Posted on Jul 6, 2014
The military demographic, stereotype, and who serves...so much of America is so out of touch...living in a bubble...
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Two determined students at a West Coast University, Arian and Ernest, follow the inspiration of their idealistic professor, Dr. Malley, to do something impor...
Every time I head back to my home town, this topic runs through my head over and over again.
A little background...I grew up in a pretty affluent community in the northern suburbs of Chicago. Even though I lived in an old house and could barely get our car to start each morning to go to school, I consider myself very privileged to go to grow up in a community that was safe and had great schools.
Both my brother and I decided to join the military while we were in college. In my hometown, this is kind of frowned upon in an odd way. My town is very "supportive" of the military and is considered extremely military friendly with parades, special events, ect... However, not many people who grow up there go into the military. The stereotypical graduate goes to a big and expensive out of state college like Iowa, Indiana, Miami of Ohio, Wisconsin, ect...gets a degree in something business related (nothing against business degrees/expensive out of state schools, but many I know do not even have a passion for it, hate their jobs, and do it for the sole purpose of potentially making a lot of money when they graduate...often pushed that way by parents), moves to one of the expensive neighborhoods in Chicago to start off, meets someone, moves back to the suburbs, and starts the cycle all over again.
Whenever I bring up the military to some people back home, I get asked "hey man, you were pretty smart, athletic, ect...you don't need the military, why did you join?". No matter how much I try to explain, they do not understand. Some of them give the "thank you for your service" but then when asked about joining or if parents get word of interest, it is basically, "not in a million years".
When my brother was finishing up high school in 2007, his class received the future speech/briefing from the school's career counselor...it went something like this..."you can attend a university, a two year college, join the work force,...ooorrrrr you can join the military (the last part in a very sarcastic/dry tone). Also, when my brother was in Afghanistan, he came across another officer who went to West Point and was from a suburb in our hometown area. He said that when he was talking to the career counselor at his high school, he brought up wanting to attend West Point. He counselor said "noooo....you are too good for that, don't waste your talent on something like that". He then brought up how his family was not as well off as others and that West Point could provide an education for free...the counselor was shocked that he lived in that suburb and did not have tons of money to pay for school.
A lot of Americans, especially those living in "suburban utopias", live in such bubbles and are so out of touch with reality. Many adults that I know have no idea what is going on in the world...only what is going on in their lives. Apparently if you are privileged in some way, you must not waste your talents on the military. Only the kids with nothing better to do in life apparently are the only ones who are suppose to go into the military. I know during World War II, all kinds of "privileged" people like actors, sports stars, wealthy people, ect... volunteered to join the military. I know times have changed. Pat Tillman is someone I greatly idolize because was a great example of someone who had a popular and wealthy lifestyle, yet he decided to enlist in the military because he felt his life was not worth more than anyone else who is sent around the world and put into harms way to defend our country. I wonder what my mother thinks when people are extremely against their children serving. Her only two children, both serving. If I were her, I would sarcastically say "well I guess my beloved sons are not worth as much as your children, so they can be sent into harms way because someone has to be...".
A lot of people are just so out of touch...I was just watching this movie Lions for Lambs. The part that focuses on why certain demographics like the two main characters who join the military and how society is so out of touch are my favorite parts. Here is a link...
Engagement Speech
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4ekygnt-XE
Entire Movie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYkHckqwks4
Now that I'm off my soap box...any thoughts? Anybody can relate? Opinions? Watch Lions for Lambs...what is your opinion on the engagement plan the two students present in the politics class? Doubt something like that would ever happen in America but I think it would be a good idea.
A little background...I grew up in a pretty affluent community in the northern suburbs of Chicago. Even though I lived in an old house and could barely get our car to start each morning to go to school, I consider myself very privileged to go to grow up in a community that was safe and had great schools.
Both my brother and I decided to join the military while we were in college. In my hometown, this is kind of frowned upon in an odd way. My town is very "supportive" of the military and is considered extremely military friendly with parades, special events, ect... However, not many people who grow up there go into the military. The stereotypical graduate goes to a big and expensive out of state college like Iowa, Indiana, Miami of Ohio, Wisconsin, ect...gets a degree in something business related (nothing against business degrees/expensive out of state schools, but many I know do not even have a passion for it, hate their jobs, and do it for the sole purpose of potentially making a lot of money when they graduate...often pushed that way by parents), moves to one of the expensive neighborhoods in Chicago to start off, meets someone, moves back to the suburbs, and starts the cycle all over again.
Whenever I bring up the military to some people back home, I get asked "hey man, you were pretty smart, athletic, ect...you don't need the military, why did you join?". No matter how much I try to explain, they do not understand. Some of them give the "thank you for your service" but then when asked about joining or if parents get word of interest, it is basically, "not in a million years".
When my brother was finishing up high school in 2007, his class received the future speech/briefing from the school's career counselor...it went something like this..."you can attend a university, a two year college, join the work force,...ooorrrrr you can join the military (the last part in a very sarcastic/dry tone). Also, when my brother was in Afghanistan, he came across another officer who went to West Point and was from a suburb in our hometown area. He said that when he was talking to the career counselor at his high school, he brought up wanting to attend West Point. He counselor said "noooo....you are too good for that, don't waste your talent on something like that". He then brought up how his family was not as well off as others and that West Point could provide an education for free...the counselor was shocked that he lived in that suburb and did not have tons of money to pay for school.
A lot of Americans, especially those living in "suburban utopias", live in such bubbles and are so out of touch with reality. Many adults that I know have no idea what is going on in the world...only what is going on in their lives. Apparently if you are privileged in some way, you must not waste your talents on the military. Only the kids with nothing better to do in life apparently are the only ones who are suppose to go into the military. I know during World War II, all kinds of "privileged" people like actors, sports stars, wealthy people, ect... volunteered to join the military. I know times have changed. Pat Tillman is someone I greatly idolize because was a great example of someone who had a popular and wealthy lifestyle, yet he decided to enlist in the military because he felt his life was not worth more than anyone else who is sent around the world and put into harms way to defend our country. I wonder what my mother thinks when people are extremely against their children serving. Her only two children, both serving. If I were her, I would sarcastically say "well I guess my beloved sons are not worth as much as your children, so they can be sent into harms way because someone has to be...".
A lot of people are just so out of touch...I was just watching this movie Lions for Lambs. The part that focuses on why certain demographics like the two main characters who join the military and how society is so out of touch are my favorite parts. Here is a link...
Engagement Speech
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4ekygnt-XE
Entire Movie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYkHckqwks4
Now that I'm off my soap box...any thoughts? Anybody can relate? Opinions? Watch Lions for Lambs...what is your opinion on the engagement plan the two students present in the politics class? Doubt something like that would ever happen in America but I think it would be a good idea.
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Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 7
Sir, I would opine for your consideration that there are several reasons for the disconnect.
The generations born following WWII have been reared to be increasingly privileged. They have grown up in an environment that emphasizes the individual and a sense of personal entitlement while at the same time sparing any inducement to serve the greater good. The last several generations have been taught that there are simply things about which they shouldn't have to worry; there are things that are beneath them, and included there is service to one's fellow man or our country. No war or significant world crisis since WWII has required any level of personal sacrifice from the American people at large. No rationing; no draft; no fear of the things beyond our borders, and the consequence is that people now believe in large part that freedom doesn't have a cost.
The education system also continues to fail American children in that we don't require much in the way of history or the study of our government & how it works. Without a clear understanding of our heritage and what it took to create the greatest country on the planet, today's youth don't have any perspective about collective sacrifice. They don't recognize that previous generations from all walks of life and socio-economic situations contributed to preserve our way of life. I have been disappointed in what passes for history classes today as opposed to my experiences both in high school and college.
And finally, we have allowed immigration to dilute our sense of national identity and sense of individual responsibility. We allow people to come pursue the American Dream without honoring the American responsibility. Many of today's immigrants fail to embrace America fully. They never learn the language; the culture; the essence of what it is to be American. We don't identify ourselves as Americans; we identify ourselves as XXXXXXX - Americans. Gone are the days when as Theodore Roosevelt said a century ago (I'm paraphrasing) "we welcome anybody to America and wish them well. But they must come to contribute our greater good and embrace what it is to be an American. They must leave behind all that was before, and divorce themselves from their prior alligences."
To avoid the decline of our society and its aversion to the military as well as many other sacred institutions, we as a society must start at their earliest ages reminding our children that they enjoy the life they do because of the sacrifices of others, and for our country to continue to prosper, they too must contribute to the greater good. They must be shown the value of service to others. We must demonstrate that it is honorable to serve, and there are things more important than self. We must educate our children about what it took to create our country. We must embrace what it is to be American; not a hyphenated American.
Master Chief rant complete ;-)
The generations born following WWII have been reared to be increasingly privileged. They have grown up in an environment that emphasizes the individual and a sense of personal entitlement while at the same time sparing any inducement to serve the greater good. The last several generations have been taught that there are simply things about which they shouldn't have to worry; there are things that are beneath them, and included there is service to one's fellow man or our country. No war or significant world crisis since WWII has required any level of personal sacrifice from the American people at large. No rationing; no draft; no fear of the things beyond our borders, and the consequence is that people now believe in large part that freedom doesn't have a cost.
The education system also continues to fail American children in that we don't require much in the way of history or the study of our government & how it works. Without a clear understanding of our heritage and what it took to create the greatest country on the planet, today's youth don't have any perspective about collective sacrifice. They don't recognize that previous generations from all walks of life and socio-economic situations contributed to preserve our way of life. I have been disappointed in what passes for history classes today as opposed to my experiences both in high school and college.
And finally, we have allowed immigration to dilute our sense of national identity and sense of individual responsibility. We allow people to come pursue the American Dream without honoring the American responsibility. Many of today's immigrants fail to embrace America fully. They never learn the language; the culture; the essence of what it is to be American. We don't identify ourselves as Americans; we identify ourselves as XXXXXXX - Americans. Gone are the days when as Theodore Roosevelt said a century ago (I'm paraphrasing) "we welcome anybody to America and wish them well. But they must come to contribute our greater good and embrace what it is to be an American. They must leave behind all that was before, and divorce themselves from their prior alligences."
To avoid the decline of our society and its aversion to the military as well as many other sacred institutions, we as a society must start at their earliest ages reminding our children that they enjoy the life they do because of the sacrifices of others, and for our country to continue to prosper, they too must contribute to the greater good. They must be shown the value of service to others. We must demonstrate that it is honorable to serve, and there are things more important than self. We must educate our children about what it took to create our country. We must embrace what it is to be American; not a hyphenated American.
Master Chief rant complete ;-)
MSgt (Join to see)
Outstanding Master Chief Young right on point.
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Master Chief, you are absolutely right. I especially like how you describe that no sacrifice is needed from the general population. When someone (the military) does a really good job at doing something, it may not get noticed in the work place...until that individual leaves and whatever they contributed comes crashing down...it is then you realize how much work that person did.
SSgt (Join to see)
Hillary hated us at LRAFB. She is a total witch
SFC David Reid, M.S, PHR, SHRM-CP, DTM
Thanks for your excellent momentary and insights,which in my opinion are spot on!
Excellent essay, LT. Life isn't a movie, you live it you don't watch it. Stereotypes are defined by arm chair "academicians" who sit in the in the nose bleed section watching the rest of us do our thing. You buck the odds and f--k the demographics to do what you want to do. If utopia were real, DoD wouldn't exist. I'm glad you and your brother saw through the smoke screen to do what you believed in.
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Sir,
Do you think there is a way to fix this?...make it more like things were back in the day where people from all classes of society, even the rich and famous, ect...all served? What do you think of the attached clip from the movie Lions for Lambs, the presentation that the two students give? Is there another way in your opinion to help influence society?
Do you think there is a way to fix this?...make it more like things were back in the day where people from all classes of society, even the rich and famous, ect...all served? What do you think of the attached clip from the movie Lions for Lambs, the presentation that the two students give? Is there another way in your opinion to help influence society?
MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca
You know, 1LT Sebastian Coates, I'd pin a medal on the first person that can. You hit it right on the head - "back in the day". WWII was the last time we as a country stood behind a war. What happened to our brothers and sisters during and after Vietnam was a travesty. Our country rebounded after Desert Storm but it was never as sincere as WWII, probably because civilians have not known war time sacrifice since then and hopefully never will again. Unfortunately the link won't show the clip and only prompts me to buy or rent the full movie. But It does look like a very interesting watch!
The military would need to stay 100% all American squeaky clean to have all of America back it. We're in the midst of a sad state of affairs when ironically & tragically, we can't get our own government to back the very veterans it gave birth to through its own foreign policy.
The military would need to stay 100% all American squeaky clean to have all of America back it. We're in the midst of a sad state of affairs when ironically & tragically, we can't get our own government to back the very veterans it gave birth to through its own foreign policy.
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Lambs for Lions- Engagement Speech
Ernest Rodriguez and Arian Finch give a presentation about engagement. How americans need to become more involved in the happenings in their government. The ...
Sir, I cannot agree with you more.
For the movie, you may have clicked on the link for the entire movie...here are the links for the key video clips...you should not have to pay for this...
Engagement Speech
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4ekygnt-XE
Professor talking to the privileged/ignorant student who has stopped caring
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1hQuzJPRDA
For the movie, you may have clicked on the link for the entire movie...here are the links for the key video clips...you should not have to pay for this...
Engagement Speech
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4ekygnt-XE
Professor talking to the privileged/ignorant student who has stopped caring
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1hQuzJPRDA
1LT Sebastian Coates, thanks for sharing your story. I think the perception is upon entering the military - as you shared. However, as we see leaders who depart from the military after at least a 20-year career, the "reverence" is quite the opposite. While going into the military may seem to be a crutch or a "settling" of sorts, for those who retire as a senior leader and having managed thousands of people in time-constrained environment, high-stress, life-or-death environments, the appreciation is practically the opposite. Those leaders are in extremely high demand and their experience cannot be obtained in any other career field.
Consider yourself privileged to have the opportunity to walk with the best!
Consider yourself privileged to have the opportunity to walk with the best!
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Sir,
I do understand that I am very privileged to serve. I am very honored. I know that I am walking with the best this nation has to offer. However, it is society that is frustrating. What do you think of the attached clip from the movie Lions for Lambs, the presentation that the two students give? Is there another way in your opinion to help influence society?
I do understand that I am very privileged to serve. I am very honored. I know that I am walking with the best this nation has to offer. However, it is society that is frustrating. What do you think of the attached clip from the movie Lions for Lambs, the presentation that the two students give? Is there another way in your opinion to help influence society?
Suspended Profile
Lambs for Lions- Engagement Speech
Ernest Rodriguez and Arian Finch give a presentation about engagement. How americans need to become more involved in the happenings in their government. The ...
Here are the key clips so you do not have the purchase the whole movie on youtube...
Engagement Speech
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4ekygnt-XE
Professor talking to the privileged/ignorant student who has stopped caring
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1hQuzJPRDA
Engagement Speech
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4ekygnt-XE
Professor talking to the privileged/ignorant student who has stopped caring
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1hQuzJPRDA
LTC Jason Strickland
1LT Sebastian Coates, powerful clip from the movie. These two students put their money where their mouth is.
I think the best way to influence society is to demonstrate what we offer in the military. To do that, the testimony of our currently serving and veteran population - in actions and words - gives insight into what being in the military is all about. It also gives reason to why someone would choose to pursue that type of career.
I think the best way to influence society is to demonstrate what we offer in the military. To do that, the testimony of our currently serving and veteran population - in actions and words - gives insight into what being in the military is all about. It also gives reason to why someone would choose to pursue that type of career.
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Sir, I agree...there are those who talk (what we should do, could do, ect...ect...) and then there are those of use who do...and take action.
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