In the tradition of the National Priorities Project turning data
into action, NPP has released a major expansion of the NPP Database.
With the addition of military recruitment data, they are again
highlighting the cost of war and militarism on local communities.
From anywhere in the country, you can find out the number of military
recruits in 2004 that came from your high school, zip code, county or
your state, along with breakdowns by race, ethnicity, gender and income
levels. Get your local numbers at: www.nationalpriorities.org/database.
To get a snapshot overview and analysis of the military recruitment
data, which includes tables and charts, go to www.nationalpriorities.org/militaryrecruitment.
Working with Peacework Magazine (www.afsc.org/peacework),
which submitted the Freedom of Information Act request for military
enlistment data, NPP's analyses reveal the disproportionate impact of
military recruitment on low and middle-income communities.
The data also show:
- The highest recruitment rates -- defined as the number of
recruits per thousand of the 18-24 year-old population -- were found in
counties that were relatively poorer than the rest of the nation. All
of the top 20 counties had median household incomes below the national
level, and 19 of the 20 had median household incomes below their
respective state level.
- The three largest schools or programs in the country from which
recruits were drawn included the GED Test Center in the New York State
Education Department, the Gary Job Corps Center in San Marcos, Texas
and another GED-based program in New York.
- Montana -- a state with low median household income and high
poverty rates -- led the country in state recruitment rates. Rhode
Island was at the bottom.
- High income neighborhoods are under-represented. Low and
middle-income neighborhoods are over-represented.
As the Iraq War continues and the number of soldiers killed and
wounded mounts, this data makes clear that low- and middle-income kids
are paying the highest price. It's young people with limited
opportunities that are putting their lives on the line.
Parents, students and concerned activists by the thousands have
voiced their concerns in recent months about military recruitment
tactics. Now, the NPP Database can be used to help people focus their
efforts on the states, counties, zip codes, and schools mostly heavily
impacted by military recruitment.
The National Priorities Project welcomes your feedback and suggestions
as to how the NPP Database in general and the military recruitment data
in particular can best serve your needs. They hope this resource will
provide you with tools to better understand and respond to federal
government practices that can be a matter of life and death in your
communities.
National Priorities Project
413-584-9556
www.nationalpriorities.org
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