Black Hawk Down A Must

I finally got around to seeing the movie Black Hawk Down this past weekend. With all that is going on in the middle east and our military involvement throughout the world, I found this a particularly appropriate time to see a great film depicting the ugliness of war.
Twenty five years ago, when I taught high school in Red Bluff, I used to show the film All The Right Moves. At the time, Red Bluff was a mill town not that much different than the coal mining town depicted in the movie. I showed it because so many of my students had the attitude that high school was not all that important because they were just going to get jobs at the mill after they graduated. Most would end up marrying their high school sweetheart and then spend the next thirty-five years mindlessly working at a job before retiring. My students could not see life beyond Red Bluff.
Today, in Hemet, many of my students see few options out there after they graduate. College is not feasible to most but since this is southern California, they want to get out of this town and feel like they make a difference.
Many of my students express an interest in joining the military. The JROTC program is very popular on campus and for many who can not afford college, they see military service as a way to learn a trade they can use once their service is complete.
Unfortunately, these young men and women do not consider the possibility they may not return from duty and if they do, it may be as someone with a missing limb or two, a victim of head trauma, or just plane tortured with post traumatic stress.
Black Hawk Down does a marvelous job of depicting war in today's world. The violence is very real and serves a wonderful purpose by depicting the horrific nature of a battle gone wrong. It does not bash the military; it simply shows how despite all efforts and the best training, things can still go horribly wrong during battle.
Riddley Scott, the director, does such an outstanding job of showing us what a real battle against an enemy that is hard to locate while grossly out numbering our troops is like. He does not glorify war or make heroes out of those who die. He simply depicts it in the most realistic manner possible.
Any young man or woman who is considering a career in the military should be required to view this movie before enlisting. It will not help the military with its recruitment but it will at least allow someone who feels they are invincible because of their youth pause to think before making a final decision.
Communities all across this nation show films and bring in guest speakers to schools to expose our students to the dangers of drugs or drinking and driving. Military service should not be taken lightly. The men and women who serve our country do so with honor and we should be thankful for what they do. However, I wonder how many would choose this path after they watch Black Hawk Down.