Leaving out identity- A letter about the Army

 Hello!

I know you and I have never been close. I know I do not know you very well. I heard about your decision to go into the Army and I feel moved to just make it known, I hope you really know what you are getting into. If you do, and all that I am about to say is known, please forgive me, I am writing because I have been around you enough to care about your life, and the direction you are going.

I can understand that it is really hard to find a decent job that pays enough. It is hard to find enough money to go to school and study in this country. The Army is very good at getting folks with good intentions to believe that it is a viable choice for them.

I have always seen you as a gentle person. You are clearly a good man. If I do not speak up and tell you that I value your life, that I would hate for you to be in a position where you may have to kill innocent people, or die way too early, I would  be lying to you, our friends and myself. I am sorry to come out and just say that, but in reality, that could happen and it is incredibly traumatic, there is no way it would not be.

While I do not know exactly how your life would unfold in the Army, I know that you will likely be faced with decisions that no man should have to face. I have never seen an aggressive tendency in you. I fear how the agenda of the United States Military would change the gentle nature I have seen in you. I do not have answers for what you should do, but I feel sure there are other ways for you to build your life. Certainly, there are safer ways.

I want to make clear that the Army protects the agendas of the elite, super wealthy people who would never fight themselves but have no problem sending young, strong men like you to fight and die so that Transnational Corporations can expand their control and wealth without consequences. These wealthy elite groups call the shots on every single level. As a soldier, you have almost no right to ever challenge a superior.

These agendas are what the Army sends soldiers to fight for, not noble reasons. It is incredibly unfair that they lure people in under any other pretense.

I must add that my current boyfriend did serve in the Army. He was given an Honorable Medical Discharge after a few months due to medical issues. He is black and he grew up in East Oakland. I mention this to outline that he did not feel he had many choices. He looks back now and feels it was a huge blessing that he did not continue on that path.

I will stop here. If you want to talk to me or to him about any of this, please do. If you are mad that I said all this, I understand that too. I am somebody who speaks the truth even if it will be controversial.

I hope you have a long, satisfying life, no matter what you do. I also hope there is as little violence in your life as possible.

Thanks so much for reading this, if you did.

In peace, a friend