# What are young people entering the military for-love of country or a hand up in life? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 10, 2016, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-young-people-entering-the-military-for-love-of-country-or-a-hand-up-in-life/745670 "2016-02-10T02:12:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2016, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-young-people-entering-the-military-for-love-of-country-or-a-hand-up-in-life/745670/61 "2016-02-10T15:23:47Z")
Staying just to younger people, say under 25 Outside of following something like 9/11 my experience over the last 20 years has been: 10% love of country 20% service to others 70% a path into a possibly better life and the post-service benefits One thing I find interesting but not very surprising, having known some of the same people both pre and post service, is how their reasoning and perception changed. One young man (son of neighbor) was really clear about signing up just to get the Hell out of the neighborhood; 10 years later when he came out what he mostly talked about is the good he did for others and how he grew as a person. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_Hey_Paula)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2016, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-young-people-entering-the-military-for-love-of-country-or-a-hand-up-in-life/745670/62 "2016-02-10T22:52:16Z")
What the heck business is it of yours, or your “friends” or “co-workers” or “random folks overheard in a diner” why a young person chooses to join the military? How does it hurt you/them if the young person is joining for the “wrong” reasons? How does it affect you/them if the young person joins for the “right” reasons? What am I missing here? ---
**Author:** ![GloryDays](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e9c0ed/32.png) [@GloryDays](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GloryDays)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-young-people-entering-the-military-for-love-of-country-or-a-hand-up-in-life/745670/63 "2016-02-11T00:33:44Z")
> [@Hey\_Hey\_Paula](#): > > What the heck business is it of yours, or your “friends” or “co-workers” or “random folks overheard in a diner” why a young person chooses to join the military? How does it hurt you/them if the young person is joining for the “wrong” reasons? How does it affect you/them if the young person joins for the “right” reasons? What am I missing here? Paula, you enter the military if you have devotion to a cause, not for a handout. These folks believe that young folks and some minorities are getting away with crimes. My co-workers are tired of minorities, tired of the whining, the complaining. They express their outrage to the others at our work. It’s a water cooler. [http://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/ta-nehisi-coates-supports-bernie-sanders-219080](http://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/ta-nehisi-coates-supports-bernie-sanders-219080) > **[Did Hillary Clinton support a “white supremacist” crime bill?](https://www.vox.com/2015/8/19/9178475/clinton-crime-bill)** > > Vox is a general interest news site for the 21st century. Its mission: to help everyone understand our complicated world, so that we can all help shape it. In text, video and audio, our reporters explain politics, policy, world affairs, technology,... ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-young-people-entering-the-military-for-love-of-country-or-a-hand-up-in-life/745670/64 "2016-02-11T01:25:13Z")
Welcome back we’ve all been waiting for your answers to **John Mace** ’s questions. I assume you aren’t going to bother answering them but others seem to have more hope. So how about it? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-young-people-entering-the-military-for-love-of-country-or-a-hand-up-in-life/745670/65 "2016-02-11T01:29:24Z")
> [@GloryDays](#): > > Paula, you enter the military if you have devotion to a cause, not for a handout. These folks believe that young folks and some minorities are getting away with crimes. My co-workers are tired of minorities, tired of the whining, the complaining. They express their outrage to the others at our work. It’s a water cooler. > > [http://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/ta-nehisi-coates-supports-bernie-sanders-219080](http://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/ta-nehisi-coates-supports-bernie-sanders-219080) > > [Did Hillary Clinton support a “white supremacist” crime bill? | Vox](http://www.vox.com/2015/8/19/9178475/clinton-crime-bill) Your coworkers, who whine about minorities and young people complaining, sound like pathetic, whiny bigots who know nothing about the military. Why do you put stock or any value in their opinions? ---
**Author:** ![GloryDays](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e9c0ed/32.png) [@GloryDays](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GloryDays)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-young-people-entering-the-military-for-love-of-country-or-a-hand-up-in-life/745670/66 "2016-02-11T01:34:17Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Your coworkers, who whine about minorities and young people complaining, sound like pathetic, whiny bigots who know nothing about the military. Why do you put stock or any value in their opinions? You should listen to all opinions, to hear how some people feel. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-young-people-entering-the-military-for-love-of-country-or-a-hand-up-in-life/745670/67 "2016-02-11T01:38:27Z")
> [@GloryDays](#): > > Paula, you enter the military if you have devotion to a cause, not for a handout. I’m going to ask again, why do your friends think that enlisting in the military is some sort of “handout”? What do they think people in the military do all day? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-young-people-entering-the-military-for-love-of-country-or-a-hand-up-in-life/745670/68 "2016-02-11T01:40:09Z")
> [@GloryDays](#): > > You should listen to all opinions, to hear how some people feel. We already know how whiny bigots feel, thank you very much. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-young-people-entering-the-military-for-love-of-country-or-a-hand-up-in-life/745670/69 "2016-02-11T01:41:07Z")
> [@GloryDays](#): > > Paula, you enter the military if you have devotion to a cause, not for a handout. These folks believe that young folks and some minorities are getting away with crimes. My co-workers are tired of minorities, tired of the whining, the complaining. They express their outrage to the others at our work. It’s a water cooler. Well, look, if your co-workers are expressing that, then – well, it’s been expressed? And if they’d like to express that GODFATHER III was better than the original, they can express that too, I guess? They can also express a sincere belief that the moon is made of green cheese; I don’t see why we’d _care,_ but they can of course express away. ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-young-people-entering-the-military-for-love-of-country-or-a-hand-up-in-life/745670/70 "2016-02-11T01:41:49Z")
> [@GloryDays](#): > > My co-workers are tired of minorities I think that about sums it up. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-young-people-entering-the-military-for-love-of-country-or-a-hand-up-in-life/745670/71 "2016-02-11T01:42:40Z")
> [@GloryDays](#): > > You should listen to all opinions, to hear how some people feel. Listening doesn’t mean all opinions are worthy of consideration. Some people believe the Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world. That opinion is not worth considering. The opinions of your ignorant and bigoted coworkers also are not worth considering. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-young-people-entering-the-military-for-love-of-country-or-a-hand-up-in-life/745670/72 "2016-02-11T01:56:04Z")
> [@GloryDays](#): > > Paula, you enter the military if you have devotion to a cause, not for a handout. You have already been called out on that: \*\*\*there is nothing remotely resembling a “handout” about enlisting. \*\*\* You go to Parris Island and tell any young Marine fresh out of the Crucible who just got pinned the EGA that he’s there looking for a handout. You enlist, you swear to be part of the defense of the nation for years, even up to and including loss of life or limb, and no part of the job is a cakewalk. If you are not committed to the greater goal you will fail. At the end if all goes well you will _ **have earned with sweat and tears and even blood** _ certain benefits that are better than nothing but don’t even come close to putting you on easy street. Also, as others have mentioned, some of the finest military people are those who at first went in for the education/training/opportunities and ended up finding their calling once serving. And the majority of people enlisting who enlist for the opportunity, include a majority of the white males. Are \*they \*getting away with something improper? But tell me… > [@](#): > > These folks believe that young folks and some minorities are getting away with crimes. _ **… what the ever loving damn does that last paragraph and links have to do at all with the question about motivations to join the military?** _ You just brought in something entirely irrelevant. Oh, and… > [@](#): > > My co-workers are tired of minorities They can take a long walk off a short pier about that sentiment, and NO I don’t have to respect it, it is a sentiment unworthy of respect or consideration or appeasement. They are just wrong, they need to deal with that. > [@](#): > > , tired of the whining, the complaining. Excuse me but\*\* they\*\* the ones whining and complaining to a tiresome degree. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-young-people-entering-the-military-for-love-of-country-or-a-hand-up-in-life/745670/73 "2016-02-11T01:57:01Z")
> [@GloryDays](#): > > These folks believe that young folks and some minorities are getting away with crimes. What does that have to do with the military? ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_Hey_Paula)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-young-people-entering-the-military-for-love-of-country-or-a-hand-up-in-life/745670/74 "2016-02-11T02:05:46Z")
> [@GloryDays](#): > > Paula, you enter the military if you have devotion to a cause, not for a handout. These folks believe that young folks and some minorities are getting away with crimes. My co-workers are tired of minorities, tired of the whining, the complaining. They express their outrage to the others at our work. It’s a water cooler. > > [http://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/ta-nehisi-coates-supports-bernie-sanders-219080](http://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/ta-nehisi-coates-supports-bernie-sanders-219080) > > [Did Hillary Clinton support a “white supremacist” crime bill? | Vox](http://www.vox.com/2015/8/19/9178475/clinton-crime-bill) Well, I didn’t enter the military at all. My family members who entered the military were drafted. Why did you enter the military, or did you at all? And it sounds like your co-workers need to collectively shut up and get some darn work done instead of yammering on about what they’re "tired of. " Sheesh. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-young-people-entering-the-military-for-love-of-country-or-a-hand-up-in-life/745670/75 "2016-02-11T02:33:16Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > Why do you think you and your friends who have never honorably served in the United States Military have any fucking clue compared to veterans in this very thread? You talk about “honor” and “education” and fighting extremist and terrorists as if you have any idea. And you claim _we_ are the ones who don’t understand what’s happening in America? What makes you such an expert?? You’ve never served in the military, you’ve never fought against terrorism, and Im betting you bearly have a high school education. > You want a smart, reasonable discussion? Let’s start with this: I am a career combat infantryman and paratrooper with over 25 months of my life spent fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. At no time have I ever felt I was at war with Islam or fighting Muslims for being Muslim. On the contrary, I’ve fought alongside Muslims (from other countries as well as American Muslims) to achieve a common goal. I consider all of them my brothers in Arms. > And by the way, I am an atheist. Yet, somehow I value things like education and honor and making this country and the world a better place. Education? I am three classes away from finishing a graduate degree in aero/astronautics. I think it is YOU and your friends who fail to understand what’s happening around them. You are the ignorant ones incapable of reasonable discussion. Wow, did you drop a mic on the ground after writing this? 'Cause this post deserves a mic drop. **Glory Days** , you seem to have missed this post so I’m quoting it again for you. You should read it, and maybe discuss it with your alleged co-workers. Oh, and thanks for your service, **Bear Nenno**. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-young-people-entering-the-military-for-love-of-country-or-a-hand-up-in-life/745670/76 "2016-02-11T02:37:17Z")
> [@GloryDays](#): > > My co-workers are tired of minorities Seriously. _Find a new job_. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-young-people-entering-the-military-for-love-of-country-or-a-hand-up-in-life/745670/77 "2016-02-11T02:39:33Z")
NM Screwed up quotes because I was trying to post from my phone will it was plugged in. I’ll try again below. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-young-people-entering-the-military-for-love-of-country-or-a-hand-up-in-life/745670/78 "2016-02-11T02:40:22Z")
I must admit that I’m curious as well as to how the military constitutes a “handout.” What exactly are your “co-workers” suggesting? That members of the military should not be paid for the (very difficult and dangerous) work that they do? That the armed forces should consist entirely of amateurs, fighting their country’s wars out of pure love and devotion, expecting and receiving no compensation in return? Or perhaps the suggestion is that there should be no benefits associated with the job–no assistance for education, no life insurance, no assistance in getting home loans, no help in finding jobs after they leave the service? Because the military themselves have been touting those kind of things as reasons to enlist for as long as I can remember. It seems to me that the military encourages its recruits to consider these types of benefits when they join up. How, exactly, would a military whose members joined purely out of “devotion,” rather than “wanting a handout,” look different than the military as it currently exists? ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-young-people-entering-the-military-for-love-of-country-or-a-hand-up-in-life/745670/79 "2016-02-11T02:43:16Z")
> [@GloryDays](#): > > Paula, you enter the military if you have devotion to a cause, not for a handout. These folks believe that young folks and some minorities are getting away with crimes. My co-workers are tired of minorities, tired of the whining, the complaining. They express their outrage to the others at our work. It’s a water cooler. > > [http://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/ta-nehisi-coates-supports-bernie-sanders-219080](http://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/ta-nehisi-coates-supports-bernie-sanders-219080) > > [Did Hillary Clinton support a “white supremacist” crime bill? | Vox](http://www.vox.com/2015/8/19/9178475/clinton-crime-bill) I agree about being tired of the “whining and complaining.” And although you swear you don’t share the same beliefs with these people on this most recent issue you’ve brought to us on their behalf, you certainly share plenty with them on the “whining and complaining” front. Good job on being consistent. Oh, and never answering a single pertinent question. That takes dedication, man. Keep fighting the fight for the voiceless little guy. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-young-people-entering-the-military-for-love-of-country-or-a-hand-up-in-life/745670/80 "2016-02-11T02:43:35Z")
> [@MrAtoz](#): > > How, exactly, would a military whose members joined purely out of “devotion,” rather than “wanting a handout,” look different than the military as it currently exists? Well, you know, it wouldn’t be full of _those_ people. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-young-people-entering-the-military-for-love-of-country-or-a-hand-up-in-life/745670.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-young-people-entering-the-military-for-love-of-country-or-a-hand-up-in-life/745670.md?page=5)