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The troops are probably a lot like Alex, a young Hispanic male (friend of stepson) who was living with our family for awhile. He had dropped out of high school, but later finished his GED in a program called 'Lincoln's Challenge'. Then he just worked fast-food type jobs, and took drugs. His mother talked him into joining the army in 2001, but then he changed his mind. His mother thought that he would get straightened out in the army, get job training, plus she would get some money. I'm glad that he changed his mind. He is still like he was before, but at least he's alive.
If you put these young kids into a war situation, you will get atrocities. It's human nature, a simple fact of life. I don't blame them so much as the men in power who send them into war to further their lust for money, ideology, power, etc.
"In summary, we found that, on average, 1999 recruits were more highly educated than the equiv*alent general population, more rural and less urban in origin, and of similar income status."
"We find that, on average, recruits tend to be much more highly educated than the general pub*lic and that this education disparity increased after the war on terrorism began. Comparable detailed education data from the Census classify the educa*tion level of individuals into one of seven categories (from less than high school up to graduate/profes*sional degree). We generated a binary variable that assigns a 1 for individuals with a high school diploma or higher and a 0 for less than a high school diploma.
If one single statistic could settle this issue, it is this: 98 percent of all enlisted recruits who enter the military have an education level of high school graduate or higher, compared to the national aver*age of 75 percent.[5] In an education context, rather than attracting underprivileged young Americans, the military seems to be attracting above-average Americans. "
"The household income of recruits generally matches the income distribution of the American population. There are slightly higher proportions of recruits from the middle class and slightly lower proportions from low-income brackets. However, the proportion of high-income recruits rose to a disproportionately high level after the war on ter*rorism began, as did the proportion of highly edu*cated enlistees.
We found that recruits tend to come from mid*dle-class areas, with disproportionately fewer from low-income areas. Overall, the income dis*tribution of military enlistees is more similar to than different from the income distribution of the general population."
Well, if a high school diploma or GED makes you more educated than the general public, great. I would like to see the percentage for college graduates. I think it was the National Guard that he was going to join, not that it matters much - it is still a waste of human life, not matter what the education level of those being killed, or killing others.
Well, if a high school diploma or GED makes you more educated than the general public, great. I would like to see the percentage for college graduates. I think it was the National Guard that he was going to join, not that it matters much - it is still a waste of human life, not matter what the education level of those being killed, or killing others.
It said high school graduate or higher. Those were the same measures used for the general public.
Well, if a high school diploma or GED makes you more educated than the general public, great. I would like to see the percentage for college graduates. I think it was the National Guard that he was going to join, not that it matters much - it is still a waste of human life, not matter what the education level of those being killed, or killing others.
Maybe I shouldn't say this without having statistics to back me up (for whatever they're worth), but don't a higher percentage of Americans have undergraduate degrees in recent times, anyway? Seems like they're a prerequisite for an overwhelming number of jobs, and I'm not sure that it was always that way. So my guess is that an undergraduate degree is less meaningful than it once was. I know plenty of people with college degrees who don't seem all that educated, honestly.
Are you kidding me with this? You have sunk to a new low by insulting this woman this way. Congratulations.
It's okay, Rggr. He didn't insult me--he couldn't possibly. To insult me, he'd have to have my respect first.
BTW, SeanMc, there's no such thing as "maternal instinct" in humans. Geez, didn't you go to college? Biology 101. In humans, it's "intuition", but it is mistakenly identified by many (even some professionals, unfortunately) as an instinct. And yes, there is a difference. Really, neither of them have any influence over war. If they did, we'd all still be living in Germania, I suspect. LOL!
It takes a real hero to serve their country and allow people like you to spew such proganda. If only they knew they were putting their lives on the line daily for such rubbish. God bless our troops!
Putting his "Life on the line"?. A guy who's sitting at his desk blowing-up people half a planet away?.
I can certainly relate to the American citizen who is drafted and forced to go overseas in order to slaughter people against whom we have no legitimate beef. He/she has no choice but to go and is as much a victim as the innocents they are forced to kill.
But someone who voluntarily signs-up to commit atrocities in exchange for some crappy college-funding or to 'learn a trade' (like blowing people up -lots of demand for that in the private sector ya know!) is a loser in my books right off the bat.
I remember reading an article fairly recently about some airforce douchebag who works M-F / 9am-5pm from a secret airbase in Nevada. His job?. Piloting a remote control bomber flying missions thousands of miles away in Iraq. He sits at a desk (I kid you not) with his coffee mug at hand and follows the directives of on-the-ground observers who help him 'pin-point' his targets. Totally clueless as to the accuracy of his spotters he simply annihilates whatever he is told to annihilate. "My bad" if it turns out the 'munitions depot' he just blew-up turned out to actually be just a childrens hospital or powdered-milk factory. Then this guy goes home every night, hugs his kids and they probably all sit around the dinner table while the wife asks him "Sooo, how was your day at the office honey?".
I can answer for him. "It was MURDER babe!".
SeanMC If it is so bad why not move? I mean if you are so ashmend of our country then we do not need you here!!! because we are people that fight for our freedom thats what we do and will always do!!!!
Maybe I missed something, but I don't recall Sheehan saying anything comparable to what you said in your first post. I think she has directed her anger and righteous indignation at the government, not the soldiers. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
And then slimy people like Eichmann come to mind. But you know what? I'm not ready to start comparing this to World War II, and for good reason, I think.
You're absolutely right in that respect B&B. She does indeed direct her anger and righteous indignation at the government not the soldiers. I only offered her as an example of a mother who HAS children in that war yet totally opposes it. Unlike most other mothers who blindly support a war ONLY because their children are in it, as if war were some kind of high school soccer match they MUST root for.
Here's MY conundrum; I can't understand being completely opposed to an illegal war yet sympathizing with those who carry it out. Such a stance would indicate schizophrenia!. It's like saying "I oppose pornography but lets support our porn actors!".
And notice I only say I don't sympathize with them and not that "I hate them" as certain Neanderthals with poor reading comprehension skills here have purposely mis-quoted.
Here's the thing; when one joins the armed forces one ceases to be an individual and becomes government property. The individual has thus renounced all freedom of will. Regardless of what that individuals personal opinions & views were before he/she is now another deadly cog in the war machine.
Sure young Pfc. Billy Doe was an extremely likeable banjo-player and told great jokes as a civi. He loves his kids and tithes at church every Sunday. But now he's driving a Abrahms tank down Saddam Blvd and taking potshots at old ladies hanging their laundry out to dry!.
Which Billy Doe do I choose to 'support'?. The likeable state-side Billy or the new Terminator Billy?.
You're absolutely right in that respect B&B. She does indeed direct her anger and righteous indignation at the government not the soldiers. I only offered her as an example of a mother who HAS children in that war yet totally opposes it. Unlike most other mothers who blindly support a war ONLY because their children are in it, as if war were some kind of high school soccer match they MUST root for.
Here's MY conundrum; I can't understand being completely opposed to an illegal war yet sympathizing with those who carry it out.
Inasmuch as you obviously do not have children who are serving, you could not possibly understand how one could be opposed to the war yet, they can still support their child - an adult, who chose to go into the military.
I might have wanted my child to be a doctor or lawyer. But instead, THEY DECIDED to become a ditch digger. Did that make me happy? No. But, if it made THEM happy, then I can support THEIR decision.
Like I said, you could not possibly understand
OBTW, just an aside to add to your "quandary": My son, and his wife, are both career military. My son is now on his 5th tour in the ME - he left Kuwait today to go into the hills of Afghanistan -
A few years ago, both my son and his wife, were mutually deployed - both gone at the same time. They have two sons - at the time they were 7 and 9 years of age. Because both parents were gone, I became "Mr. Mom" for 11 months.
Now, what would you do? Criticize their parents - tell the kids their parents were doing something wrong? Or, if you were me, would you support your son, and his wife, and pass along those positives to their children - your grandchildren?
What would YOU do?
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In humans, it's "intuition", but it is mistakenly identified by many (even some professionals, unfortunately) as an instinct. And yes, there is a difference. Really, neither of them have any influence over war. If they did, we'd all still be living in Germania, I suspect. LOL!
