School Cadets will produce nation of neat sheets..

Gordon Brown and MP chums' plan to expand the Combined Cadets Force to comprehensive schools has been subject to debate since the news was made public over the weekend. Naturally, the main concern of those opposing the notion is that teaching kids who are already perceived as being out of control to use firearms might not be a good idea. But is this just another act of non-pc, chav bashing? Or is there some truth to the idea?

Media sources that seem to be in favour of the idea, such as the BBC, have published this seemingly pro-cadet article about how joining the CCF changed one young hoodlums life for the better and implies that the CCF could do the same for other young scoundrels.

According to the piece, youngsters that sign up for the CCF learn discipline and vital skills for living, such as how to clean bedsheets and sleep on the floor so as not to crease them. More usefully, the ex-cadet interviewed by The Beeb claims that he learnt the secret of success in the cadets. The article also notes the fact that learning to handle guns instills a sense of disgust in the trainee, surely news that would make recently-deceased NRA Chief Charlton Heston turn in his grave (if he isn't still going through the embalming process).

Newspapers such as The Guardian have stated that anti-gun groups are concerned about the proposed move, but, then again, that's exactly what you would expect an anti-gun group to say about such a move because that's what they get paid to do. Perhaps the notion of poor guys that we associate with 'happy slapping' having access to guns is unsettling to some people? Maybe such complaints are just an obvious remark? What do you think?

There seems to be a propelled drive for Army recruitment of recent: those annoying TV commercials flaunting the virtues of The British Army as witnessed by underpriviled locals ("The British Army saved my hand?") are constantly doing the rounds and, last month, there was even news that the MOD was so desperate to recruit as to 'marketise' the war. It certainly seems that the bigwigs in Westminster are keen to get more army recruits. But does this mean that we can expect a bigger war one day?

Nobody can rightly say, but with the numerous ruminations and debates about the lack of unity in British culture that are floating around the newspapers these days, the lack of 'Britishness', perhaps the installation of the Cadets is something that the country can benefit from. It would probably teach a few useful skills to whoever signs up and, so long as nobody is forced into doing something that they don't want to do, what's the big deal?

Time will tell...

Written by Oli Anderson on 8 Apr 2008 4:00 PM. Permalink