Committee Opposed to Militarism and the Draft (COMD)

: Isidro Ortiz; Articles Archive; 04 September 2025; Hits: 859

Connecting the Dots in the Present Moment

From Draft NOtices, July-September 2025

Book Review

Erasing History
How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future
Jason Stanley
Atria/One Signal, 2024

— Isidro Ortiz

On June 27, the U.S Supreme Court by a 6-3 vote issued a decision allowing parents to opt their elementary school children out of engaging with LGBTQ books in the classroom. On the surface this ruling might seem to be a simple case of religious parents who want to protect their children. Jason Stanley's book encourages us to envision these parents' challenge as part of a rising global fascist movement that has made targets of the public schools and institutions of higher education.

Problems down the Road for Military Recruiting — and More

From Draft NOtices, April-June 2025

— Rick Jahnkow

During the last few years, the U.S. military has experienced significant difficulty meeting goals for new recruits. In Fiscal Year 2022, for example, the Army fell 25 percent short of its goal. The Air Force and Navy have experienced similar shortfalls in recent years. Adding to the problem for the Army is the fact that almost one-fourth of all new Army recruits are not completing their initial enlistment terms.

Anti-Militarism Across Geographies: Building Solidarity in Hawai‘i

From Draft NOtices, April-June 2025

— Lauren Reyna Morales and Davíd Morales

In December 2024, we participated in the 14th International Conference on Education and Justice at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. This was our first time attending the gathering, which is often held in Honolulu and organized by Hawai‘i Scholars for Education and Social Justice, among others. The conference was open to the public and brought together students, educators, activists, and academics. Davíd learned about it through his doctoral work at Stanford’s Graduate School of Education, where he is completing a Ph.D. in Race, Inequality, and Language in Education. Lauren teaches middle school social studies in the Bay Area. Though currently based in the Bay, we serve on the boards of the Project on Youth and Non-Military Opportunities (YANO) and the Committee Opposed to Militarism and the Draft (COMD), both based in our hometown of San Diego, California.