Is Deviating Kids Away from the Military Overstepping One's First Amendment Rights?

Photo by: Jason E. Miczek

Associated Press (C) 2008

By: Christine G. Tebcherany

According to CNN, in the small town of Wilkesboro, NC, a Quaker by the name of Sally Ferrell is very passionate about steering high school students away from joining the military. She has been a peace activist for many years and feels that military recruits are applying too much pressure on high school students to join the military. Ferrell has distributed information to students with the schools permission to ask them to "think twice" before going towards that path. However, recently she has been stopped by the school's superintendent because he states that her actions are being "unpatriotic."

The American Civil Liberties Union is currently threatening to sue due the fact that it is a First Amendment issue. Ferrell and her fellow advocates say that the military recruits are targeting their district because it is a rural area and has a faltering economy. There are not many job opportunities left in the county and "many students feel like they have no future," according to Tom Morris, a retired engineer and small business owner.

Ferrell, a 63 year old Quaker believes in non violence and has put much of her life into counter-recruiting the military in order to make a difference in the lives of others. After a continious battle with the district, Stephen Laws the Superintendent, decided to no longer allow Ferrell to counter-recruit, because she was not offering anything to the school. The school however, leveled with Ferrell a bit by only letting army recruits visit twice a semester and not allowing them to enter into the lunch rooms. The recruiters state that this does not allow them to gain relationships with the students. Army Sgt. R. Scott Gianfrancesco states he that he doesn't like the new rules, but he has to live by them.