I think that you are wrong in lumping all of Americas youth into that category. In my time, some of the youth did the same thing as well as through-out our history. Remember the Civil War some people who could afford to bought their way out of the draft. The last time that I read up on this wars casualties most of ours were young people. Come to think of it, almost every war casualties are young people in uniform. I volunteered for Desert Storm and was told that I was to old and that they had plenty of people like me. My reply," I can stop a bullet just as quick as a young person can", but to no avail. I am one of those blubbering idiot parents. I guess that I must be a pansy also because I never want to see my son or grandchildren or any youth go to war. My Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, 4 Bronze Stars with "V" Device (for valor), 7 Air Medals with "V" device,3 Army Commendation Medals with "V" device,3 Purple Heart Medals and my Combat Infantryman's Badge kind of made me think that way and do you know what... all of my medals and $1.25 will buy me a cup of coffee. When a youths time comes to serve, most will. I earned those medal from ages 19 to 21 years old. I grew old way before my time or any youths time but such is the fate of a lot of mankind. No, I have faith in today's youth and tomorrows to, for if wasn't for a lot of our youth wearing our country's uniforms there would be no tomorrow.(PS: Sucking chest wound from a 7.62, shrapnel in the arms, legs, chest, penis, and scrotum from a 75mm recoilless rifle round and two Chi-com grenades over a period of three tours, two kind-of cut short. I was a youth. Like you.