Flame — HabitableZone

Flame » in reply to They do not understand. They listen to people like you, who don't understand.

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Mary Anne — (archived)

How old are these people?

Youth believes it's invincible. You can tell by the things they do for fun. Heck, you can tell by the auto insurance tables.

I'm 18 or 19 years old. I have no job, or a dead-end job, and few prospects. A recruiter offers me a job in an organization that will get me respect, more money than I'm liable to make on the civilian side, and even an opportunity for an education, both inside and afterward if I choose.

Will I be shot at? Maybe yes, maybe no. Will I be killed or maimed? Hell, no! That only happens to other people. I am going to live forever.

Stupid? No. Young? Yes.

I remember vividly the day I realized, in my gut rather than just with my brain, that my days were numbered. It was spring, and I was 31. The dogwoods were in bloom. I suddenly realized I could count the number of times I would see them bloom again, and they weren't that many. Youths have an intellectual understanding of death, but its emotional reality is far, far away.

Consider another scenario: I'm 18 or 19 years old. I have no job, or a dead-end job, and few prospects. I live in a high-crime neighborhood and I have already had friends and relatives killed on the streets where I walk everyday. Mortality is a real presence in my life. A recruiter offers me a road out. My choice: be shot at at home (likely) or be shot at somewhere else but be paid in the meantime. If I'm going to be shot at, it's better to be armed to the teeth. If I sign up, I get a gun that no cop will take away.

Stupid? No. Desperate? Yes.

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