CF "seducing and preying" upon Canadian Youth - News Clip

[p_imbeault]

She said teens who become involved in cadets, the reserves and the regular forces are being taught to follow when they should be learning to lead and to think for themselves.

Most teens can think for themselves, its how we make the decision to do homework, go out with friends, decide on what to do on the weekend. We are taught to follow in the public schools, work, just about everywhere. Also after a couple years cadets do learn to lead, lead a group younger kids. They get a chance to be put in charge, to be a mentor and pass on what they know. Is this so bad?

 

[gaspasser]

My relatives, including the one teaching at Acadia must be in the minority then. 

They even wear red on Fridays (well so they tell me) !!

Good for them!!  Stick it to the Man... ;D
Not all Valley people are staunch Liberals... ???


modified to add:
If being brainwashed means being part of a team as an individual, being a flag waving--red wearing--beer drinking--patriotic Canadian!  Then, most of us are brainwashed... :-\
I only wish my boys had stayed in cadets,[as I did} they would have learned {as I did} self discipline, self motivation, self respect and how to become a better citizen and leadership skills that would take them into life. Whether or not they continued into the Military would be up to them.  At least I would support their choice in thier lifes path.
Regards,
Looks like her son is already "all that."
Those who Serve.

 

[Romeo Echo Mike Echo]

How much Anti-Military brainwashing have Canadians been subjected to since the end of WWII? I'd blame the media for this post-Viet Nam style journalism. Serving your Country and the Profession of Arms is far more noble than being some hack reporter. I think it was Kierkegaard who said I'd rather have a sister who was a prostitute than a brother who was a journalist.

 

[CdnArtyWife]

Good for them!!  Stick it to the Man... ;D
Not all Valley people are staunch Liberals... ???

Nope, I agree...

This is one staunch conservative daughter of conservatives (actually Republican Americans...oooooh >) from the Valley who married a staunch conservative son of a Liberal (actually Democrat American) father from the Valley.  ;D

We wrote the exception to the rule...LOL

 

[TN2IC]

Not to dive right in... but I have to lay my two cents down.

I just find it odd how she uses the cadets as a scapegoat. I went in the cadet program, then went PRes, then Reg Force. I was the only one out of my level to be in the CF. Well, a handful went CIC.. so I should correct myself on that. But are the CIC's not deployable? Correct me if I am wrong. Cadets as influence? No, I don't think so. It made our minds open to many doors, socialize and build our self esteem. It gave us a light on leadership.

As for the Boy Scout deal, I honestly think they should be getting some sort of funding. I was in Scouts program too when I was a wee little kid. Great program. Now my little boy is about to start it. Everyone remember selling those apples? hehehe... Girl guides with the cookies.. I am getting hungry now.

That's my two cents,
TN2IC

 

[gaspasser]

Apples and Cookies are how Scouts and Guides earn their money.  They must provide a service. Nothing for free in Scouting. 
TN, you and I are of the same mettle, only a few years apart.  >

 

[scoutfinch]

Hmmmm.  My 18 year old son leaves for KAF on Thursday.  Prior to his pre-deployment training, he and I had a very long chat about what it was that he was entering into.  He had thought about the whole thing from a very mature, adult perspective.  As a result, he received my blessings.  

Make no mistake about it -- if I thought for one second that he did not understand in its entirity what he was signing up to do, I would not have approved.  After all, some 18 year olds are not yet adults.  But he had made his decision from a very informed perspective and had taken the good, the bad and the ugly into consideration in coming to a very well thought out decision.  His decision making process was enough to convince me that he had demonstrated sufficient maturity.

Me?  I confess to having some difficulty with the Cadets movement for a number of reasons.  Brainwashing?  I think not.  

Moreover, the fact that her son has deviated from her values and morals would suggest that he is an independent thinker and not 'brainwashed' as she argues.  

 

[TN2IC]

SamIAm, please give your son my best wishes.

 

[gaspasser]

Sam, sounds like you brought him right!  Good head on his shoulders, a credit to you and your husband. 
Give my best to your son, and wishes for a safe return.

 

[3rd Herd]

Occasionally we wander over into the cadets thread, more than often we are asked to leave after all it is their thread BUT on this issue I would not mind hearing from them. As to the brain washing I remember in December evaluating the public speaking portion of their Star requirements; first up covered NFL, second up covered bullying in school, third spoke about the family cat.................. Add into the leadership requirements such as "what makes a good leader, ethics of a good leader, and lastly the staff who lead by example.

Given the revamping the cadets have gone through over the years to make sure the "UN Conventions on the Child" are being upheld as well as other international conventions I agree with several other posters in this thread. Maybe the mother is having a very, very, late case of "post partum blues" It also seems Scouts, Guides etc generally meet once a week while again generally cadets have things on the go anywhere from one to four nights a week.

Well volunteering for an NGO is all well and fine very few have set courses in leadership, team building etc. There primary focus is RASING MONEY most of which goes to administrative costs. Very few NGOs lately have sent a significant amount directly into the field. Continuing on this point it has been interesting to note those university fund raising groups around the campus are now sending funds raised directly to "on the ground" operations" not to the organizations head offices. Maybe they are tired of the "brain washing" from the other end.

 

[McG]

She said teens who become involved in cadets, the reserves and the regular forces are being taught to follow when they should be learning to lead and to think for themselves.

Funny.  I though leadership was one of the pillars that Cadets aimed to build, and I know it is something we attempt to get into even our newest soldiers.  leadership & the ability to think for one's self are essential in the modern battlefield. 

 

[The Bread Guy]

Bit rusty, but aren't the aims of the Cadet movement:
to promote leadership, good citizenship and physical fitness, as well as an interest in Canada's military?

I've been lucky enough to sit on interview boards choosing cadets for senior, advanced courses (like learning to fly, senior leadership, international exchange), and the young people I see are enthusiastic, keen, well spoken and polite (even the sponsoring board members like bringing them to public events as shining ambassadors for the movement). 

Yes, there are a percentage that go into the military down the road, but even the ones who don't become good workers, good citizens and good Canadians - as the comedian once said, is that so wrong?

 

[retiredgrunt45]

It can be summed up in one famous quote, made by one of the greatest United States presidents ever to serve in office.

" Ask not what your country can do you, but what you can do for your country"

John Fitzgerald Kennedy's inaugural speach January 20, 1961

 

[rosco]

I find it strange that someone would try to pit the "Scouts" against the "Cadets"... especially in a military vs.nonmilitary slant.

Although modern Scouts it farther removed from it's military beginnings I am sure most are aware that Lord Baden Powell started the movement as an aid to the Bohr War. For all sense and purpose it was a cadet organisation. To this day Scouts are divided into military like platoons, rank/chain of command are stressed, uniforms are worn, field craft taught  exc.

Cadets out there don't get choked at this comparson. I fully understand the differences between the two organisations but I am saying they are a lot more similar that the other groups listed (Crossroads exc).

For my children I welcome the discipline, structure and character of either group. It will give them the tools not to "seduced" by either side of this argument but to come to their own conclusions.

 

[TN2IC]

Could you image this lady living in the Iron Curtain and the brainwashing... oh my..


Cheers,
Comrade TN2IC

 

[Michael OLeary]

Cadets out there don't get choked at this comparson. I fully understand the differences between the two organisations but I am saying they are a lot more similar that the other groups listed (Crossroads exc).

Search the Cadet forum on "scouts" to see what they (i.e., Cadets) think of comparisons between the two as youth organizations.

 

[KevinB]

That "Lady's" just right the F&*@ out of 'er.
  She esentially proved to the world via national media she is an oxygen thief as such I wont waste time rebutting her assinine diatribe.

Its better to be thought a fool, than open your mouth and prove it, as this one cemented.

 

[George Wallace]

I-6

I must agree.  Her statements, quoted by the reporter, are so ill-informed and contradictory that it makes the whole article nothing more than an attempt by that paper to fill a blank space.  Really!  Why are we carrying on with dissecting her feeble statements?  We are only giving attention where attention is not due.  This whole article is a result of a "No News Day".  

So she spoke at a rally.  So what.  Do we need to give her credibility here for her misconstrued conception on life?  

 

[TN2IC]

It just bother me to know a "mother" would pipe up and say that.

For an example.. not to rant... but it makes me feel better...

I knew when I had a family get together (BBQ), my dad's mother, very religious lady. Gone ahead and told my mom mother's boyfriend to shut up. It was over me being deployed. He was going on about Iraq and how I just "joined" the military. I just CT in the Regs... so he must of ...yeah. And you could tell I am getting a tad upset biting my lips. What shock when she spoke out, but did I ever grow a lot of respect for her. Usually we are not a tight family, but that was a eye opener. Darn those oxygen theifs. Let's all jump on the bandwagon! The media is saying this.. so it must be right. Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam... it's all the same, right? CNN says it is.. let's follow the idiot box.  :

Gee Discovery Channel goes on about Lemmings running off a Cliff... why don't these "brainwashed oxygen theifs" run off the cliff?

Cheers,
Ticked off TN2IC..
;D


Other note, if you believe Lemmings do this suicide run, I believe your wrong..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemming

Wikipedia says different, so it must be right..   :rofl:


Phew I feel better now..

 

[Limey]

When I first read the article I wondered if Hill-Lehr's position of being a Canadian military mom was being taken advantage of by anti-war advocates. I googled her and found this video of her on youtube:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=89Q9IBL58j4

She is clearly an ardent anti-war activist, not just worried mother, and speaks her point of view quite eloquently. The video opens with text describing her as a mother of a soldier in Afghanistan, and ends with the webpage of the anti-war group www.resisters.ca.

She is allowed her point of view, even if we think it is wrong. That's one of the freedoms that makes Canada such a great country. I just feel it is a shame that she is using her son to help her gain publicity for her cause, since it is obviously not his. I hope she has his permission to use him as her poster-child. I would not be happy to have my mother quoted in the national media as saying “Right now I am ashamed of wearing a Canadian flag on my back.”

I wish her son and all his fellow soldiers a safe tour. When he comes home I hope that he will be able to say to his mother that after actually having done his job in Afghanistan that he was right and she was wrong. I doubt the Canadian Peace Alliance would put that on their website though...