The Child Soldier Amendment: Victory…for Now

September 18, 2008

Victory for our Children and Communities!

The quick action of the peace community has brought us a victory.  The Center on Conscience & War has learned upon consultation with the office of Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI), chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, that—Amendment #5331, sponsored by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX)—was not put on the Unanimous Consent Calendar (http://democrats.senate.gov/calendar/2008-09.html).  Therefore, ultimately it was not approved with the passage of the Defense Authorization bill. See: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/L?d110:./temp/~bdavTfs:1[1-365](Amendments_For_S.3001)&./temp/~bdV3uh

The Child Soldier Amendment would have required federal dollars to be withheld from schools that did not include Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps in their curriculums at the request of the Secretary of Defense.
The Center on Conscience & War celebrates this as a victory for people who oppose the militarization of U.S. schools and as a victory for community control over curriculums.

The Center on Conscience & War will keep an eye on things but encourages you, as its supporter, to be vigilant and watchful for further militarization of our schools, including similar amendments in the House of Representatives.  Each year brings thousands of amendments to Congress, and we must be watchful.

As the quoted by the military and said by Thomas Jefferson: “The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.”

Please check back on our website for further developments and other information: www.centeronconscience.org