Recently, I came across an organization called Military Free Zone, a non-profit organization that helps young people avoid being hassled by military recruiters. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 states that all schools receiving federal funding must, upon request, give the U.S. military students’ names, addresses, and phone numbers. Most public schools do receive federal funding, and very few tell their students that they are handing over their information. I think that it is an invasion of privacy.

The Pentagon is putting together what I consider an illegal database of names and phone numbers of people ages 16 to 25. This project is called Joint Advertising Marketing Research and Studies. This database also contains peoples’ ethnicity, email addresses, social security numbers, and areas of study. So if a person between 16 and 25 fills out anything online, there is a good chance the government has that person in its database. In case the schools are not handing over information, the government will just buy it. I attend a private school and so am not worried my school will hand over my information, but I have shopped online and have an email account. I will turn 18 soon and for the past six months the military has been calling at least once a month.

When I found Military Free Zone online I learned about Opt-Out, which is an easy form that says your school cannot give the military your personal records. Also on their website, you can write your representatives and tell them that people do not want their identities secretly taken from them. You can learn more about Opt-Out and the “Military Free Zone” organization at militaryfreezone.org. If you are not involved with your government, then your government will make choices for you.