"Ending militarism around the world starts with ending militarism at home. We encourage students in this country one by one to OPT OUT of the recruitment process and to speak out against the misleading recruitment tactics of the US military." – Justin Sane, singer of the band Anti-Flag.

If a "nuclear-free zone" can stop companies from bringing nuclear waste through our communities...

and a "drug-free zone" campaign can lead to additional fines for those selling drugs around our learning environment...

"and a "tobacco-free zone" can limit what can be done in a public space..."

and a "gun-free zone" can increase fines and penalties for those bringing firearms around school propert...

A "Military Free Zone" should stop military recruiters from preying on students and taking students’ private information without permission!

Who We Are?

A coalition of musicians and punk activists that want to take action and empower others to stand up and speak out against our government that is abusing its power by granting military recruiters access to students’ private information. We also want to put an end to the system allowing these recruiters to use our public schools and institutions for recruiting students. We want to see recruiters stop misleading students with false promises of huge financial rewards for joining the armed services.

What we believe in:
1. Providing a safe and peaceful learning environment.
2. Protecting our rights to privacy and keeping personal information private.
3. Preserving the freedoms that allow students to express all viewpoints.
4. An end to the use of lies, misinformation, and predatory recruitment tactics.

1. A Safe Learning Environment:
Our society values many things including our protected freedoms and liberties. Many in our society have placed education as a right that gives all Americans a solid opportunity to a brighter future. In doing so we try and protect and provide a safe learning environment for our students to ensure their success! Many communities have fought hard to keep guns, drugs, and gang activities out of schools by increasing penalties (through huge fines and instant jail sentences, among other things) for those that commit certain crimes around a schools’ perimeter or on a schools’ campus. Why not do the same against recruiting kids to join the military and fight under these false promises.

2. Protecting Our Rights to Privacy and Keeping Personal Information Private:
We as a society also value the right to privacy. Under the No Child Left Behind legislation (link to legislation), the Bush Administration and Congress actually legislatively enabled our military to go after student’s personal and private information! NO other recruiters (such as colleges, local manufacturers, talent agents, apprentice programs, etc…) are entitled to view a student’s information private! The legislation allows a simple provision to sign an Opt Out to keep your information private. This is the EXACT OPPOSITE of the age-old permission slip which must be signed by parents/guardians to acknowledge letting their children attend a school field trip!

3. Preserving the freedoms that allow students to express all viewpoints.
Militarization is a political viewpoint. Joining the military and everything the military stands for is a political viewpoint. Therefore, students have the right to understand and learn an opposite view as well as the one provided by the military and the government. Since schools are public places that are paid for by our collective tax dollars, they are required not to promote only one specific ideology. Therefore, we want military recruiters to be treated the same as any other political or religious group in a school. A student should not be subjected to military propaganda if a student does not wish to be, and at the least, a student has the right to hear and voice opposing viewpoints to military recruitment propaganda. We will fight to make sure equal opportunities are available to learn differing viewpoints other than join the military!

4. An End to the Use of Lies, Misinformation, and Predatory Recruitment Tactics:

Many laws have been created to stop industries from preying on our elders or using sweepstakes-style gimmicks and promises of winning millions of dollars to sign up for unnecessary services. We need to do more to expose the fine print on how few people really get“$50,000 for college” and other misleading marketing tools used by the military. We believe in promoting a positive and attainable dream for today’s students, not the vision of a future that leads to dying on a battlefield for a promise of few extra dollars.