Should Jenny Ballantine join the army?
Jenny Ballantine asked John Edwards some questions and got a culture-of-dependency response and a standing ovation. Rush Limbaugh and James Taranto have pretty much covered the waterfront on this matter. We noted these comments in particular of hers:
I need to seek out internships, to know that I have a stable position, that I have a safety net set up. If I had planned on doing an internship, say, down in Washington, DC, that I’ll be able to pack up all my stuff — and I have my dog, a responsibility right there. I need to make sure that he’s accommodated for, and it’s just I don’t have that many prominent adults. I have a handful of prominent adults that I can speak with or that can help or give me assurance and guidance but it’s difficult because I’m just kind of — I mean, I’m young and just trying to figure out everything. It’s a little overwhelming, and I come from a really rough background…
I didn’t have any direction. I just did it myself, and I had honors and AP classes all throughout high school and we were based on 5.0 GPA, and I had 4.67…
There’s always going to be war, too, and I understand the reason for war. I actually enjoyed Machiavelli, The Prince, very much so, and I really appreciate his philosophies, and that’s what a lot of people use when they engage in war and the aftermath of it, and I respect war, and I understand why there is a need for it, and I understand why there’s a need to push for democracy…
I hope my professor is not listening to this…This is how I feel. She says, “Think outside the box.” However, it’s “thinking outside the box” on her terms, on her perspective, and the books that we’re reading that we’re engaged in, it’s just full of, as you say, chaos, and it’s just full of…”This happened and this happened! Oh, God…we’re just such a screwed-up nation back in the forties and fifties?” I just don’t understand the literature that we’ve been reading, and it’s just been frustrating — and I’m not the only one who feels that way in my class…
We’ve written previously about the US military’s role in providing opportunities and second chances for young people. We’ve also noted the high level of comparative educational achievement in the military, and personal stories to that effect. From what we read about Jenny Ballantine’s attitudes, achievements, and need to move to the next level in her life, maybe she should consider the army.