What Country in the World is the Riskiest Place to Live?

[Kojo Douglas]

I didn't qualify for roughing up because I gave them cigarettes and told them I was cutting trees of houses with a crew. They were good enough guys. Just young and looking for excitement.

Yeah, I mean... this is a problem. The same stuff happens with the military. "Young and looking for excitement" can often translate into giggling while bombing, shooting at a crowd of people, raping women, or posing with dead or tortured bodies. This has all happened in Iraq and Afghanistan. I am good friends with a veteran who knew soldiers who raped Iraqi women, and some of them were later "fragged" for doing so. Someday the stories of these wars will come out and people will be shocked.

 

[Jerome]

Yeah, I mean... this is a problem. The same stuff happens with the military. "Young and looking for excitement" can often translate into giggling while bombing, shooting at a crowd of people, raping women, or posing with dead or tortured bodies. This has all happened in Iraq and Afghanistan. I am good friends with a veteran who knew soldiers who raped Iraqi women, and some of them were later "fragged" for doing so. Someday the stories of these wars will come out and people will be shocked.

I work with middle school students and am surrounded constantly by evidence that the human brain is not fully developed until a "child" is in their mid twenties (sometimes mid thirties or beyond with men, or even later as evidenced by the man baby Donald Trump).

Having 18 year old boys fresh out of high school, who really still don't understand the consequence or permanence of their actions, pick up a gun and risk their lives as "volunteers" is criminal. I was doing tremendously foolish things well into my late twenties and have countless stitches to prove it. I only now have a healthy respect for death, health and the safety and respect of others, and I'm almost 36.

 

[Kojo Douglas]

Yep.

 

[verticity]

I work with middle school students and am surrounded constantly by evidence that the human brain is not fully developed until a "child" is in their mid twenties (sometimes mid thirties or beyond with men, or even later as evidenced by the man baby Donald Trump).

Having 18 year old boys fresh out of high school, who really still don't understand the consequence or permanence of their actions, pick up a gun and risk their lives as "volunteers" is criminal. I was doing tremendously foolish things well into my late twenties and have countless stitches to prove it. I only now have a healthy respect for death, health and the safety and respect of others, and I'm almost 36.

More to the point, Katrina was a natural disaster, not a fight against a foreign enemy. Why were these people out to "rough people up" instead of do what they were there for, namely, help people? I understand that the National Guard is necessary under some circumstances, but this just seems like a gross lapse of discipline among the people you encountered. Now, I'm sure many of the NG troops were sincerely trying to help. I don't want to paint with a broad brush here. But the individuals you encountered-- this just makes me angry...

 

[Kojo Douglas]

In South Sudan, I saw a lot of former child soldiers and even active child soldiers. And I'm talking about kids who are 13, 14, or 15. Oftentimes they are forced to kill their own families as a way of "breaking them in." It's awful, just awful. But really, is an 18 year old kid from southern California any more "ready" to go? I mean, sans the having to kill your own family part, we are basically using our children as cannon fodder for the biggest public-to-private money scheme in history. These contractors like Halliburton took our hard-earned tax money and basically paid weapons' manufacturers, bomb builders, and contractors instead of investing money into our own infrastructure, education, heath, and people. Anyway, I'm digressing. I was arrested for protesting the invasion of Iraq (tried to block the San Francisco Bay Bridge).

 

[Jerome]

In South Sudan, I saw a lot of former child soldiers and even active child soldiers. And I'm talking about kids who are 13, 14, or 15. Oftentimes they are forced to kill their own families as a way of "breaking them in." It's awful, just awful. But really, is an 18 year old kid from southern California any more "ready" to go? I mean, sans the having to kill your own family part, we are basically using our children as cannon fodder for the biggest public-to-private money scheme in history. These contractors like Halliburton took our hard-earned tax money and basically paid weapons' manufacturers, bomb builders, and contractors instead of investing money into our own infrastructure, education, heath, and people. Anyway, I'm digressing. I was arrested for protesting the invasion of Iraq (tried to block the San Francisco Bay Bridge).

Now I'm depressed again...

 

[Jerome]

More to the point, Katrina was a natural disaster, not a fight against a foreign enemy. Why were these people out to "rough people up" instead of do what they were there for, namely, help people? I understand that the National Guard is necessary under some circumstances, but this just seems like a gross lapse of discipline among the people you encountered. Now, I'm sure many of the NG troops were sincerely trying to help. I don't want to paint with a broad brush here. But the individuals you encountered-- this just makes me angry...

They were there enforcing a strict sundown curfew due to quite a bit of looting that was going on. I agree, the immature response and eagerness for violence was disheartening and poor judgement, but I was technically breaking a rule (by being outside my hammock I guess...). I also expect poor judgement from 18 year olds just like I expect bird shit on my car from sea gulls. It sucks, but its going to happen.

That being said, when they talked with me (before roughing me up), they did determine I wasn't a threat and was doing no harm. Had it been someone else who wasn't as diplomatic with authority figures, who knows. I know many of my students just don't know how to interact with authority figures, because the authority figures they grew up with didn't know how or teach them, and it was part of a long chain of ignorance. Who knows.

There are a lot of sick shitheads that get put into positions of power, but I still would like to think its not all of them. I know some great cops. People who truly care and go above and beyond the call of duty.