Blacks, Females Cite Iraq Conflict as Reason Not to Join Army

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.keralanext.com/news/indexread.asp?id=141909

US: Growing Number of Young Blacks, Females Cite Iraq Conflict as Reason Not to Join Army

: WASHINGTON - To the daily drumbeat of casualty reports from Iraq, young blacks and women are marching away from offers to join the Army. These trends, combined with the negative effects of the Army's image as a last-resort career choice for what one study called the "average Joe," suggests the military's largest service may be entering a prolonged recruiting slump at a time when it is trying to expand its ranks.

The share of blacks in the Army's recruiting classes has plummeted by about one-third over the past five years. It has continued slipping this year despite more generous enlistment bonuses offered to all prospective recruits and an increase in the number of recruiters.

"More African-Americans identify having to fight for a cause they don't support as a barrier to military service," concluded an August 2004 study for the Army. It also said attitudes toward the Army among all groups of American youth have grown more negative in recent years.

"In the past, barriers were about inconvenience or preference for another life choice," the study said. "Now they have switched to something quite different: fear of death or injury."

more

[phantom power]

1. I keep hearing about blacks and females, but it seems like we

should expect the same trend among white males, too.

[physioex]

3. Not the ones....

That drive Hummers and join College Republicans.

[physioex]

2. Good News....

They have wised up. Let the rich schmucks who vote Repuke and drive Hummers send their kids of to Iraq. And to the poor black youth who can't afford a university education, I say try and go to a two year technical college and learn some skills that are in demand.

[BrklynLiberal]

4. Wouldn't if be great if they had a war and no one came?

[BrklynLiberal]

5. DRAFT YOUNG REPUBLICANS!!!!

[rodeodance]

6. maybe males will get smart and join the females and Blacks???

[NNN0LHI]

9. No. There are even young Republicans who have no business in the military

I do not support the draft. Boosh can keep his war going in Iraq as long as he has the troops. When he runs out of troops its all over.

Don

[saigon68]

7. IT'S JUST LIKE X-BOX, --ONLY THEN YOU DIE

YOU WILL DIE LIKE A DOG FOR NO GOOD REASON

[daleo]

8. Some unfair assumptions here.

"More African-Americans identify having to fight for a cause they don't support as a barrier to military service," concluded an August 2004 study for the Army. It also said attitudes toward the Army among all groups of American youth have grown more negative in recent years.

"In the past, barriers were about inconvenience or preference for another life choice," the study said. "Now they have switched to something quite different: fear of death or injury."

People deserve credit for having the moral sensibility to avoid an illegal war rather that the implication of cowardice. It hardly seems surprising that African-Americans and females would be more sensitive to the moral dimension of an aggressive quasi-colonial war, being culturally and psychologically further from the centers of U.S. power.

[underpants]

10. See! W is strengthening the military

and with less blacks taking all the good jobs young whipper snappers like Tom Delay will be able to get those good jobs. Imagine all that Delay has had to overcome but yet still achieve without the military background necessary to truly make you into a man.

/sarcasm off

[aquart]

11. But the white boys are rushing to join?

Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrre.