit youngsters with game tournaments. Vexed at the sugar-coated lures of games like America's Army Nationalistic Death Cult, VFP protested yesterday outside an army-sponsored game tournament in Rancho Cordova, California.
It was protester John Reiger who made the leap to pedophilia:
It's like giving candy to kids. It's sort of like military pedophilia in a way, preying on our young people.
I'm not sure about the pedophilia bit, but it is a lot like giving candy to kids. Candy that makes you want to risk your life for a fictional sense of adventure and misplaced patriotism. Which, upon reflection, doesn't sound so sweet.
Army Sgt. Victor Farrier gave the usual defense, saying:
The event is nothing more than an opportunity for people to become familiar with the Army.
I suppose that's partially true. Events like this are indeed opportunities for people to become familiar with the way the Army portrays itself to unenlisted youngsters - however the discrepancy between the sales pitch and the reality is enormous. In fact, that kind of discrepancy may very well underlie the recent surge in Army recruiter suicides.
Protester: Army's Teen Game Competition is "Military Pedophilia" [GamePolitics]
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Posted to Hot Stuff, Miscellany, Video Games on 8 December 2008
· Comments (2)
Other stuff like this: america's army, army, military pedophilia, recruitment
The only way I can see how teaching people about the army and having fun army games "recruits" people to the army is probably in the same way others complain about LGBT issues.
By teaching about LGBT issues, sexuality, and tolerance, do we really "recruit" people to LGBT? Does the Army do the same?
I know one is a choice and the other is not, but I can see how people who think that both are choices, might be getting this notion in their head.
Nothing wrong with the Army, what are those people talking about? Enlist!