Question Of The Week, 6/19/05
Before I ask this week's question I'd like to wish all of you Dad's a very Happy Father's Day! Since this is Fathers Day this week's question will have something to do with being a Father. You don't have to be a Father to answer. I'm sure that all of us now know that no matter how tough or strict Dad was he cared about us and wanted to help us plan for the future. In the past Dad's might even suggest you think about going into the military, "think of the benefits, stay in for twenty years and your set up for life". So this week's question is. If you had a teenage Son or Daughter would you suggest they consider a career in the military? My answer will be posted in the comment section Monday morning.
God Bless America, God Save The Republic.
God Bless America, God Save The Republic.
posted by David Schantz | 1:59 AM
14 Comments:
Absolutely! Serving in the Military has been a tradition in my family, going back hundreds of years, even before America was "discovered" by Columbus. If not for a career, I'd urge my offspring, male OR female, to at least serve one tour of duty in the Military service of their choice. I believe America would be a better place if all young people were to serve a couple of years in the Military, but that's just me.
Absolutely not. I would never suggest that option to them. If anything, I would allow them to choose that path, should they want to, but I would not encourage it at all. I wouldn't be a big fan of that choice, either, but I definitely want dissuade him/her from joining. It would have to be a choice they had to make on their own.
As for what GTL said, I'm not sure we should encourage everyone to serve in the military, per se, but I would encourage some form of national service. Whether it is community volunteering through local park and recreations systems, tutoring in low-income schools, joining the AmeriCorps, or serving in the armed forces, I think the government should work to create strong and rigorous programs for teenagers/early-twenties kids to join up with after college. Once they've done these things, the government can help them pay off college loans or help them lay downpayments on their first house, something like that which provides an incentive to do service.
At this time, I have a son who is 16 and a daughter who is 14. At this time, I do not support them going into the military, but ONLY because I believe that the current military endeavors are not on the up and up. I also believe that it is not the military that is to blame for that, but the powers that be that are sending them off to wars and actions.
Its a hard thing really, because I had always believed that serving in the Military would be a good thing, and should be a good thing for young men and women. Should the tide turn in the next few years then my answer may change. But at THIS time.. no I would not and do not support it.
no. while I think the military is an honorable career (my brother and cousin are both in the military) under this current administration I do not trust the decisions being made in regards to the use of our military so I would not SUGGEST they consider a career in the military.
caveat - when your kids get to a certain age you need to trust that you raised them to make their own (and good) decisions. if my daughter decided she was going into the military (while I may try to deter her) it is ultimately her decision.
lets hope if that day ever does come that we have a better group of people running this country.
Well, I'm not really sure of the military tradition in my family. I came from Asia, and there is a chance that there was a general of some kind in my past, (they had quite a few mistresses, usually.) However, I do not believe that military service is always the most patriotic thing you can do. Nor do I aggree with pacifists who oppose all wars. The military is under the control of the President. The President is officially supposed to represent the civilian power over the military. This is nonsense. If this was so, then why do we not know about everything the military is doing. I understand the value of secrecy, but think about it. The armed forces are supposed to protect the people of the nation they are of. The people are the priority, not businesses, investments, or trade interests.
I am presuming that you are talking about whether I would encourage them to join the United States of America's military. As the answer to so many things is, it depends. Personally, I do not want to push them to anywhere. My job as a father would be to help my children develop and realise their talents, skills, and potentials. I also want to make sure that they are well-educated and can make a good thought-out plan for their lives. I will try to correct any fallacies or misconceptions they may have.
Basically, as a father, I would never push them to any particular goal in life.
David, thanks for stopping by my site. I find the answers to your question interesting. Outside of becoming a nation with totally closed and patrolled borders (which would have the nay-sayers of this war up in arms the minute they were confronted by patrolling and armed military in their favorite vacation spots, at the airports, on the beaches, etc., etc.) what real choice do we have but engage terrorism elsewhere? (I vacationed in Mexico during the Contra years and there is nothing more unnerving than to be sunning on the beach or strolling on the streets of a city on vacation and have the military walking amongst you with machine guns while on patrol). The nay-sayers to this war want it stopped and our soldiers brought home, but are they really prepared for the alternative?
My answer to your question is yes. One son has 9 years in the military (one year in Iraq) and one is 14. The younger one has already discussed the possibility of serving his country, because as he sees it "the terrorists are bad guys, and we don't want them here". I can't argue that point with him.
Serving in the military requires dedication and delivers pride. It is something quite nobel. That being said, the current abuse of our military has had devestating results (ie mass loss of life and gross injury), and I would strongly caution my children against serving at this time (granted my girls are only 3 & 7 now).
Gribbit, I'm not sure how to respond to your comment. It definitely doesn't seem to fit with the more positive commenting decorum here on David's site, but I'll let that slide.
As a matter of fact, I'm 19 and old enough to join the military if I so chose. There are, however, numerous reasons why I wouldn't apply right now. 1) Bush is President and has made little or know noble effort to support our troops. 2) Current military policy, under the direction of Donald Rumsfeld, seems shoddy and cheap. 3) They won't take me. I have had two major surgeries on my wrist which have significantly decreased my ability to effectively use that hand. Moreover, it can become a chronic, recurring injury if not properly taken care of.
There are probably more reasons then those three, but I think those are enough.
Now, I admit, I am a college student, if that is what you meant by "enrolled in the Communist Indoctrination Centers of America." I'd like to know why American univerisities or colleges are inherently leftist or communist? (And for the love of all things holy, don't quote me anything from David Horowitz)
Furthermore, I wouldn't consider Liberty College (founded and run by the Rev. Jerry Falwell) or Bob Jones University to be leftist or communistic centers at all. They are very, very religiously conservative schools.
And finally, as much as I may bash on the Administration and the Republican Party, I do completely and totally support the troops of the United States of America. My brother recently left for San Diego, CA, to train at Camp Pendelton to become a Marine Corps Reservist. I have the utmost respect for him, and those with him, no matter their political affiliation, religious beliefs or anything else.
Replies to my questions in this comment would be lovely. Thanks so much, your communist friend, Chris Woods.
Looks like it started to get a little heated, I guess that is to be expected from time to time. My Daughter and my Step Children are all to old to serve, looking at the way their lives are going now I can see some of them should have. If they would have ask what I thought when they were younger I would have encouraged them to join, so my answer is yes. One of the Grand Children is now in junior high she says she wants to sign up for ROTC when she gets in high school, I'm hoping she doesn't change her mind. I ask this weeks question in the break room at work last night. Three of the people that answered have served in the military. One of them received the Silver Star while serving four tours in Vietnam. All three of them said yes, but not while Bush is in office.
I want to thank all of you for stopping by, I also want to remind you that I post a question every Sunday. I hope you will return to answer next weeks question. Please take a couple of minutes to say a prayer for those that are now serving in our military.
God Bless America, God Save The Republic.
My son has already embarked on his military career. Service in defense of the US has been a long standing family tradition. I did not counsel my son either way. When he did come to me about enlisting, I had a very long talk with him and let him make his own decisions. He will likely be the 4th generation of my family to go to war.
I would not only encourage it, I am actively showing my son the honor and sacrifice and the nobility involved in serving.
I have a brother in each branch right now, dad is retired AF, step dad retired Marine, grandpa retired Navy.
If I could have gone in I would have, in fact, I tried four times.
And chris? You may not have gone blind but your mom was right in one respect....you did end up handicapped.
Kender, I don't get the comment you made to me at the end. Maybe I'm stupid, but I think most regular readers of my blog, or other commenters here on David's, would say that for a liberal, I'm fairly normal (or intelligent).
And if the comment was meant as an insult, then great. Fine. I'm not going to get mad and react, because you've already done that by stooping low enough to call me handicapped--which, I assure you, I am not. Besides, the fact that I was able to provoke you enough to insult me by making polite and peaceful comments just proves that you have a short temper--or can't handle civilized discussion.
The following is based on a longer entry from my blog.
I would not encourage my offspring (which I don't have) to join the military at this time. The federal government does not understand how to properly treat its soldiers. "They are more interested in tying up our soldiers in so much red tape that they cannot even do their job properly without having to worry about being brought up on charges and sent to prison."
I, myself, was considering joining Air Force JAG, but I have no desire to be involved in the prosecution of our soldiers for doing their jobs. Until our government learns how to treat the men and women who are willing to die to defend their pale, flabby behinds, I cannot in good conscience recommend that anyone join our armed forces.
This does not reflect on my opinion of a career in the armed forces. If our government weren't intent on turning our military into just another politically correct, red-tape bound bureaucracy, I still would not encourage my children (I believe offspring should choose their own path), but I would be very proud if they joined the military.
If in the Navy? sure why not. But in Airforce, Military, SEAL, Marines. No. I have only one son (child). Most of the military personnels whose parent is living at http://assistedlivinglittlerockarkansas.com.
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