- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 60
I won't go deeply into the relative merits of the Cadet program. Pound for pound, I do feel that compared to other kid's programs in Canada, it's the best one we've got going. I base this on personal experiences with 4-H, Cubs/Scouts, Boys & Girls clubs, Brownies/Girl Scouts, dance organizations and a large number of sport's teams. This is the rub and where people who are unaware of the aims and goals of a particular organization will believe whatever they're told in the absence of the actual facts.
For example, I've run into people who believe that Cadets is a form of 'Hitler Youth'. They know nothing about the program. All they know is the kids wear a uniform, it's obviously connected with the military, the military is bad because they start wars usually over oil, war is total evil along with oil, fight against evil and save the planet, therefore these kids and what they're doing is evil incarnate. Hey, it's their opinion and when I come across people like that I try to open their minds and educate them. Usually, it doesn't work because they're so closed minded and nothing will sink in but at least I've tried to correct some obvious fallacies.
Organizations like the military and cadets do very poorly historically at selling themselves to the public at large. Having a gag policy placed on you by hostile governments obviously doesn't help plus nowadays people don't blindly follow authority the way they used to. But it does not work to bury your head in the sand and keep quiet while the wingnuts spout their nonsense. I've seen it in other industries where they've tried to ignore the crackpots and unfortunately it becomes a case of whoever shouts the loudest must be telling the truth. People are too busy in today's world to actively dig for information and either tune out or have been conditioned to receive a steady stream of 30 second sound bites. You've got to really work at making sure that your message is heard.
For example, we had people believing that the military here in Comox was seeding the atmosphere to create clouds to combat global warming. They would see a plane (usually civilian but what do they know) fly overhead, leave trails of 'smoke' that would occasionally spread out as larger clouds. The Base Commander, who is excellent at responding to local concerns, correctly pointed out the physics of the phenomenon and offered to have the public come and inspect for themselves all the military craft on base for evidence of cloud seeding equipment.
It's ironic that the Canadian military with all it's conventional might and power has such difficulty in defending itself when it comes to public opinion. Of course with a friendlier government in place that is allowing the military to get the word out, I see this changing for the better.
The military and cadet organizations need to continuously let the taxpayers know all the good that they are doing. Hucksterism, no! Just tell the truth and be proud of what you're doing and why you're doing it. We from within all know the truth. We're not the ones who need convincing about the good that we do. It's the general public who needs a balanced story and with a little education, the majority of people are smart enough to see who's making the most sense.
For example, I've run into people who believe that Cadets is a form of 'Hitler Youth'. They know nothing about the program. All they know is the kids wear a uniform, it's obviously connected with the military, the military is bad because they start wars usually over oil, war is total evil along with oil, fight against evil and save the planet, therefore these kids and what they're doing is evil incarnate. Hey, it's their opinion and when I come across people like that I try to open their minds and educate them. Usually, it doesn't work because they're so closed minded and nothing will sink in but at least I've tried to correct some obvious fallacies.
Organizations like the military and cadets do very poorly historically at selling themselves to the public at large. Having a gag policy placed on you by hostile governments obviously doesn't help plus nowadays people don't blindly follow authority the way they used to. But it does not work to bury your head in the sand and keep quiet while the wingnuts spout their nonsense. I've seen it in other industries where they've tried to ignore the crackpots and unfortunately it becomes a case of whoever shouts the loudest must be telling the truth. People are too busy in today's world to actively dig for information and either tune out or have been conditioned to receive a steady stream of 30 second sound bites. You've got to really work at making sure that your message is heard.
For example, we had people believing that the military here in Comox was seeding the atmosphere to create clouds to combat global warming. They would see a plane (usually civilian but what do they know) fly overhead, leave trails of 'smoke' that would occasionally spread out as larger clouds. The Base Commander, who is excellent at responding to local concerns, correctly pointed out the physics of the phenomenon and offered to have the public come and inspect for themselves all the military craft on base for evidence of cloud seeding equipment.
It's ironic that the Canadian military with all it's conventional might and power has such difficulty in defending itself when it comes to public opinion. Of course with a friendlier government in place that is allowing the military to get the word out, I see this changing for the better.
The military and cadet organizations need to continuously let the taxpayers know all the good that they are doing. Hucksterism, no! Just tell the truth and be proud of what you're doing and why you're doing it. We from within all know the truth. We're not the ones who need convincing about the good that we do. It's the general public who needs a balanced story and with a little education, the majority of people are smart enough to see who's making the most sense.
Mohahahaha ;D
