Cadets Banned From Parading With Rifles, or why we will lose next time.

[Lallans]

The spirit of Neville Chamberlain lives on! And they probably were just wooden rifles anyway....


National Post News Services · Saturday, Nov. 6, 2010

Army cadets preparing to march in a Remembrance Day parade in Plymouth, western England, have been told they cannot carry rifles because this "glamorizes weapons." The ban was imposed after members of the public complained, the Daily Mail reported. Organizers said it was another example of Britain's nanny statism. 'It's political correctness gone mad," said Basil Downing-Waite, chairman of the Federation of Plymouth & District Ex Services Associations, which organized the event. The cadets, aged 12 to 18, were reportedly disappointed after the ruling as they had spent months practising their drill for the parade.
Read more: http://www.nationalpost.com/Cadets+b...#ixzz14j7EZbXM

[The Thing]

Shakes his head........can't even think of a formed response to this.

[artificer]

Perhaps I'm a bit fuzzy here, but isn't the point of an ARMY academy to act as a pre-prep for later service? It's not like it's an art school, it's a military academy!

You wouldn't want your army personnel to be too fond of guns, would you?

If only people would think before opening their giant, gaping pie-holes I would probably have fewer migraines.

[tulloch]

That is amazing. They ought to ban the military then. Why have a remembrance of something that you have to sanitize? I can imagine it will stimulate a lot of local dialogue. Something good might come of it.

[Whidbey78]

Perhaps I'm a bit fuzzy here, but isn't the point of an ARMY academy to act as a pre-prep for later service? It's not like it's an art school, it's a military academy!

You wouldn't want your army personnel to be too fond of guns, would you?

If only people would think before opening their giant, gaping pie-holes I would probably have fewer migraines.

***

When are people going to stop denying the simple fact that freedom and security are protected by a man with a rifle, not some guy with a picket sign or the bureaucrat writing policy.

[Tartan Hiker]

Despite the urge to agree with the sentiments expressed thus far, I have to step in and remind the rabble about the rules pertaining to discussion of politics and weapons. More importantly is the charge that we should stay away from discussions that will divide rather than unify. Finally, this is a kilt board and unless the cadets were going to be marching kilted, then this discussion doesn't really belong here anyway.

I will not close this thread, despite its teetering on the razors edge. Perhaps I'm just curious to see if there can be discussion on this item that does not push it over the edge.

There's your challenge, then.

Go!

[xena]

Perhaps I'm a bit fuzzy here, but isn't the point of an ARMY academy to act as a pre-prep for later service? It's not like it's an art school, it's a military academy!

You wouldn't want your army personnel to be too fond of guns, would you?

If only people would think before opening their giant, gaping pie-holes I would probably have fewer migraines.

Ummm... wrong country.

http://www.armycadets.com/home/

Cadets in the UK (and Canada) are a youth organisation, similar to Boy Scouts, but with military support, and slightly (barely!) more discipline. Many Cadets do go on to join the military, but they are hardly required or even expected to. There's no academy involved.

A cadet in the US is an entirely different thing.

[cessna152towser]

Mod Hat Off
I was an air cadet in the nineteen sixties.
We did have rifle drills, using rifles which had been rendered unusable, well you wouldn't trust the average 13 to 18 year old with a live weapon.
Live rifle firing was only available on visits to specialised ranges which were a rare treat accorded only rarely and only to the most trusted cadets.
Mod Hat On
This thread appears to be mainly about rifles and politics, which are two subjects best not discussed on this forum. Hopefully all will now realise that the "cadets" who are being banned from carrying the rifles are young schoolkid part time cadets and not adolescent army college cadets.

[Chas]

For everybody's information - just so we know what is being discussed.

The weapons used by the three Cadet Forces (Army, Navy and Air Force) are what are called 'DP' weapons. That is to say, they are for Drill Purposes. They look the same and weigh the same. They have the same 'bolt actions', but the internal parts are so designed as to be non-functioning. The sights are welded out of true and the barrels are not only slightly bent, but are plugged in three places. It would take more than one minor miracle to get them ever to work.

The reasons for this are twofold. Firstly, they are stored at the local Cadet HQ (not the most secure building by any means) and secondly, boys will be boys. Even with fully trained soldiers, there is always one idiot that points his gun in the wrong direction.

They look like guns and feel like guns, but they are not guns.

Regards

Chas

[Tobus]

A cadet in the US is an entirely different thing.

No, not really. Most high schools have ROTC cadets, some of which go on to join the military, and some of which don't. The term cadet doesn't just refer to those enrolled in a military academy.

As to Tartan Hiker's challenge to keep this on-topic for this board, I would submit the following: does this decision bode ill for the future of other traditions? Like the exemption for the wearing of dirks or sgians dubh when wearing traditional Highland attire? Surely if such a time-honored tradition as a display of skill with harmless drill rifles can fall to political correctness, other traditions can fall too. Be assured that the forces behind this decision will not stop at drill rifles.