Here, folks, is the next step in the campaign: spreading the word OUTSIDE London. I note in this piece, they didn't even bother sharing the fact that there's another side on Facebook.
Shared in accordance with the "fair dealing" provisions,
Section 29, of the Copyright Act.
Student aims to recruit support
JONATHAN SHER, SUN MEDIA (London Free Press), 12 Jan 08
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A student who's led protests against military recruiting at two London high schools has set his sights on banning the practice across Canada.
Martin Schoots-McAlpine, in Grade 12 at South Secondary, wants to set a path for protests he hopes will spur activism nationally.
"London may be an embryo of a group across Canada," he said.
With protests already at South and Banting secondary schools, Schoots-McAlpine, a self-described "non-denominational communist," is inviting those concerned with military recruiting at schools to meet at 3 p.m. today at William's Coffee Pub by Victoria Park.
Some may not share his interest in Karl Marx, or his belief Canadian workers are being exploited, but he says he welcomes them just the same.
"It's going to be interesting to see how anarchists, communists, socialists and liberals come together," he said.
It's the second meeting of a group he calls the Student Network Against Recruitment in London -- SNARL for short.
He hopes to build the strength of the group so it survives after he graduates in June.
His efforts have benefited from the guidance of a much more seasoned activist, David Heap, whose first exposure to protests came during the Vietnam War.
"I was in the peace movement before I could walk," said Heap, a French professor at the University of Western Ontario.
Heap's parents housed Vietnam War resisters in their Toronto home and he followed that tradition growing up, by protesting against the testing of cruise missiles in Canada during the 1980s.
"I see myself as a resource," Heap said of his assistance to SNARL.
Both Heap and Schoots-McAlpine question whether Canada would be better off without a military -- an opinion those in the Canadian Forces say is part of a democratic dialogue they are duty-bound to protect.
"They're absolutely entitled to voice their opinions," said Capt. Holly Brown, a spokesperson on recruiting for the Canadian Forces.
Cpt. Paul Teremchuck, who heads recruiting in London, says it's absolutely essential to a functioning military.
"We have to maintain our numbers," he said.
Recruiters in London try to visit every area high school twice a year -- 120 visits in all -- seeking recruits generally and those to fill positions that often need academic technical skill.
"It's very important for us to have access to young men and women in (schools)," said Teremchuck, who says he's seeking a post in Afghanistan.
Both Schoots-McAlpine and Heap claim recruiters make questionable promises that lure students to join.
Teremchuck disputes that.
"I'm confident recruiting staff will pass on accurate information," Teremchuck said.