my friend comes from a long line of military history, dating back to the american revolution in the 1700's, his family comes from old money, but it is just a tradition for the men in this family to serve in the military, during a time of peace or war.. my friend is smart, and well educated, he is on the brink of telling his family he does not want to enlist unless he goes to Afghanistan, but this would greatly upset them. i talked to his father, and i told him my opinion of the war in Iraq being a dishonerable war, and the father simply replied, 'dishonorable or not, this is a family tradition, what does one soldier mean to a cause"? what should my friend do
2007-06-20 13:00:40 · 7 answers · asked by CALIFORNIA luvin 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
annie white: what the hell does fighting a war thousands and thousands of miles away from my house have to do with my freedom???
2007-06-20 14:32:37 · update #1
He should take up the tradition his ancestors started way back when. Serving ones country is an honor and he would later be respected for it no matter what was accomplished through his service. (Unless courtmarshalled or something along the lines of that.)
2007-06-20 13:06:11 · answer #1 · answered by Guy 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't blame your friend at all.
He holds the same philosophy I do about the misguided Iraq thing.
Unfortunately, we all know one doesn't pick and choose duty assignments.
Your friend should try to strike a balance between not being disowned by his family, yet still following his heart.
If he joins the marines, he will probably end up in Iraq.
Here's his options:
1. Join the Navy.
2. Go to college, and apply for ROTC. By the time he graduates, the war will be mostly over (God, I hope so anyways).
3. Go to college, don't join ROTC. Promise his father he will enlist after graduation. By then, he can evaluate the global situation.
4. Go to college, tell his father that it's his own life to run, not the family tradition, and they will just have to deal with it. Maybe they will get over it, maybe not.
5. Don't join the military, don't go to college, either work a low-end job, or go travel Europe for a while, until Iraq simmers down...then return and join the Marines.
Those are some options.
2007-06-20 20:09:48 · answer #2 · answered by powhound 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To the first poster, don't confuse tact with timidity. I would join, if the war was justified, or I could choose to go to Afghanistan solely to find Osama (anyone still remember that ***?). He would be shipped to Iraq, to a freakin desert, defending oil and other countries problems. You said he was rich, he was smart? Then he should know he has a choice. I got two good friends from the USMC, both are back now, another friend died from grade school. Both now have bs jobs, both remember only the good things from the service... until you give them a few beers. He might fare better since he's rich and the parents could bail him out if the same happened to him.
Could his mom live with losing him? My friends mom doesn't seem to enjoy life anymore, and she looks so much older in the last 4 years! Is he an only child?
Why not join a group that defends the border? That's something I would do, but wait... no group really does.
2007-06-20 20:31:44 · answer #3 · answered by ThomasS 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He certainly shouldn't listen to you, nor do what his family want's /just/ because it's tradition (not that tradition is worthless, you just shouldn't let it override your own conscience).
Wars only seem honorable when properly varnished by history. A soldier can serve honorably whatever the cause, though, including refusing illegal orders, for instance, so he probably could join up with a clear conscience, even if he has doubts about the war in Iraq, itself.
2007-06-20 20:15:13 · answer #4 · answered by B.Kevorkian 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ignore tradition, he has his own life to live and hopefully enjoy.
Why should he risk his life fighting for the armaments and oil industries?
Tell him he has a choice between the Blessing and the Curse Life or Death, so choose life and value every minute of it for it is a precious gift and he will only experience it once for there are too many dead hero's don't let him join them.
2007-06-20 20:14:44 · answer #5 · answered by Equaliser. 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get a new friend cause you seem to be a *****.
The USMC is the best you should be lucky to have such a brave friend who would die for your freedom.
Get a pair
2007-06-20 20:04:26 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
Write his will. GWB doesn't give a sh1t about him or his ilk.
2007-06-20 20:36:28 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋