Cool Ranch

Hi Readers. I decided i might start giving my posts titles flavors rather than titles, because, well, flavors capture people's attention. I called this one 'Cool Ranch' because I got to spend the weekend in Mora, NM at my roommate's grandfather's cool ranch. It was reee-laxing, and awesome to get a change of scenery. There are actually really cool mountains in the north and center of New Mexico and, apparently, great skiing.

Haha, there's also a Mora, MN about a half hour from my house. It's a few houses, a school, and a sweet thrift store called Mora Unclaimed Freight. It's exactly what it sounds like.

Did you know that New Mexico has the highest per capita military enlistment of any state? I raise this point because it's been sort of a recurring theme of my time here. In Roswell, many/most males my age attend NMMI, the New Mexico military institute. Nearer the college which can barely be considered a college, is a huge National Guard, uh, place. And everyone's dad seems to either work for an oil company or be in the military.

My roommate's dad, for instance, is a weapons instructor for the Air Force. Meaning, I got to try on Air Force night vision goggles (the ones that make everything look green) at the ranch! And sweet they are. It was pitch black out; slip those babies on, and you can see all the glorious green contrast you need. Not all fuzzy like TV depictions make it seem, these puppies were clear as a bell. I kind of want a pair now, but don't want to fork over the $1500 that they go for. We also shot at stuff (non-living), but sadly with civilian rifles and not anything cool like the AF would have.

Sort of feel like this guy: http://www.theonion.com/content/node/28181

Coming from a school like Olaf, it seems suddenly weird to have all this military stuff around, reminding me that the military actually exists. It's strange. The moment I was born, I was headed to college. Probably like that for most Olaf folks. I was once listening to a political commentator, who was posed the question of why college students haven't opposed the Iraq War as vehemently as those of a generation ago opposed Vietnam. His answer, and i think i agree with him, is that in the 60's with the draft in place, it could have been anybody sent to fight. Young people opposed war as much out of self-preservation as principle. If you yourself weren't sent off to fight, surely some of your closest friends or family would have been.

Nowadays, enlistment occurs so strictly within lines of culture and, yes, class too. Your average Ole grad can probably name a buddy or two from high school who went and signed up for the military... but thats about it. For better or for worse, the personal cost of our military endeavors isn't being paid by the upper-middle class. It's largely places with a military culture (like New Mexico, Texas, etc.) and the poor who feel the crunch. The commentator went on to speculate that, if the draft were reinstated and a bunch of upper-middle class students were to be shipped out, the outcry would be such that the war would end the next day. Thoughts?

My dad served in the army during Vietnam, luckily well away from combat. It was an incredibly formative time in his life, and I find myself unable to relate to the military actually benefiting someone from an upper-middle class background. Much different times, I guess. Hey, if we had a military like many European nations (a compulsory term of actual civil service rather than combat), i'd totally do it. But oh wait no, there's a war going on. Guess I'll pass.