Are you worth our service and sacrifice?

"The two highest achievements of the human mind are the twin concepts of 'loyalty' and 'duty.' Whenever these twin concepts fall into disrepute---get out of there fast! You may possibly save yourself, but it is too late to save that society. It is doomed." Robert A. Heinlein, the Notebooks of Lazarus Long

When the Vietnam War ended, one of every two American households with children in it had a direct family connection to the United States Armed Forces. Someone in that family had, in the past generation or the present, written a blank check to the government and the people it represents, and made that check payable on moment's notice and with their lives.

Since that time, the number of our households with a tie to the military services now has dropped to less than one in 40.

At the same time, more than 75% of members of the United States Congress were military veterans. Now, that number has dwindled to less than 17 percent, and still declining.

What's my point?

Fewer and fewer of us are carrying the burden of freedom for more and more of us.

I was watching some customers at our store browsing the televisions and other electronic toys the other day. Many of them now are beginning to think about spending some disposable cash again. The topic most discussed was either (a) how hard it was to buy a Father's Day present for the Man Who Had Everything, or (b) whether the US had a chance in the World Cup soccer matches.

At the same time, the news that day had run a brief note on the deaths of American servicemen in Afghanistan. Seventeen young Americans had come to a violent end at the hands of Islamic extremists ... extremists, mind you, whose global websites are promising to do the same sorts of damage to US ... and yet most people have little or no emotional connection to the courage, service and sacrifice of those brave young soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines.

The War is something "other" people do.

This diminishing connection has a couple of potentially far-reaching side effects.

As unpopular and unsuccessful as the Draft was, back in the early 1970s, it DID guarantee a fresh infusion of American cultural thought into the Armed Forces every few months. Most of our soldiers were really civilians at heart, and levened the culture of our military with their democratic thoughts and ideas.

However, since the end of the Draft, the military has become more and more politicized and culturally conservative. My father (a career Army officer) used to boast that neither he nore his brother career officers ever voted, so fearful were they of becoming part of a politicized military. Yet now, not only do we military people vote, we vote almost monolithically Republican and conservative.

And some career officers and NCOs are beginning to look down their noses at "...those nasty civilians..." a clear sign of a widening gap between the military culture and the population it is sworn to protect.

From the other side, I have spoken countless times to parents who have absolutely NO desire to see their children serve anything larger than a (hopefully) growing bank account. Service to society (in or out of uniform) may be fine for others, they feel, but their kid is too good for that.

School districts refuse to allow military recruiters access to students, but welcome university recruiters and even some corporate recruiters on career days. Many teachers feel military service is for "losers" who can't get into a college

Yet statistics show annually that only a small percentage of college freshman make it all the way through to graduation...clearly a sign that college isn't right for everyone. Yet a few years of military service, once though a valid path to adulthood and citizenship, is looked down upon by many academics.

So now I wonder if Heinlein was right. Are we too far gone in socialized selfishness as a nation to fight our way back to the spirit of volunteerism that made our country great? Is there never to be another Greatest Generation?

I have had the honor of serving with true heroes ... people who stepped up to the plate after 9/11 and said, in effect, "Send me, Sir ... I'll go." Their willingness to go in Harm's Way is something I treasure and place great hope in for our collective future.

I just hope we're worth it.