75 Percent of Young Americans Are Unfit for Military Duty

Is it really a surprise to anyone? Look at the kids these days, they are exposed to all kinds of immorality. Look at family structure, it's almost non-existent. The morals of this country are shot to hell. This country is in serious trouble. Too much desensitizing of what used to be "moral standards." This country is going to be punished because it is falling away from any kind of decency. Look at the effect it is having on our children. Deuteronomy 28 - http://www.itrustgodonly.com

The real problem is not juvenile offenses. Most of these are not considered. The real problem is that our youth is not in shape physically. I am 60 yo and do 200 push ups, 50 sit ups and ride a bike 25 miles everyday before I go to work. Most HS kids get tired watching me. But when I went to school we had PE every day for four years of HS and had gym classes with games in Jr HS everyday and in elem school we had gym with kiddie games everyday. The emphasis is on everyday. Today the kids have PE for 1/2 semester in HS. Once per week in Middle school. And now they have recess in elem school with playground equip. When they get home they stay inside for fear of getting into trouble.

The problem with public schools is the "standards" (or lack thereof) they have implemented to monitor progress. They purposely dummy down the tests to ensure they don't get dinged--and teach the test all year long. They devote the rest of their time indoctrinating kids on the necessities of "progressive" ideologies such as alternative lifestyles, big government and of course, Obama worshipping.

When this country is invaded, and it is only a matter of time before that happens, I am going to laugh like hell at all my fat, arrogant, ignorant fellow citizens who scream for war all day, call themselves "real Americans", and put down every nationality like they are gods, huffing and puffing out in the streets with their guns. Sad, sad America. What an embarrasement we have become.

dexturner2007, when you say invaded, you talk about future events, we have been invaded and no one is even lifting a finger to do anything about it. We have 12 million invaders living in the US today according the government, I think that number should be tripled. These invaders come in civilian clothes which makes them subversives and spies and should be shot according to the Geneva Convention but no one is willing to take that first shot.

Our kids are on very sad shape and it's out fault for taking away the physical education that they need because it's too expensive. Well if we weren't trying to educate a bunch of invaders, we would have the funds
to give proper education and provide proper physical education. I still
look back as HS and PE and think how good it was to have been shown ways to keep care of myself. It's totally lost on the current generation and
there is no one to blame but us. We have allowed it and even voted for it.

The promlem started when they did away with the draft. Putting in two years of service for your country and all the freedoms it affords you, is not a bad thing. Seeing how other countries live and deal with life is a wake up call for the spoiled, disrespectful youth of today. Not just the boys, but girls also. In the military, they are on their own (away from parents), but still have the supervision of the military. Most of our forces now are reservists, who mainly joined to receive the extra money for enlisting. Though they are doing a fantastic job, this country needs a regular armed force to protect it. We need people who appreciate what America represents and the freedoms it gives it's people, not ones that join up to receive free medical for their families.

Felony's should not exclude u from joining the military either especially when it happened when u were a juvenile. i am 18 know and back when i was 14 i had made a huge mistake and people make mistakes its part of life, i had got charged with a =burglary charge and know i can not join the army and it hurts my feelings so much u dnt even know.. from a mistake that happened before i could even think clearly to a life times worth of regret. if Ur felony happened while a juvenile u should be aloud to join the army!! especially when u are the most fit one in the recruiting station when it comes to running.

The legacy of LIBERALISM. The young people are too fat and stupid to get into the Army. Then I guess they are too fat and stupid to vote. Cut them off from voting rights until they are qualified to defend our nation.

There was a time when kids went into the military because they couldn't go to college. Now the military rejects these slugs, but the colleges will take them.

I like what studio eight had to say about the kids staying inside from fear of getting into trouble. Kids can't do anything these days without getting in trouble. This wasn't the case 20 years ago. The law is starting to get out of hand with the youth. So what if a kid smokes a little pot and gets caught. They're kids. I don't see why the kid can't join the military after petty laws. Everyone was a kid once and I'm sure you all weren't the best either.

Maybe all of those young voters who voted for Obama did so because his idiotic "YES WE CAN" gave them a false sense of accomplishment.

It's time they wake up, and start admitting "NO WE CAN'T, and then get their asses down to the local gym, and then to some sort of schooling. And this time, keep their mouths shut when the teacher is teaching, and do all of the homework.

I don't want to be stuck in a foxhole with some drug head,criminal or idiot. You are talking about someones life,mine. Now I know that you aren't interested in my life but I am. American youth,if these stats are real, are in real trouble and so is this country. Doesn't say much for the generation or community raising them. Maybe we don't have to worry about Obama turning this country into a banana republic we are doing it thru our youth. Think about this: every 3 out of 4 kids on the street you pass is a loser! WOW !

amen to that!

Some of you sound like the fundamentalists from another group we've come to know so well with all of this "GOD" talk.

I agree with you on that, If they are a constant addict thats a different story, but otherwise I agree. Although, I honestly believe that the too stupid and too fat percentages are much more than the felony percentage. As a highschool student I have come to fear the future of the United States, I look around my fellow classmates and go how did they make it past elementry... Now of course not everyone is like that, but seriously, I have experienced the course loads and I know the Criteria that is taught, and honestly I am bedaffled. *sigh* Srry I'm just unloading my feelings, has anyone else noticed the standards of education do a plummet into the unkwown? (Let's not even get started about the laziness of most people my age, now sometimes I get that same urge not going to lie but I think some people live as couch potatoes in their early years of life.)

You can get into the military after using marijuana as long as you tell the recruiter you have. You also have to pass every drug test you get randomly selected for. If you admit to use, you will be randomly selected every time.

The use of marijuana is simply representative of the bad attitude of kids today. Their parents never told them to shut up because they didn't know what they were talking about so they think they know all. Their parents are lazy and don't even know what parenting is. Too bad if you are tired, too bad if they won't listen--the parents have an obligation to control their kids. I got 4 hrs of sleep a night for several years in order to do my job. Parents today are for the most part lazy, materialistic jerks who don't care enough to do what's right. Your kid misbehaving is a store--take him home immediately and make it clear he doesn't go out to a public place until he is ready to behave. Does that mean you have to go home too? Tough. And I was a single parent too. Get a neighbor or a relative or the police to stay with the kid while youdo your job. You don't take the easy way out. 75%--the % of nasty smart-mouth kids is higher than that. Their parents defend them so that they can convince themselves they aren't lousy parents. I would NEVER be a teacher today. I don't know how anyone can.

Just remember while one incident of drug use does not indicate a long term problem it does require extra time and money to ensure that recruit is what he says he is

My 17 year old son wrote this

An Average Aim
Last week, after much anticipation, I got back my chemistry test. I looked at the grade and was disappointed to see a C+. I studied for 2 hours, took good notes, and did all the homework, but somehow still only managed an average grade. My disappointment was unexpectedly shifted when I noticed the student next to me delightfully yelling “ Yes, a C+!” Almost as if he was aiming for a C and got a lucky break. And it wasn’t just him. Last year in my English class I sat next to a Chinese foreign exchange student, and upon her arrival she was bombarded with questions like “is it true that in china you get whipped if you do your homework wrong?” or “Do you Really go to school for 15 hours a day?” She explained that these accusations were ridiculous and false, but that they did study much harder than Americans and are held to higher standards. What confused me was that my classmates seemed to be proud of the fact that we don’t work as hard as foreigners. Like it was an American privilege to be a slacker. In every area we our finding more ways to accept being average, and celebrate mediocrity. In January of 2000 former president George W. Bush also showed some concern for the issue saying “Rarely is the question asked; is our children learning.” Do our children these days want to learn? Or have we been taught to do just well enough to pass the test, just well enough to go to the next level, just well enough to get into college, or just well enough so that mom and dad let you go on that date this weekend. We give up, we only put forth half effort, and we too often say “good enough”. This lack of principle stopping the advancement of our society, People are putting less value on excellence, and more to the status quo. I think the real questions that need to be asked are, How come we have become satisfied with mediocrity? Why should we care? And what can we do to raise the bar?
Our overall regard for excellence is lowering, and the problem begins with our education. In 1950 the average GPA of a student at Harvard was a 2.4, in 1990 it was a 3.4. The 2008 report “A Nation Still at Risk” informs that since the year 1983 10 million students have made it to their senior year without basic reading skills, and 20 million have made it to their last year of high school without basic math skills. A recent study by the College Board found that between the years of 1987 and 1997 SAT scores had been declining, while in that same period the average GPA had risen from 3.07 to 3.22. It’s clear that our academic standards have been dropping, that grade inflation has allowed students to tread on average more comfortably. Just imagine, a conversation in 1950 sounding something more like this “Gee son, you really pulled through this semester with that 2.4; your mother and I have decided to raise your allowance to a full 8 cents a week.” Students today merely focus on the bottom line, without a care for if they actually learn anything, or retain it for that matter. A number of students are resorting to cheating to make the grade. In a 2008 Rutgers University survey 95% of high school students admitted to cheating at least once throughout their education. The San Francisco Gate reported that 75% percent of college applicants said that cheating helped them get into college. In our society, attaining knowledge has become less important than being successful and gaining high academic achievement. In a Usnews.com article one commenter claiming to be an 11th grade public high school student wrote “I''m surprised that the results from the statistics don't show any higher percentages. High school students are pressured by the colleges to have high GPAs in order for them to even consider applying...” Technology has made cheating incredibly easy for students. With text messaging one can receive the answers to a multiple-choice question within a mater of seconds. Bestessays.com “providing students with original papers since 1997” charges just 20 dollars a page when hired to write an essay for you. I never thought I’d see the day that women could accept when guys cheat. I knew a girl last year, who was more ethical than you average high school student, not one known to cheat, but because she thought the boy who sat behind her was cute, she allowed him to copy all her answers. And I know what your thinking, It wasn’t me, though I am cute. It’s not fair for students who actually work hard that that boy had one of the highest grades in the class. A high school teacher from Piper, Kansas began giving out zeros when she discovered that a fifth of her students had plagiarized their projects from the Internet. Initially the Piper school district backed her in her decision, but after receiving complaints from parents they told her to be easier on the kids, she resigned her job in protest against cheating. But can we really blame the kids for wanting to be successful? Especially in a nation that cares more for the size of your house more than the capacity of our minds. Shows like HBO’s entourage portray a group of young males partying in Hollywood and living off of a childhood friend who made it as a movie star. Or Americas favorite reality show couple Spencer and Heidi, or “Speidi” from the hills luxuriously living off of fights on their show or guest appearances any where they can get them. These images of success without hard work, and seeing a less than intellectual Spencer Pratt become famous is creating the illusion that anyone can be young, rich, attractive and famous. But these people are a very lucky few, for the rest of us we are responsible for holding ourselves to high measures.
This trend of lowering standards and accepting mediocrity is counter productive, and could threaten the welfare of the country. So many advancements have been discovered and built out of a constructive curiosity. A high expectation for excellence is what drives progress and improves our standard of living. With globalization in full swing it has become more difficult and more important than ever for America to maintain our value of excellence. The world is now at a more level field than ever and the country with the most drive will begin to lead iit as it evolves. The United States ability to establish new technologies and industries is what has allowed us to have such a high status in the world. In the past 50 years, it has been Americans who invented the semiconductor, (microchip) the personal computer and the Internet. What will it be next? Our country needs to raise innovators, people with a desire for more than average in order to stay successful. We need to educate young people so that the next generation of adults has the ability to solve the growing problems that face the world. In 1970 the US had the highest percentage of young people finishing high school, today we are ranked tenth. It should come as no surprise that a Columbia University study estimates that about 200,000 jobs are lost to outsourcing every year. If the trends continue to move in the direction they are America will most certainly not be a superpower in the world in 50 years. Right now American students sit right in the middle of the pack (or average) in math and reading proficiency. We rank 8th among developed nations. We rank 5th in college participation rates, and 16th with those that actually get a degree. In a recent survey 3 out of 4 Americans believe that a college degree is more important than a high school diploma, and 62% of parents of high school students believe that a college degree is absolutely necessary for their child.
Aristotle said, “Excellence is not an act but a habit.” If we want to move away from a culture that accepts average, and champions excellence we must do it as individuals be responsible for not only aspiring for excellence, but recognizing when something deserves to be esteemed, and when it needs to be disregarded. A society that does not do this will have undistinguishable artistry and no longer be able to value its own accomplishments. I’m not saying we need to be perfectionists, but that everyone should be able to enjoy the feeling one has when doing something exceptional. Being intelligent is good; it creates a feeling of high self-esteem, and warrants respects from others. Mike Rose, a troubled student who eventually made it too college and became an acclaimed essayist wrote in “I Just Wanna Be Average” that he “reject(ed) the confusion and frustration by openly defining (him) self as the common Joe” Of knowledge, Rose wrote, “It enabled me to do things in the world.” Excellence is a wonderful thing.

Hmm... or perhaps our youth are done feeding themselves to the war machine? Old men start wars for young men to die in...