If the school is not allowed to do any fundraising around this performance, I hope that the army is not allowed to do any recruiting around it as well. Or is recruitment of children in our community an implicit goal of this type of visit?

Oh jeez, give it a rest. It's this type of knee-jerk nonsense that gives liberals a bad name. Why shouldn't they be able to recruit? Really!

It's not 1971 anymore. Can we just put these ridiculous Woodstock battles to bed already and move forward? THE ARMY IS ALLOWED TO RECRUIT.

After 10 years of non-stop, unecessary and catastrophic wars, I hardly think it's time to "give it a rest." The army can recruit, but our community has every right to resist their access to our children. Militarism has become so pervasive and commonplace that it goes unrecognized as such. I teach too many college students who have been outright lied to by recruiters to let this kind of insidious back-door opportunity go without comment.

It's been more like 3,000 years of catastrophic wars, and militarism has always been pervasive and commonplace. We have to have an army of some kind, and you're not enlisting, so someone has to.

I agree with Nickolas. Amy when was the last time anyone in your family served this country? Not sure how old you are, but Vietnam we had the draft. The current war is being serviced by woman/men who enlisted on their own. Also, I firmly believe (having kids with lots of student loans myself), that if a college student wants to have the government pay for their education by being in ROTC, then they should serve to pay back the tuition in time served. By the way, I can trace my family in Essex County all the way back to the American Revolution.

I think families that are comfortable with the U.S. Armed Forces will attend this event, and those that are uncomfortable will choose not too. My feeling speaking with Peter Bauer is that he saw this as a way to tie music education with an observance of Veterans Day. Nothing more, nothing less. Parents can decide if they want their children or families to attend.

I appreciate the post on the event about the army music performance. I support nearly all music except that which blasts from someone's car radio when I don't want to hear it. Why is it this announcement has shifted to something which it doesnt seem to be about? Those in the military who fought, serve(d), lost loved ones might find the anger confusing. Yet "give it a rest" is mean-spirited and seems to be dismissive. When a musician plays in a military band does this make music evil? If someone is worried about young people serving in war, cant they speak? Both can (and should) have something to say. Until we can do both - honor those who serve/have died, as well as hearing those who have concerns over war and young people, we don’t have a democracy. Democracy is one long ongoing conversation, it has been said. As a Viet Nam era person, I have taken countless photos during vets and memorial events and I have seen crowds dwindle. Tho I can't trace my roots back to the country's founding, I am proud of the "democracy experiment" and I appreciate those who defend it, even if I cant embrace each USA conflict. I can't know what it means to "give to one's country" this way, yet I give thanks to those who are willing. When one puts others down to build oneself up, free speech seems stopped in its tracks - its not a conversation. Don't we owe it to our ancestors to be grateful or did we invent democracy in our era? Have we simply forgotten history? or gratitude? Maybe both.

Squishy liberalism? OK, well I am glad that this is the term you have given it when others are allowed to talk and you dont agree with it? I don't agree with everyone's opinions but stifling others by putting viewpoints down may speak LOUDER, in the insistence that yours is the only one which is valid, makes it seem even less so to me. Every feeling is valid and everyones voice should be heard - but having said that, doesnt mean that I agree with all opinions. I heard this once and I believed it. Even if your mean spirit gets in the way of others feeling ok at this time of trouble for most of us, yours seems to be the only true and real voice or opinion which is valid. I dont know you or amy and I dont like all music but sincerely your put down seems nothing more than a sense of self- assigned empowerment, which for the life of me I dont know where such entitlements come from. Perhaps you are the one that invented democracy and I dont even know it? I dont recall hearing you state your age either, not that it matters, but simple bullying doesnt work anymore - or are you FOR BULLYING simply because I am AGAINST it? Well, no matter, I will discontinue this conversation, as its clear its simply an experiment in hearing yourself speak. Please do continue to enjoy your own company!

Well thanks for the talking-to, Nancy. You are very confused about what "free speech" and "bullying" and "democracy" are.

As per your request, you are hereby granted freedom from and are "spared from conversations on civility" as per your email. Apparently I must be too young, uneducated or from a wrong part of the country to fully understand any of this. Thank for your deep thoughtful insights, as well as your willingness to set me straight on the definitions of bullying, democracy, free speech and my confusion about each!

I think this is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate Veterans Day! Is it beyond everyone to take a "gift" like this at face value and not look for something sinister? My 1990 CHS son served 4 years active duty in the Marine Corp and 3 years in the active reserves of which we are very proud. Our oldest grandson is a Senior at Norwich University, the oldest private military school in the country. I might add that he is in their band and tours around New England, in uniform, playing for patriotic events, also very proud of this young man. Please enjoy the music!

Ms. Connie Cosgrove - I agree with you -- its an amazing opportunity to celebrate veterans day on 11/11/11. I understand in numerology circles this is significant and has happened rarely in history (if at all). I for one hope to attend. I expect to enjoy the music. The military - each branch, each soldier, drafted or enlisted, deserve our proper respect. And what the music represents to me is a celebration of what I
believe is being fought for wherever they are: "civility" - in parts of the world where it doesnt exist (or in short supply); "freedom of speech" - places where there is no such thing (or tortured for speaking) AND protecting others from "bullies" who call name themselves leaders and believe their conversation is the only conversation worth having. Thanks for the post for the concert as well as your sentiments, Ms. Cosgrove.