I'm fortunate in that my brother in the Air Force currently has a "home" assignment teaching pilots in Colorado Springs, although he was flying C-5s in the Gulf War.

The author's question:

Why were I and the other parents at my son's private school so surprised by his choice? During World War II, the sons and daughters of the most powerful and educated families did their bit. If the immorality of the Vietnam War was the only reason those lucky enough to go to college dodged the draft, why did we not encourage our children to volunteer for military service once that war was done?



Have we wealthy and educated Americans all become pacifists? Is the world a safe place? Or have we just gotten used to having somebody else defend us? What is the future of our democracy when the sons and daughters of the janitors at our elite universities are far more likely to be put in harm's way than are any of the students whose dorms their parents clean?



Well, he's asking the questions, but he's probably too close to see the answer.

Those who formulated their attitudes and philosophies over the past thirty years were immersed in a leftist culture that taught them that the American military was one of the most evil forces on the planet. It's not too surprising that the "suits" of today, who were the hippies of the '60s, would not see military service for their children as an option, even though many of them may not even realize why anymore.

Why so many enlistees from lower income groups*? Granted, the military is an attractive option for people who don't have as many options, but that's not the only factor. The "Southerners" and other lower income groups never had the luxury of being "hippies," a hobby that back when I was in college was usually heavily subsidized by wealthy parents. And where they grew up and went to school, they weren't taught to hate America.

To say that the parents (and one professor) who made the cheesy comments at the brunch were not influenced by their educational environment--your typical university--would be naive.

*Statistics show that in reality, income levels of enlistees are actually not as bottom-loaded as commonly believed.