Will Generation X step up to the plate?

[spectr17]

I'm from the tail end of the baby boom generation, so enlisting is not an option for many of my firends or myself. Lot's of people are wondering if the younger Generation X has the heart and sand to step up to the plate iin a long war. So far the lines at the recruiting stations have not swelled.

What do you think?

[horseshoer]

Spectr
### ### ### From the best I can tell from dealing with the
### ### ### younger generation I wouldn't expect the number of signups to be to significant. I just wonder
if any of them care. ###They don't seem to care about
much. I hope we can get it done with the troops we
have.
### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ###God bless everyone involved...

[Passthru]

###I think that if called on they will do thier best,but im afraid they would have to be drafted,im to old to enlist but if things get bad enough they may even let an old worn out body like me go in fighting LOL
###I heard someone on the news say that when WWII started the lines filled at the recruiting stations,when the WTC and Pentagon got hit they all ran to the Gas station,Sad.

[duckme]

Please remember my son Joshua in your prayers.He is on the USS Shreveport and headed to the persian gulf on wednesday.He is 20 years old and has been my duck hunting partner for the last 7 years.And yes I am proud to be a NAVY Dad.I have 2 nephews that are are planning on joining the Army this week.

[Welby]

Yeah, Gen Xers have it easier than any other generation has had it, and yes, their ethics are a step down in so many ways, but I believe they will step up to the plate.

In spite of what was said previously on this thread, I have heard that the recruiting offices have been overwhelmed in some places by the number of teens wanting to join up. ###Also, there were three teens that upon hearing about the attack, immediately jumped in their car and drove to NYC to help. ###It was more than a 20 hour drive from their small town in Idaho. ###They were 17-18 years of age.

[mkacala697]

Hey havent you guys been watching the news?

over half the people helping on a voulunteer basis are teens and early 20's. I even saw two people who said they were in a gang.

and as for enlisting i would if i could, im 15
BUT looks like we wont be doing anything for awhile, Bush has to thnk it through

[Speckmisser]

My opinion here..... take it as you will.

Gen X has actually been a very active generation, and while there may be as many marching for peace as there are marching for war, they'll be as involved as any group of young people our nation has ever raised. ###It's a different time, though, and "Real" war is a distant concept to most young people today. ###Keep that in mind as you judge their actions over the next days, weeks, and months. ###

The last war was a televised video game to most of these kids...shots from the warhead cameras, and distant footage of armor and missile sites being decimated by satellite directed fire. ###The aerial "dogfights" were usually fought at ranges where the opponents were not even in visual contact. ###Friendly fire and technical mishaps were almost as deadly to the allies as Iraqi attacks. ###

If this event truly leads to war, it will be no such antiseptic thing. ###Indeed, according to the current thinking from on high, the recruiting offices will be seeking snipers and assassins, midnight operatives... Look for the Israeli Mossad to be given more free rein, and restraints against CIA "wet operations" will be dropped. ###Terrorists from other countries will be employed as counter-terrorists. ###The mid-east is going to become a very dangerous place.

Some bombs might fall, but the war will be a long, bloody one... and most of it will probably be fought in the shadows, rather than on the fields of fire. ###And it's going to take a very long time, if it can be sustained at all.

[troll]

As a high school teacher, I have to say that they are ready. ###Young people now are seeking direction more than any of us older folks every did (I'm 30). ###I think that the recent events will give them the direction they are seeking and give them something to believe in. ###One thing I have definitely noticed in my years of teaching is that teenagers are trying to find an identity as well. ###They do this by defining themselves according to groups. ###With the increased patriotism, these kids have clung on to the notion of being an American and are showing their pride right now. ###My question is, as it is with all of us, will their patriotism last once we have settled this attack or will they settle back into our relaxed way of life? ###I hope it does last.

[bigtroutbane]

I am a GEN-X'r. 26yrs old. ###A banking loan officer contributing to our economy with 100% patriotic support for our NATION and CONSTITUTION!!

I find it troubling that some here would doubt our patriotism and support.

The grave problem we have in society is not with us (GEN-X group) but with our PARENTS. ###The majority are products of an anything goes selfish generation; sex, drugs, and free love, anti-american, hippie mentality of the 60's and 70's. ###

Look at the last 9 years in America who has led our nation. ###Those having no respect or responsibility have been running our United States of America. ###

None of what has happened in the past week would ever have come to evil fruition if the previous administration had stood up and defended our country and freedoms by taking full action. ###

Remember our embassies that were bombed in Africa. ###The 93' WTC bombing and USS COLE. ###In Somalia our US Soldiers' dead bodies were dragged through the streets for the whole World to see. ### WHAT BECAME OF IT?

THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION DID NOTHING!

Downsizing the military, CIA, and the FBI. ###They sold our top nuclear and military secrets to foreign nations for illegal campaign donations. ### The list goes on and on...

They even send billions of your Tax Dollars to the UN and Foreign Countries for liberal social programs and then they want to raise your taxes for more.

ITS ABOUT TIME we have an ADMINISTRATION to STEP UP TO THE PLATE. ###

A great political battle is coming!!! ###BE AWARE in the coming months of the DIVISIVE POLITICS of the LEFT... ###Today, we are already seeing it in the media. ### ###

Their goal is to DIVIDE and CONQUER through fear tactics and the forceful acceptance of aggressive immoral social issues.

These next congressional elections will be crucial. ###Get out the vote. ###Every individual needs to participate in some forum and stand up for the Constitution of the United States of America.

We Gen-X'r have seen the folly of our parents generation and will have to pay the price now and in the future for their actions.

We must stand together and fight for our FREEDOM through the ballet box or you will see your LIBERTY be taken away by this socially liberal generation of the 60's and 70's...

GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!!!! ###

pbloanrep@juno.com











(Edited by bigtroutbane at 12:14 pm on Sep. 17, 2001)


(Edited by bigtroutbane at 12:16 pm on Sep. 17, 2001)

[jerry d]

I too am guilty of wondering how the current class of "warriors" will react if ask to go in harms way.

troll and bigtroutbane, your words are reassuring.

I'm also concerned with what the Americian people's attitude toward this "war" will be when the body bags start arriving home. We saw the reaction when this happened during the Vietnam mess. Only hope we have the resolve to see this thing through to the end. It ain't gonna be an over nite thing. It'll probably take years to find and neutralize all the terrorist cells, where ever they may be, and we'll need to take the binders off our intellegence community to succeed.

In my opinion, the electronic media will attempt to control this "war" with their iron grip over what we see, just as they did with Vietnam.

May God be with these "warriors" and bring them home safe.

[Duke]

Good to see someone my age mkacala697. ###Horseshoer if someone doesn't care about this they are just as nuts as those idiots who hijacked the plane and bin laden.

They have said on t.v. that this will be a multipule year battle. ###Now if they can just lift that assanation thing.

Laden must be scared he has sent a denial form to Pakistan or somewhere.

[spectr17]

bigtroutbane,

No one has questioned anyone's patriotism. I merely was asking what others thought would be our younger generation's reaction to a war. I think what makes this country great is how we can overcome great difficulty and dare to succeed.

You must agree that is was a bit ironic that in WWII the lines formed at the recruiter the next day, the lines formed at the gas stations this week on Tuesday and Wednesday. I do see where the recruiters are gettting busier now.

As far as blaming the older generation's folly for our current predicament, shake yourself and learn some history. There has always been an evil dark side. Because we are a peaceful nation we do not maintain our vigil for peace like we should.

WWII was heaped upon my parent's generation and they were some of the hardest working people I have ever met. They didn't blame it on anybody, they just accepted the burden, endured and went and took care of business.

You can blame Clintoon but this shows a weak knowledge of Middle East and Islamic history. Jimmy Carter was President when I was in the USAF and we had our arses handed to us several times. You could blame Carter for the jihad that was declared against us back then in the late 1970s, but the problem goes back even farther.

[horseshoer]

I hope all of you are right and I believe you are.
One thing is for sure we will need the help and
support of everyone of us before this is all over.
I think they have started something that they had
no idea would bring so many people together or piss
so many people off. If you saw the start of the ST. Louis baseball game you know what I mean.

### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ###GOD BLESS THIS LAND

### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### GOD FORGIVE THEM
### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ###FOR WHAT THEY HAVE
### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ###DONE, BUT WE CAN'T

### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ### John McCain

[mkacala697]

spectr not to argue but who were the most people in line at the gas station? ###Mostly people in their 30's and 40's, i saw 1 guy who had his truck, his lawnmowers(2), snowblower, snowmobile and like 8 gas cans

Most of the kids at my school that had a quarter tank or more said the hell with it i aint waitin 20 minuets for gas ill pay a few bucks, lol

[Topclamdigger]

This New War will likely be fought by small groups in a clandestine manner. The "battles" will not be known to the media or to us. The events of the conflict will be kept secret. The warrior of the new millenium will be fighting in the shadow of the American culture or tents of the Middle East. Fortunately a few dedicated patriots will win the New War. Thousands of infantry may not be required as in the wars of the past. I want dramatic revenge; however , conventional munitions under these conditions may not be the appropriate means to defeat our enemies. Generation X has a challenge unknown to us now.

[FarmHunter]

Good Post - I have real faith in this generation. ###I'm 33, a son of parents that were not hippies-or into free love in the 60s, like many of my close freind's parents were. Still, most of them came to their own conclusions about the world we live in, and are as patriotic as the next guy. My point is that, all generations eventually come to their own conclusions regardless of how they were raised.

I think you'll find that this up and coming generation will be very up to the task at hand. ###Also, they will be smarter, and leaps and bounds ahead of even my generation in technology. ###I've yet to come across a person that did not have patriotism swelling inside the last few days. ###With good leadership, this generation will take care of business if called upon. (they are not all grunge wearing, mountain dew drinking, x-treme sports doing- kids the media portays them to be.)

[ranchwife]

I just heard yesterday that recruitment for all four branches of the military is three times higher than it has been prior to the WTC bombing. ###Apparently someone is willing to fight for the country. ###My middle schoolers are ready to do what it takes - I have to remind them to be patient.

[spectr17]

mkacala697,

It's moot who was at the gas station, I'm pointing out who was at the RECRUITER STATION. It's a free country but I think my first business for Wednesday would have been with a recruiter after my homeland was attacked if physically able and the right age. Even if you dont want combat there are many support positions that make the military go.

Another buddy pointed out at work today that many of the firemen and police who went back into the WTC and were then killed were in their early 20s. Every animal on the planet Earth flees fire, firemen walk back into it. Special breed them firemen and PD.

[mkacala697]

ok i agree the recruitment and defending of our country is what is the issue, and if i was old enough id already be enlisted

[Marty]

It is reassuring to hear such strong sentiment from the younger posters. ###Personally, I don't have such faith in many of the post-X'ers I run across. ###No offense to teachers in general, the kids here in CA just don't understand Civics. ###Most texts have been manipulated to rewrite history in a 'pc' fashion.

Hopefully it is a matter of maturity. ###And those posting on this board are ahead of the curve.

[Duke]

Horseshoer I know what you mean about the Cards game. ###That poem by Jack Buck was very good. ###There was plenty of people there too. ###It was good to see.