The other day I read an article in the New York Times called "For Explorer
Scouts, Good Deeds Have Whole New Meaning", which you can access here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/14/us/14explorers.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

The article is about a program within the Boy Scouts of America, called The
Explorers, which aims to train "thousands of young people in skills used to
confront terrorism, illegal immigration and escalating border violence". One
of the opening paragraphs states:

----- Begin Quote -----

The responding officers -- eight teenage boys and girls, the youngest 14 --
face tripwire, a thin cloud of poisonous gas and loud shots -- BAM! BAM! --
fired from behind a flimsy wall. They move quickly, pellet guns drawn and
masks affixed.

----- End Quote -----

I found the article absolutely outrageous! One fellow even said that he was
willing to accept kids as young as thirteen and a half into the program.
Excuse me, but I thought that the Boy Scouts of America was supposed to be
about camping, hiking, camp fire sing-alongs, marshmallow roasts, helping
the sick and the elderly, and learning lessons about honesty, morality and
human decency.

Since when was the Boy Scouts about teaching children how to use guns and go
into dangerous life-threatening situation and apprehend people, and
potentially even kill people? This sounds more like they are trying to raise
up a national teenaged army. The next thing you know, they'll have kids
spying on their own parents. Sound familiar?

Well, if it has now become acceptable for American children as young as 13
and 14 years old to learn these so-called "new skills", then the US
Government no longer has the moral high ground, and cannot complain when the
armies of other nations fill their ranks with children also.

In short, America has become what it has criticized in other nations. To
continue complaining about child armies in other nations is the pot calling
the kettle black. It is hypocrisy, plain and simple.

While America now has a so-called "volunteer" military force, I can't help
but wonder if this Explorers program is a sign that the various branches of
the US military are having a difficult time filling their quotas of new "gun
fodder". In fact, I do recall reading some time ago that this problem does
exist, and I even commented on it on our EDGE mailing list. They are already
sending members of the National Guard overseas to fight in America's wars.

And if you are wondering why I put the word "volunteer" in quotes, think
about it. When young American men and women join the military due to
economic hardships, is it really a "volunteer army", or have they been
subtly forced and pressured into joining it by those who control and
manipulate the American economy?

Blessed are the peacemakers, not the warmongers!

Jeff Snyder, SysOp - Armageddon BBS  Visit us at endtimeprophecy.org port 23
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