Pentagon Creating A Database Of Students

needacoolnickname writes "The Washington Post is reporting that the Pentagon is working with a marketing firm to create a database of students ages 16 through college to help them identify recruits. A little chuckle from the Pentagon in the article: '...anyone can opt out of the system by providing detailed personal information that will be kept in a separate suppression file. That file will be matched with the full database regularly to ensure that those who do not wish to be contacted are not, according to the Pentagon.'"

Comments

You are expendable pawns.

[grub]

to create a database of students ages 16 through college to help them identify recruits.

It will start similar to "Student A has a rich family, pass. Ahh.. Student B is lower-middle class, offer Student B a scholarship attached to a term in the Reserves." and end with "Draft Student B."

Re:You are expendable pawns.

[Derkec]

Oh come on Slashdot, you're giving this guy high marks for commenting that 'devoutly and unquestioningly religous' or 'boy/girl scouts' are 'exactly the kinds of people we want getting shot ' and killed?

Terrible.

We do want patriotic people in the armed forces. But we need people who are bright, can understand local politics and react intelligently to the nasty tactical issues urban combat involves.

Re:You are expendable pawns.

[theGreater]

Hey AC (and the rest of /.): when did being a person of faith, a boyscout, and FBLA become an object of ridicule? Why not add 4H and FFA in there as well, and anyone else that doesn't automatically yes-man your narrow-minded paranoia?

New World Order

[TripMaster Monkey]

Just when I think our society can't get any more Orwellian, we see this:

1. The Defense Department will compile and maintain a database of students, which will include such personal information as birth dates, Social Security numbers, e-mail addresses, grade-point averages, ethnicity and school subjects.
   
2. Anyone who wants to opt out of this database will be kept in another database instead (most probably named something like 'potential dissidents').
   
3. The Defense Department will share all this personal info with non-military organizations, such as law enforcement and state tax authorities.
   

It's a hat-trick of privacy violation.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, too...soon this will be expanded to all americans eligible for military service...then all americans, period. Refusing to submit your info for this database will automatically label you as a dissident, although what with the new national IDs coming out, you'll be in that database whether you like it or not.

Welcome to the New World Order.

(P.S.: Here's a link to the various privacy advocates' letter to the Pentagon referenced in the article.)

Opt out

[Anonymous Coward]

Opt-out isn't as easy as it seems. You can't just delete somebody from the database, because then you have no record of them opting-out the next time you do a data load from your source. The only way to properly do opt-out is to put them in a separate opt-out DB.

dom

Re:One step beyond..

[snorklewacker]

> They also were heard giving him advice on how to disguise a chronic "marijuana problem" and how to pass a mandatory drug test.

The fake diploma thing is downright dishonest, but I've had employers tell me before a drug test "just drink a whole lot of gatorade a few days before and take a b12 tablet the day of the test". It's not like the kid was a crackhead, and these folks figured, probably rightly, that the army might clean him up.

Before shipping him off to get him killed for the commander-in-chief's personal vendetta of course.

By the way, it'd lead to less stories. They'll be able to screen out those pesky journalists. Word to the wise student: take journalism.

Re:OK... I'll bite

[FauxPasIII]

> It never ceases to amaze that a large majority of the people on this board have an innate aversion to
> serve the country that has provided them with the most freedom and liberty of ANY government in the
> history of man

-nod- This is one of the areas of damage done by the Bush administration that I think doesn't get nearly
enough attention. With the current state of affairs, there is arguably no way for a conscientious American
to serve their country through the military.

When the military is being misused and abused by the civilian leadership in ways that demonstrably
hurt this country and make us less safe, nevermind needlessly sacrificing the soldiers themselves,
what choices is a patriotic American left with in order to serve their country in this way? All I've been
able to come up with is to vote, be politically active, and volunteer for and donate to good organizations
like the Red Cross, the ACLU, BlackBoxVoting.org and Operation Truth.

You're confusing "country" with "political party".

[khasim]

Listen folks, here's the deal. Many people are opposed to the war, both inside and outside of the military. This is inconcequential to this discussion.

No. You're wrong. There is a REASON that this war is BECOMING unpopular.

And tracking kids so the government can pressure them into fighting such a war is the PROBLEM.

The reality of the entire issue is this: We are a nation founded on revolution and war.

No. Look up "Boston Tea Party". Our country was founded upon the belief in certain Rights.

Our power in the world was won through superior military force.

Only recently. Before that, it was because of our vast natural resources and distance from the established armies of the other nations.

We are currently having difficulty in maintaining that force.

You might want to look at the Founding Fathers' views on a standing military.

Measures are being taken to resolve that issue. Period. Don't cry to me about big brother or dead children.

That sounds a bit too much like "the ends justify the means".

Look at the world around you and realize that the reason you enjoy your freedoms is because of the blood spilt by hundreds of thousands of Americans who paid the price for you.

Here's the flaw in that claim.

Because some people joined the military and fought and died for Freedom does not mean that everyone who dies in the military furthers Freedom.

Check out Kuwait. We "Freed" them from Iraqi invasion ... but they still don't allow women to vote.

This "Freedom" thing is a bit tricky, no?

If people really don't want thier children getting blown up, then don't vote for a president who will go to war so easily.

So people who didn't vote for Bush are exempt from this database?

If you are afraid of "big brother", don't use credit cards, save your money and pay for everything in cash.

And now you're into "blaming the victim".

Why not just make it illegal for those companies to collect that information on me?

Our modern society is productive because of our ability to exploit knowledge opportunities.

That can mean anything from filing a patent on your new, effective, cold fusion generator to filming your neighbor in the shower.

Now that it's being done for the defense of the country, people want to complain.

This is not about "defense of the country". Iraq was no threat to the USofA.

If a marketing company sent you a free box of Tide Detergent in the mail you wouldn't bitch, because you're greedy like that.

Getting a sample box of Tide == tracking kids to target them for recruitment

Right.

Well, you're being given freedom, and it's going to require some computers and research to get it done.

No one "gives" anyone else "Freedom".

And tracking kids is the OPPOSITE of Freedom.

No one forces the hand of the individual to sign the paper.

That is correct. But this isn't about forcing them to sign. This is about tracking them to specifically target them.

So shut up about all the crap, take a deep breath and try not to choke on the sweet air of freedom.

You use that word a lot, but I don't think you understand what it means.

Went to school? Thank a teacher.

Okay, but shouldn't I also thank the people who funded the school system and paid the teachers' salaries?

You are, of course, aware tha