Warning!! Political Soapbox Ahead!

I understand and agree that the military machine can only run with the fuel of those willing to take orders and go into battle in the name of "freedom" and "liberty", but I blame society, media, and the leaders of our country, not the young men and women who are being used as cannon fodder.

The way I see it, the children who are joining the military fall into two main categories. First, we have the ones from low-income families who see the military as a way to further their education and develop skills that would otherwise go unrealized. These kids feel that their only way out of the socio-economic pit they were born into is to get Uncle Sam to foot the bill. And Uncle Sammy doesn't do that out of the goodness of his heart. These kids may or may not know what they are getting themselves into, and they may or may not agree with it. Either way, they feel trapped by a unbalanced system.

The other group is a little different. These are the kids who are taught from day one that being part of the military is noble, glamorous, and necessary. They are given weapons as toys and fed a steady diet of pseudo-violence (ie. cartoons). These kids learn that a hero is someone who is bigger, stronger and meaner than all the rest. Thoughtfulness is discouraged because it interferes with their willingness to follow orders. These kids flock to the recruiting booths, not because they have to, but because they want to. Our society trains them from birth to be ready to sacrifice everything at the whim of a politician (provided the proper code words are said), and they learn their lesson well.

I can no more blame these kids for becoming part of the military machine than I can my own students for expressing ignorance and bigotry. They live what they learn*, and what they have learned is violence. Rather than condemning them for it, I acknowledge their point of view in hopes that they will then return the favor. I can't hope to counteract these beliefs unless they are willing to listen, and I can't hope to get them to listen unless they feel respected. It is a long, frustrating process that fails more often than it succeeds. But, as I have been told many times on this very blog, sometimes reaching just one person is enough.

And so, I refuse to condemn our soldiers for choosing to become soldiers. They are victims of a broken society, doing the best they know how. (NOTE: The choices they make once they are IN the military and exposed to the reality behind the propeganda are another topic for another rant.) I will reach out to each of them as the individuals that they are. I do not hesitate, however, to condemn our government for being an evil, corrupt entity run by evil, corrupt politicians who want little more than EVERYTHING and who will stop at nothing to get it. They are the ones who feed these rumors and lies to our youth, thrilled to know that they will have enough fuel for their machine for another generation.

End Soapbox. Treace (Truth and Peace) be with you. Have a beautiful day.

Thanks to Linkin Park for that particular phrase.