How does a anti-iraqi war person handle this situation?

Question

A friend of my sisters comes over with his brother. His brother is on a two week leave from the Army... been in the Army 1 year... hasn't been to Iraq but going soon.

So, I bite my tongue being the anti-war person that I am for as long as I could... one hour into the visit......... here I go = questions to this 18 year old kid on why he joined.

I did it very diplomatically and non-attacking.
Ask him stuff like"
"What made you join during war time"
"Does the politics of the war matter to you" - had to explain that
"Is it for camaraderie" - had to define camaraderie
"Can you place Iraq on the map" = no
"How do you feel going to fight for a controversial war"

This is the honest truth: He said and I swear, "I'll get to blow stuff up."

Regardless of the last statement, as an anti-war person and ex-ARMY BTW, it was all I could do to not preach at this kid.

The real question is: Is 17 too young to join the military? (he had parental consent at 17)

correction in the topic question: a is suppose to be 'an'

Answer 1

17 is obviously too young, especially in this case. It's not surprising that a teenager in the USA hasn't yet began to question his governments motives. Anyone who occasionally watched the mainstream media would form a narrow world view, as intended.

Perhaps you could have turned the situation on it's head, and asked him, "What would happen if another country invaded and occupied the USA, because you had a really bad president, how many Americans would resist the invaders?"

You are right to put questions in his mind, but he will find it difficult to get to the answers, and he may not be yet able to contemplate that all is not as it first appears.

And for that reason he is too young, although the army recruiters seek out just such individuals that they can educate, and mold into compliance.

It's a little too late now, I hope he doesn't get to "blow stuff up", and no-one blows him up, a war is not the best place for a kid to grow up.

Answer 2

Believe it or not, I had a very similiar situation happen to me:

How does a pro-USA person handle this situation?

A friend of my brothers comes over with his sister. His sister is on a two week leave from Code Pink... been in the Code Pink 1 year... hasn't been to protest in D.C. but going soon.

So, I bite my tongue being the pro-USA person that I am for as long as I could... one hour into the visit......... here I go = questions to this 18 year old kid on why she joined.

I did it very diplomatically and non-attacking.
Ask her stuff like"
"What made you join during war time"
"Does the politics of the appeasment matter to you" - had to explain that
"Is it for adventure" - had to define adventure
"Can you name one war that was won by appeasment" = no
"How do you feel going to protest for a controversial cause"

This is the honest truth: She said and I swear, "I get to meet guys, take drugs & party"

Regardless of the last statement, as a pro-USA person and ex-ARMY, it was all I could do to not preach at this kid.

The real question is: Is 17 too young to join the Code Pink? (she didn't have parental consent at 17)

Answer 3

Answer to real question... Yes, 17 is too young to join. I would not sign for my child to make that kind of adult decision at such an inexperienced age.
Potential answer to why join?... Many young men (and women) feel an outcast and long to belong to a close-nit group of men who have no choice but accept them. The military strips a person of their individuality and molds them into a piece of a unit. It may be the best route for some people searching for an identity, or an escape from where they are in life. It is also, often an attempt at bravado and macho-ism, especially in a time of war.

Answer 4

If those were his answers the Army should have picked up on his lack of reasoning skills and understanding. Anyone who has access to weapons, during peace or war need to be scrutinized by trained medical professionals. It is a practice upheld by the police at the time of recruitment. What a shame to send an obvious child into a war when with those answers he has no business in. Maybe it is time the military started to look at maturity and not just age...because age is just a number. How sad.

Answer 5

Every person joins for different personal reasons. It does not matter what your opinion of the war is or is not, this guy is volunteering to protect your country and to protect you!

His age leads me to believe that there is an underlying cause (home, personal causes) and that his statement of "I get to blow stuff up" is a cover for his insecurities about going to Iraq. It is scary and what he has already learned is scary.

I feel that at any age, the military allows a person to grow. He made the best decision for himself. Try to support him and anyone else you know out there serving!

Hate war, not wars. Hate fighting, not fighters!

God Bless!

Answer 6

In a free society, people can do what they want. If the parents agree and the person is under 18, fine. After all, who is going to defend your right to undermine our war efforts?

BTW, glad you bit your tongue for a little bit. If you live in the Middle East, it would have been cut off. Guess you are in good shape being in the US

Answer 7

If your the political guru that your profile indicates then you should have been worth your salt and lamb-basted him with the truth about what he's getting into. I'd a strapped him to chair beforehand and gagged him explaining along the way how I was doing it for his own good. We've got enough people who are there and considering to join that are totally uninformed. I read an article where a guy in Iraq was told that Rummy was fired and his reply was--"Who's he?" I met a Michigan National Guardsman in a similar context--He was twenty somethin--I was drunk as a skunk and I was still able to elaborate the methods behind Bush's madness to where I got him thinking. From a total stranger to someone that maybe will never fully agree with me--but he got enough out of it to have the correct perspective going in. Al Franken cant do it alone--people like you and I need to step in wherever necessary---

Next time take off the kid gloves and press your stance--I'd rather see someone react to my passion and wonder why, then let another prospective soldier of peace walk away dumbfounded.

Answer 8

yeah, 17 is a very young age for acceptance into the military. the commercials on television and the fun-looking combat scenes in movies can easily influence the mind of a teenager into believing that either the military is a great thing or that when you go to war, everyone is a hero and you will get to kill the "bad guy."
i think instead, the commercials should tell true life stories of how a nineteen-year-old was shot to death before even seeing that promised college grant.
and instead, the movies should show how the bullets from a semi-automatic miss it's target and kill an innocent woman and her starving infant.

Answer 9

I like you your very smart his answer was awful. I hate the war because its not really a war a war would be based on thousands of Iraqi's attacking the shores of America with Uzis and rocket launchers then we should fight back for self defense the real power in all of us is not using it. He gets to blow stuff up how lame he is a pawn in their evil game. Recruiters are looking for young 18-22 year olds their lost usually not set in their life and are more impressionable. The war is not a war its a campaign for control on oil. terrorism is crappy but my view on the war on terror is this it cant be won because its very similar to the war on drugs.
If the soviet union or Russia attacked in full force it would be a problem but the insurgents or the Iraqis are more like gangs in relation to the police> sure they can kill Americans because they are sitting duck out there. we have much ore power funds and military supplies but still anyone can pull a trigger!

Answer 10

You should keep your mouth shut if you don't know what you're talking about. Who cares if he joined to blow up stuff. The point is, he joined, and he is there to protect you just like the rest of us are. I wasn't recruited, I went to the recruiter and asked to join. Then I got mad at my parents for NOT signing for me at 17. On my 18th birthday, I enlisted, and went to boot camp 3 weeks later. I have enjoyed my time ever since. I also am married, with 2 kids, and I would be PROUD to sign for my son and daughter if they chose to follow my footsteps at 17 years old. I'll admit, some of us Marines and Soldiers are not too smart. But the ratio of smart to not is the same as in any other job in the world. Ours is just a little different in that we are here for something besides ourselves.