Dear CODEPINK Activist,

Busted! This Friday, May 20th, every military recruiting center across the country will be closed for what the U.S. Army Recruiting Command calls an "Army Values Stand Down Day." The "stand down" will be a retraining in ethics for the military's 7,500 recruiters, following a rash of complaints that recruiters are resorting to unscrupulous tactics to enlist new soldiers. Recruiters' lies can be cruel and ridiculous; a Houston army recruiter threatened to arrest a local young man if he didn't report that day to the army recruiting station. Rae, our CODEPINK student coordinator met an army recruiter in Oakland during our action last week. He promised her a college education and world travel. The recruiter squelched her fears about being sent to war by assuring her that she would not serve in Iraq, and added that women are not engaged in combat, and that if they return home wounded, it is probably because they went out for a "joyride in a Hummer."

While the Army stands down, WE STAND UP! On May 20th, we are joined with UFPJ, AFSC and US Campus Anti-War Network in asking you to stand up for the demilitarization of youth. Stand up for students' rights to privacy from the military. Go to www.Militaryfreezone.org to call your local representative and tell them to support Congressman Mike Honda's "Student Privacy Protection Act" H.R. 551 and sign the petition.

We cannot allow these deceptive and predatory recruiters to infect our neighborhoods and schools. In addition to recruiting centers, recruiters are roaming the halls of high schools, stalking teenagers by repeatedly calling their homes, and enlisting cheap sales tactics to draw more young people into the military. Currently, each student's contact information is available to the Army recruiters, unless a parent signs an "Opt Out" form. Go to www.leavemychildalone.org to opt out your child, to adopt a school board or to host a house party.

Check out our counter-recruitment page for local CODEPINK actions planned for May 20th around the country, especially Washington D.C. and New York City or for ideas to create actions in your own communities.

With determination for a military-free world,

Dana, Farida, Gael, Jodie, Medea, Nancy, Rae, and Tiffany

P.S. Watch this 4 minute video: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2005/05/17/VI2005051700710.html of MP George Galloway in a Senate hearing yesterday and see if you are not totally moved to say "NO" to the continued US occupation of Iraq, which was recently condoned by Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean. Join CODEPINK activists and the Progressive Democrats of America in taking action to stop the war by signing the Iraq Withdrawal Petition (http://pdamerica.org/petition/iraq-exit-petition.php) to tell Dean and the Democrats that we are calling for an end to the U.S. occupation of Iraq.