ChairmanGonzalo
Active Member
- Oct 6, 2016
- 306
- 49
- 33
I am a military veteran. I served in the 37th Engineer Battalion, part of the famous 82nd Airborne Division. I have ample experience of the military from within.
But right now, I am speaking from the point of view of a civilian: the people you swore an oath to defend. A millennial male, not yet 25 years old, who has lived in both New York City and the rural west. I have been to college, and will continue my studies this fall semester. I believe that my views represent those of the average American young adult, the voters, politicians, and citizens of the future.
When the average educated young adult thinks about the military, certain issues pop up immediately. One issue that has been making headlines for some time is the huge crisis of sexual assault within our armed forces.pentagon-rand-sexual-assault-reportsWhen a non-misogynistic person who follows the news sees that this has been a problem for a very long time, and no progress is being made, he or she starts to ask questions about how much the military really cares for the well being of women in uniform. From my brief experience with the army, the SHARP program is treated like a joke. Nobody, from the privates all the way up the chain of command, seems to actually give a shit about stopping sexual harassment and assault. The word "SHARP" is treated like a joke, a mockery. And even though my experience is very limited, there documented evidence that sexual assault in the "real army" is being covered up at the highest levels.Inside the U.S. military’s culture of sex abuse, denial and cover-up
Another thing which a well-informed person notices about the armed forces is that the racial, religious, and political demographics of the military are not representative of the country. Some States Have Much Higher Enlistment Rates Than Others The Widening Gap Between Military and Society The south is way overrepresented in enlistment numbers. The military is far more republican and conservative than the public as a whole. The problem with this is manyfold. First off, the vast majority of the country's educated population, the thinkers and leaders of the future, come from the northeast. In contrast, the less educated, more ignorant south makes up the majority of the armed forces, placing the military years behind the rest of the country in terms of social attitudes and progress. Also, since conservatives and the republican party are dying out, The Dying Republican Base the political views held by the majority of the military, which are already the minority in the public as a whole, will become even less representative of the country as a whole. A smart, educated citizen can draw no other conclusion than the fact that the military does not represent the people, but is an antiquated, regressive institution whose members are far too reactionary, and far too entrenched in the uneducated, bigoted ways of the south from where most of its members come.
Is it any wonder that fewer and fewer young americans, especially those who are well educated and come from modern and progressive regions of the country, are enlisting in the armed forces? The US military’s real problem: Fewer Americans are joining I think not. The modern generation of educated young adults, the future of this country, is tired of the misogyny, the reactionary ideals, and the misguided political beliefs of the average service member.
My generation is more kind, more empathetic than any previous generations.http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/17/fashion/the-millennials-are-generation-nice.html?_r=0Why Millennials Will Be More Empathetic Leaders My generation is more educated than any previous generations: Millennials Are the Most Educated, Worst Paid Generation . All of these stand in direct contrast to the far-right politics, violent purpose, and extreme sociopathy so prevalent in our redneck dominated armed forces. You can try to deny it or bury your head in the sand as much as you want. But the fact of the matter is that the military is on the wrong side of history.
But right now, I am speaking from the point of view of a civilian: the people you swore an oath to defend. A millennial male, not yet 25 years old, who has lived in both New York City and the rural west. I have been to college, and will continue my studies this fall semester. I believe that my views represent those of the average American young adult, the voters, politicians, and citizens of the future.
When the average educated young adult thinks about the military, certain issues pop up immediately. One issue that has been making headlines for some time is the huge crisis of sexual assault within our armed forces.pentagon-rand-sexual-assault-reportsWhen a non-misogynistic person who follows the news sees that this has been a problem for a very long time, and no progress is being made, he or she starts to ask questions about how much the military really cares for the well being of women in uniform. From my brief experience with the army, the SHARP program is treated like a joke. Nobody, from the privates all the way up the chain of command, seems to actually give a shit about stopping sexual harassment and assault. The word "SHARP" is treated like a joke, a mockery. And even though my experience is very limited, there documented evidence that sexual assault in the "real army" is being covered up at the highest levels.Inside the U.S. military’s culture of sex abuse, denial and cover-up
Another thing which a well-informed person notices about the armed forces is that the racial, religious, and political demographics of the military are not representative of the country. Some States Have Much Higher Enlistment Rates Than Others The Widening Gap Between Military and Society The south is way overrepresented in enlistment numbers. The military is far more republican and conservative than the public as a whole. The problem with this is manyfold. First off, the vast majority of the country's educated population, the thinkers and leaders of the future, come from the northeast. In contrast, the less educated, more ignorant south makes up the majority of the armed forces, placing the military years behind the rest of the country in terms of social attitudes and progress. Also, since conservatives and the republican party are dying out, The Dying Republican Base the political views held by the majority of the military, which are already the minority in the public as a whole, will become even less representative of the country as a whole. A smart, educated citizen can draw no other conclusion than the fact that the military does not represent the people, but is an antiquated, regressive institution whose members are far too reactionary, and far too entrenched in the uneducated, bigoted ways of the south from where most of its members come.
Is it any wonder that fewer and fewer young americans, especially those who are well educated and come from modern and progressive regions of the country, are enlisting in the armed forces? The US military’s real problem: Fewer Americans are joining I think not. The modern generation of educated young adults, the future of this country, is tired of the misogyny, the reactionary ideals, and the misguided political beliefs of the average service member.
My generation is more kind, more empathetic than any previous generations.http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/17/fashion/the-millennials-are-generation-nice.html?_r=0Why Millennials Will Be More Empathetic Leaders My generation is more educated than any previous generations: Millennials Are the Most Educated, Worst Paid Generation . All of these stand in direct contrast to the far-right politics, violent purpose, and extreme sociopathy so prevalent in our redneck dominated armed forces. You can try to deny it or bury your head in the sand as much as you want. But the fact of the matter is that the military is on the wrong side of history.
