6,600 cookies made by a town in New York were sent to the troops overseas, along with disposable cameras and notes from kids and adults. What a great idea to let the troops know they are being thought of and to get kids involved in doing something good.
Here's the article.
In a couple months, our specially trained nephew who joined the Army last year will be sent to the Middle East. I try to imagine as a mother what that must feel like - pride that your child is strong and brave and serving to protect - but worry and fear I would imagine too, but I can't know for sure the feelings involved until I am the mother saying good-bye to my child going off to war.
Military families are strong. They are stronger than I could ever imagine being. I guess they have to be.
With war these last several years, I've wondered if one or more of my kids will grow up and enlist in the military. I have to admit that it scares me to think about it. Who knows what the world will be like when they are older so I try not to dwell on it too much yet. I don't want to think of them in their tactical gear just yet. I think I can let them get through elementary and middle school before I dwell on it for too long with a mother's worry.
A USA Today article today says the military is allowing individuals with felons on their record to enlist because of the pressure to increase their numbers.
Army Felons: 249 in 2006 and 511 in 2007
Marine Felons: 208 in 2006 to 350 in 2007
The article says that a majority of them are thefts and drug offenses but there are some with manslaughter, aggravated assault and sex crimes being allowed to enlist. Some of these offenses included incidents with weapons. Does that feel wrong to anybody else? Somebody who was convicted of a crime with weapons is being handed a weapon and taught to use it...and use it well? Huh?
Some were sex crimes. So these people being allowed to enlist are on a sex offender registry somewhere? Would that be accurate? Who is going to ensure they aren't committing any sex crimes during war to women and children? Who is going to monitor them then?
The article does say that most of the crimes were committed when they were juveniles but even at that...if they are the more serious crimes, I don't like that at all. Even juveniles, teenagers, should know better and who is to say that they aren't or won't commit anymore criminal acts?
Are we that hard up that we have to enlist felons to serve? We've stretched ourselves that thin that we've resorted to this?
This doesn't sit quite right with me today. I'm not sure what to think and obviously need more information than just this one article. I do have a bad gut feeling that I don't want any of these criminals with the more serious felons serving next to my nephew in the Army!
© Blogger templates The Professional Template by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008
Back to TOP
