9/21/08 #1

The armed forces of the U.S. are technically in place to protect the citizens of this country and our Freedom. I have had the privilege to get to know a few people who either have served in the military at one time and/or are still active to this day. With that said, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at race and class within the military, specifically the navy. In general, America has had a difficult time living up to its motto, “The land of the Free,” you can look at anytime in our history and find evidence of severe cases of inequality in any area of focus (race, class, gender, and sexuality). It’s a wonder how a government can openly segregate its citizens just because of one’s skin tone yet at the same time expect those same citizens to join the armed forces to fight for a freedom that they may not be able to enjoy in the full sense of the word. Freedom. Granted, America is a relatively young nation and has made a lot of improvements on its past faults, yet, it most definitely has plenty room for more of the same, improvement.

I’m hoping to explore whether or not it is easier for an individual to climb the ranks of the military if they come from higher social class standings. The U.S. military is a paid profession, and since there is no longer a draft each branch of the military must recruit people to join. Sharply dressed recruiters stand out like sore thumbs in the halls of high schools and job fairs looking to grab any attention they can get from kids willing to sport American patriotism. Since enrollment in this paid profession is voluntary and in some cases involves killing other people or getting killed by those same “other people”, I wonder who the military is most interested in, the rich or the poor? Who's more disposable?