Stop the Militarization of the DREAM Act!

Apparently I'm subscribed to this site's newsletter, but I thought this post was relevant to this board.


Targeting: The U.S. Senate, The U.S. House of Representatives, Sen. Dick Durbin (IL), see more...The U.S. Senate, The U.S. House of Representatives, Sen. Dick Durbin (IL), Sen. Russ Feingold (WI), Rep. Dennis Kucinich (OH-10), and Rep. Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15)
Started by: Brian Galaviz

The DREAM Act has been promoted as a chance for many undocumented youth to gain "legalization." It has been touted as an education bill. However, college attendance rates are low for many undocumented immigrants, especially latino/as. Little is done to help undocumented youth go to college. Therefore, this will force many youth to choose the military option as their only choice for legalization. We believe this is immoral and an unfair choice.

If you believe that the DREAM Act is flawed because the only two options are college or the military. If you want to see the military option removed from the DREAM Act, please sign our petition

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Petition Text
Stop the Militarization of the DREAM Act!

Greetings,

Though the DREAM Act provides a pathway to legalization for some youth by going to college, we believe that high school graduation rates and the resources available for our communities to obtain a higher education will give an unfair advantage to military recruitment. That is, we believe that the DREAM Act will cause a de facto draft. The military will prey upon the fact that the vast majority of undocumented youth will not go to college. It will prey upon undocumented youth because the DREAM Act does little to help youth go to college. While there may be youth who do in fact benefit, we believe that the cost of sending thousands of undocumented youth to war is an unfair, immoral and unjust price to pay.

That is why we urge you to remove the military component of the DREAM Act and replace it with 910 hours of community service or employment. The 910 hours of community service was actually in the original DREAM Act. We believe the service component was removed to force more youth to “choose” the military option.

Further, we applaud the youth who put their lives on the line and risk deportation in their struggles to pass the DREAM Act. We simply wish to push the DREAM Act in a more just direction, a direction which will not victimize immigrants in the US and civilians in countries which the US attacks.
We also recognize that the DREAM Act does not address our fundamental demand of LEGALIZATION FOR ALL. The DREAM Act does not stop the separation of families. The DREAM Act does not stop deportations. The DREAM Act does not stop the terrorism that occurs in our communities and our families everyday.
Points:

1) The original DREAM Act already had the community service component. We simply wish this component to be re-added and replace the military component.

2) Military contracts are never for two years. They are always substantially longer. The DREAM Act is deceitfully worded to make the public believe that two years of military service is enough. Military contracts are generally for eight years.

3) The military will prey upon undocumented youth because less than 30% of latino/s have ever been even one day to college*

4) Only 11% of latino/as have a college degree. *

5) While latino/as are not the only immigrants affected, it is latino/a blood which will be spilled, because we have the lowest high school and college graduation rate of any group in the US *

6) What kind of “choice” will youth have with these statistics? It is not a real choice. It is an illusion that it is a real choice. The youth could also “chose” to return to their country of origin, but we refuse that as a viable option as well. This is their home and the youth wish to stay here, the land which they recognize and call home.

7) The DREAM Act doesn’t help youth graduate high school. If a single piece of legislation could help the horrendous high school graduation rates for minorities in the US, a bill would have been crafted years ago. Education disparities are complex issues that would be difficult to fix with simple legislation. After decades of disinvestment, it will take years or decades to fix our education system.

The DREAM Act doesn’t help make going to college easier. States don’t have to give undocumented students in-state tuition, and only 11 do. The DREAM Act doesn’t give students this benefit. It also makes federal assistance out the question. Pell grants are probably the single greatest thing that could truly help college attainable.

*- these are figures from the latest available US Census - http://www.hacu.net/hacu/Data,_Stati..._EN.asp?SnID=2

[Your name]





http://www.change.org/petitions/view..._the_dream_act

This is the stupidest petition I have ever seen.

Yes there is only 2 Choices College or Military ?

If your not willing to give any of those two choices why should they let you stay; I don't know if you understand the concept of the dream act if for the successful students that want to keep studying and get a degree so they can contribute to society; However in order to give a chance for the kids that don't like to study or is not planning to get a degree they have the option to join the military.

Dream Act = Is suppose to help the country because the kids that are smart will benefit this country and the other will help the country by joining the military.

If your not planning to attend the military or go to college then you don't deserve to get the dream act; Why would they want someone uneducated to stay, when there is so many people in the same situation and all aiming for the same low wages jobs. If your not going to contribute to this country then your not available for the dream act.

This is bullsh**. The dream act is my only shot of being able to join the Navy after I get my degree (which I'm in the process of getting, I'm in my freshmen year).

Also, I want to add a small point that is misleading in this article. It says that military contracts are 8 years long, while that is true, they aren't telling you the full story. In the military you are required to serve a minimum of 4 years active, 4 years inactive (there are other options like 6 years active 2 years inactive etc you choose to do that). During those 4 years inactive you are pretty much a civilian and can even get fat or go to school if you want. The military will only call on you if they absolutely need you. For example, if the US was suddenly attacked and there were not enough volunteers they would call on the reserves/national guard. If there aren't enough of those in a given area of the country they call in the inactive soldiers until a draft can be put into place via lottery. Also, in the military you can still pursue a degree (depending on your MOS, or "job" in the military, you may or may not finish before your enlistment is over, which is generally 4 years). However, the military pays for for a small amount per term while you are enlisted (since you don't earn your GI bill until after 4 years with an Honorable discharge). Once you get out you can use your GI bill and have them pay for the rest of your schooling. Finish your bachelors, or if you have a bachelors have them pay for your masters sometimes people have enough left over to pay for part of their PhD.

The purpose of the dream act is to give people an opportunity to better their country with skills they have. Military service and getting a college education are one of them. 910 hours of community service? What good is that if you just end up going to work at walmart for the next 40 years of your life =/. The military is ALL about an getting an education, its why they provide servicemen with opportunities to get one. You can't join the military if you don't have a Highschool diploma or GED. You need to take the ASVAB test (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) and if you score to low you can't join. You can't join if you are a convicted felon for major things like domestic violence etc.

Plus the military is a great option for older folk who maybe never got the chance to study and are in a dead end job. Age cap for services vary but the US. Army age gap is 39? Meaning if you join at 30 you can complete your enlistment.

The military isn't a prison for those who join, its very flexible for those interested in joining.

Active Duty: You work full time for the US. Military and are the first to be called on, often spend most of time stationed at a base.

Reserve Duty: Live your life as a civilian, train 1 weekend a month, 2 weeks a year to keep your skills sharp. Called on only if needed.

National Guard: Pretty much the same as Reserve duty, except you fulfill a state commitment and a federal commitment. National guard are the soldiers you see helping out when there is a natural disaster (this is the state commitment), and are called upon by the President of the united states in times of war(federal commitment). For example, during WW I and II the national guard formed 40% of the US military fighting force. And is the oldest branch in the military going back over 360 years, to before there was a united states.

I personally think serving in the military is an honorable thing to do, community service? Please. What are we? inmates being forced to work for free?

I say this misleading thread be closed. It misrepresents the ideology and rules set up the by the US military.

No highschool degree or GED = No military
Felons = No military
Military = Education during or after enlistment

Now, I'd like to make something clear, I'm not saying the military should be someone's first choice because of the education benefits, I'm simply saying that those options are there for those who enlist. And if for some reason you can't use your GI bill as a conditional resident, you will definitely be able to once you have legal residency after 5 1/2 - 6 years as a conditional resident. Latino blood will be spilled? Its all ready being spilled because there are already Latinos serving. If white blood hadn't been spilled hundreds of years ago there would be no America.

...wow...how does something like this have 60% of the signatures it is aiming for...

Hi! I'm the OP. I am not in agreement with the article, nor am I promoting what it says. I posted it here, because its an opinion of the DREAM Act, and I thought people might want to know other people's positions on it. I don't think this thread should be closed, but I won't be upset if it did either, because we could use this to open up a discussion on the issue at hand.

I've heard this debate before, I say it is RUBBISH!

If a person chooses to be in the military it's because it's their personal choice! People make it seem like it will be SOOO beneficial to a person however it is the contrary. Once you're in the line of duty, you risk your life. You have to go through intensive boot camp to pass. Obviously, it's not for everyone!

RIDICULOUS!

Just leave it how it is, the purpose of the DREAM act is to benefit the country with educated youth and/or youth willing to serve in its armed forces.


The people who are against the military provision are NOT our allies. They just want to preach their message that "war is bad" and they don't give a fuck if we get papers or not.

It's an option. If you get papers you can work to pay your way through school! If you can't do that, and you think ur going to get a free ride then think again. I've worked all my way through college and paying 1/4 would make a great difference. Also, being able to work would help a lot too! If you can't even do this then I'd say you don't deserve to get papers! As for the military option, I hate the military but if I hadn't the brains nor the money to go to college that would be my only option. The dream act isn't a free ride it's only an option. Get that through your heads and stop trying to block us from getting papers.

Ughh, GIVE ME A BREAK!

BTW, found this link...

http://colorlines.com/archives/2010/...dream_too.html

OMG stop the BS!!!! its two choices to get a green card, SCHOOL or SERVE....ITS NOT LIKE THERE GIVING YOU ONLY THE CHOICE TO SERVE....C'ON BEGGARS CANT BE CHOOSERS.