Cadets Banned From Parading With Rifles, or why we will lose next time.

[Lallans]

The spirit of Neville Chamberlain lives on! And they probably were just wooden rifles anyway....


National Post News Services · Saturday, Nov. 6, 2010

Army cadets preparing to march in a Remembrance Day parade in Plymouth, western England, have been told they cannot carry rifles because this "glamorizes weapons." The ban was imposed after members of the public complained, the Daily Mail reported. Organizers said it was another example of Britain's nanny statism. 'It's political correctness gone mad," said Basil Downing-Waite, chairman of the Federation of Plymouth & District Ex Services Associations, which organized the event. The cadets, aged 12 to 18, were reportedly disappointed after the ruling as they had spent months practising their drill for the parade.
Read more: http://www.nationalpost.com/Cadets+b...#ixzz14j7EZbXM

[The Thing]

Shakes his head........can't even think of a formed response to this.

[artificer]

Perhaps I'm a bit fuzzy here, but isn't the point of an ARMY academy to act as a pre-prep for later service? It's not like it's an art school, it's a military academy!

You wouldn't want your army personnel to be too fond of guns, would you?

If only people would think before opening their giant, gaping pie-holes I would probably have fewer migraines.

[Whidbey78]

Perhaps I'm a bit fuzzy here, but isn't the point of an ARMY academy to act as a pre-prep for later service? It's not like it's an art school, it's a military academy!

You wouldn't want your army personnel to be too fond of guns, would you?

If only people would think before opening their giant, gaping pie-holes I would probably have fewer migraines.

***

When are people going to stop denying the simple fact that freedom and security are protected by a man with a rifle, not some guy with a picket sign or the bureaucrat writing policy.

[xena]

Perhaps I'm a bit fuzzy here, but isn't the point of an ARMY academy to act as a pre-prep for later service? It's not like it's an art school, it's a military academy!

You wouldn't want your army personnel to be too fond of guns, would you?

If only people would think before opening their giant, gaping pie-holes I would probably have fewer migraines.

Ummm... wrong country.

http://www.armycadets.com/home/

Cadets in the UK (and Canada) are a youth organisation, similar to Boy Scouts, but with military support, and slightly (barely!) more discipline. Many Cadets do go on to join the military, but they are hardly required or even expected to. There's no academy involved.

A cadet in the US is an entirely different thing.

[xman]

Perhaps I'm a bit fuzzy here, but isn't the point of an ARMY academy to act as a pre-prep for later service?

No. The point is to develop self discipline, self confidence, dress and deportment and leadership skills. They use the tools they have at hand and as those are military, the flavour is unshakeable. We almost never paraded with rifles as cadets. We learned the drill and had a rifle brigade. We fired .306 at the long range. We froze our hands numb at every Remembrance Day parade, but we never carried weapons that day.

[Woodsheal]

So much sturm und drang over hunks of steel and wood! Perhaps they could parade with umbrellas instead....

[artificer]

Comment retracted in the interest of forum friendliness.

[tripleblessed]

I intend this comment to be aimed in a different direction than politics or weapons
directly. Armistice Day and Remembrance day parades are intended to get people to reflect on the price of conflict, irrespective of political system. The
individuals we honor did not suffer a groin pull dancing around a maypole, or
lose control of a caber. They willingly put themselves in harm's way for the perceived greater good, irrespective of system. To honor them, we HAVE to acknowledge what they put themselves through. Insert here submarine dive klaxon and p.a. warning; PERSONAL OPINION FOLLOWS. TO WIT: To sanitize that process absolutely DISHONORS what they gave us. Rather than do such a thing it might be better to just cancel all observation.

Just me. Not about countries, systems or weapons. About honor, about community, about citizenship, about censorship.

[Highland Logan]

I intend this comment to be aimed in a different direction than politics or weapons
directly. Armistice Day and Remembrance day parades are intended to get people to reflect on the price of conflict, irrespective of political system. The
individuals we honor did not suffer a groin pull dancing around a maypole, or
lose control of a caber. They willingly put themselves in harm's way for the perceived greater good, irrespective of system. To honor them, we HAVE to acknowledge what they put themselves through. Insert here submarine dive klaxon and p.a. warning; PERSONAL OPINION FOLLOWS. TO WIT: To sanitize that process absolutely DISHONORS what they gave us. Rather than do such a thing it might be better to just cancel all observation.

Just me. Not about countries, systems or weapons. About honor, about community, about citizenship, about censorship.

Now this is from the Veterans Affairs Canada website;

"By remembering their service and their sacrifice, we recognize the tradition of freedom these men and women fought to preserve. They believed that their actions in the present would make a significant difference for the future, but it is up to us to ensure that their dream of peace is realized. On Remembrance Day, we acknowledge the courage and sacrifice of those who served their country and acknowledge our responsibility to work for the peace they fought hard to achieve."

Now in Canada, our cadets do not bear arms on parade. It's my opinion that the point of Remembrance Day is to hope that these and all our children will not have to raise arms in the defense of their own country or those of their allies. And as I stated earlier, unless you are a citisen of the UK, then you really have no business chastising how they chose to run their own country... Did their citizens not earn the right to chose their own path by their own sacrifices during their many wars?


Frank