The birth of our nation was spawned from the revolutionary war. It was not fought just by the famous faces we are accustomed to seeing like Washington, Jefferson, Franklin and Mason. It was primarily fought, like most American wars, by the poor and destitute. It was on the backs of these men that "the men of marble" rode to victory. However, long forgotten are their sacrifices. Nash's The Unknown American Revolution asks us to view the American Revolution
...through the eyes of those not in positions of power and privilege, though the iconic founding fathers are assuredly part of the story. In reality , those in the nether strata of of colonial society and those outside 'respectable' society were most of the people of revolutionary America. Without their ideas, dreams, and blood sacrifices, the American Revolution would never have occurred.
In today's world, we can still see are a fairly large disparity in the economic class of enlisted recruits. It's not to say that young men and women from wealthy families don't join the military. However, their motivation can be very different. For many poor youth the options of a better and wealthier life are few and far between. Without a scholarship the prospect of getting out of the ghetto is slim. The military provides an opportunity for a middle class wage and job security. the question is, is this a symbiotic relationship, or a suckers bet? Being in the military is inherently dangerous. This is why most of the affluent members of society aren't rushing out the door to sign up. This is also why it isn't the easiest decision for the poor kids to make.
All branches of the military require a fairly constant stream of new recruits. This is particularly true during war time, which seems to be a constant in this day and age. There appears to be a heavier presence of recruiters in low income areas. Frequent visits from these recruiters to high schools in these areas are the norm as well. The promise of a better life is a powerful weapon for recruiters, and a glimmer of hope of a better life for some poor youths.
To say that this isn't a symbiotic relationship seems foolish, but it's hard to find stories of heroes who come from poor neighborhoods to fought overseas in our wars. Why? The media glorifies affluent heroes like Pat Tillman, who quits a million dollar paying job to do the same as tens of thousands of poor kids. Again, why? It seems that there is a sense of denial that we have poverty in our country. Maybe our society just chooses to ignore it.
Let's quit only looking at "the men of marble". As soon as we, as a society, can face the reality of poverty and look these men and women in the eye, the sooner we can give them their proper due.
...through the eyes of those not in positions of power and privilege, though the iconic founding fathers are assuredly part of the story. In reality , those in the nether strata of of colonial society and those outside 'respectable' society were most of the people of revolutionary America. Without their ideas, dreams, and blood sacrifices, the American Revolution would never have occurred.
In today's world, we can still see are a fairly large disparity in the economic class of enlisted recruits. It's not to say that young men and women from wealthy families don't join the military. However, their motivation can be very different. For many poor youth the options of a better and wealthier life are few and far between. Without a scholarship the prospect of getting out of the ghetto is slim. The military provides an opportunity for a middle class wage and job security. the question is, is this a symbiotic relationship, or a suckers bet? Being in the military is inherently dangerous. This is why most of the affluent members of society aren't rushing out the door to sign up. This is also why it isn't the easiest decision for the poor kids to make.
All branches of the military require a fairly constant stream of new recruits. This is particularly true during war time, which seems to be a constant in this day and age. There appears to be a heavier presence of recruiters in low income areas. Frequent visits from these recruiters to high schools in these areas are the norm as well. The promise of a better life is a powerful weapon for recruiters, and a glimmer of hope of a better life for some poor youths.
To say that this isn't a symbiotic relationship seems foolish, but it's hard to find stories of heroes who come from poor neighborhoods to fought overseas in our wars. Why? The media glorifies affluent heroes like Pat Tillman, who quits a million dollar paying job to do the same as tens of thousands of poor kids. Again, why? It seems that there is a sense of denial that we have poverty in our country. Maybe our society just chooses to ignore it.
Let's quit only looking at "the men of marble". As soon as we, as a society, can face the reality of poverty and look these men and women in the eye, the sooner we can give them their proper due.
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