Our teens are brain deficient. Especially the boys. The frontal lobe of the brain [that area responsible for the ability to judge consequences & control impulses] does not develop until our children are in their twenties. Which begs the question...
Once upon a time, yes, I'm that old, you had to be 21 to enlist in a war. I remember when it changed. Draft Beer, Not People. Make Love, Not War. Join the Army, see the world, meet interesting people - and kill them. Remember the slogans? Our government, in it's wisdom, lowered the drinking age, not raised the conscription age. We now have a lethal cocktail of teens who can both drink & drive yet lack the ability to control their impulses or judge the consequences of their actions.
Which is not my point. Do you know the age God allowed for Jewish men to be sent to war? Yep, 20! [Numbers1:2~3] We should've paid attention 'cause you know who makes the best soldiers, don't you? Children! And there are plenty of countries around the world doing just that: Eastern Europe, large parts of Asia & the Middle East, parts of South America & Africa.
Frankly I think the people who declare war should be the ones made to fight it but as that ain't gonna happen any time soon ['cause these people don't have a teen brain & are perfectly capable of seeing where the consequences of such actions will land them] it seems only reasonable that those on the front line should stand a fighting chance.
My boy is 26. I would hardly say he's fully capable of controlling his impulses or judging the consequences even now. *sigh* Some days living in a fallen world just make me mad. I think today is one of those days.
3 comments:
How true, Ganeida. And living in such a world makes us long for the real one to come. But then we think of those we love who aren't yet ready, and we ask for time and mercy, knowing He doesn't want anyone to go on without Him.
My Michael fought in the Vietnam war, as you know. He is 62 years old and still has occasional nightmares from spending 19 hellish months there while still a teen. :(
Thinking of you and praying for you all today.
Thank you for the prayers, Julie. We have a lot of Vietnam Vets on the island. Some have shared their stories. No wonder so many were so traumatised by that war ~ & then they came home to vilification all too often when the people responsable for the whole fracas were safely protected from the people's ire. So unfair.
Good post, and love the quote that begins it.
Post a Comment