The Militarization of America’s Youth
May 25th, 2009 § 3 Comments
Jennifer Steinhauer’s disturbing article in The New York Times titled “Scouts Train to Fight Terrorists and More” illuminates how deeply militarism has penetrated U.S. society, and particularly U.S. youth. Steinhauer specifically examines various aspects of the “Explorer’s Program,” a “coeducational affiliate” of the Boy Scouts of America, the largest youth organization in the U.S.
The Explorer’s program trains youth (some as young as 13) in law enforcement activities with a growing emphasis on combating suspected terrorists and illegal immigrants. Steinhauer’s article exposes the fanaticism of the people who run the program and the ways in which the program normalizes extreme violence in the eyes of its young members.
Cathy Noriega, also 16, said she was attracted by the guns. The group uses compressed-air guns — known as airsoft guns, which fire tiny plastic pellets — in the training exercises, and sometimes they shoot real guns on a closed range.
“I like shooting them,” Cathy said. “I like the sound they make. It gets me excited.”
Read the rest of Steinhauer’s piece here.
Any one Remember “Jesus Camp” Documentary.
Yes indeed, a very poignant film, not at all far from reality.
It isn’t just the scouts who are militarizing the American youth; media and society play a huge role as well. Television, Hollywood, and video games carry very strong military messages and imagery. Even sports are militarized since opposing teams are not only degraded, but also vilified, especially in contact sports like football and ice hockey. And then we wonder why so many young people play paint ball and laser tag — they want to reenact images and scenes they see in video games, movies, and television. While it may seem “harmless” to some people since no one is really killing each other, the adrenaline levels and the correlation with aggressive behavior cannot be ignored. To ignore the influence violent imagery and play has on the way we perceive the world, interact with others, and shape our views is to ignore the problem of violence altogether.
Thanks for sharing this article.