Better than a Pinewood Derby
Where was this program when my middle son was wanting to drop out of Boy Scouts, which he eventually did. I can guarantee you he would still be in and probably be the top Scout had they offered this in pack 93.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/14/us/14explorers.html
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.
Posted on May 15th, 2009 by Bouhammer
Filed under: General, General Military
I read some of comments below the article. I do not think that people got a good grasp of what the Explorers program provides. I was a police explorer in Augusta, GA and it was some of the most fun and camaraderie in my life. Later as a volunteer I helped out when they held a competition. It is not about fascism or a police state. It is about learning a skill and discipline. All while getting the chance to make friends with others from the area that you might not have ever met. To all the people that thought it was just paranoia and fascism, get a grip and volunteer to make a kids life more fulfilled. No matter what the topic kids want to learn and participate, if you don’t want kids in Explorers start a group about whatever. (BTW Explores are not just about police or counter terror, there are even medical explorer groups that learn about nursing and EMTs)
I’ve read some consternation locally on the article and the NY Times was being, well, the NY Times in trying to paint it as a rightwing jr. thug contest. Their report reads a bit extreme about a program that does so much good for an age group that desperately needs direction.
As the above commenter indicates, they not only have law-enforcement related professions that they let teens “explore by doing”, but others such as theater, computers and auto mechanics.
NY-David
You all are seriously deluded if you don’t see any problem with this. Equating pot smokers and war vets with terrorists that need to be raided military style is not anywhere near the core of what law enforcement careers should be about. Aren’t some of you vets yourselves? How could you possibly be ok with this characterization and programming of our youth?