Marine Week: Guns & Merry-Go-Rounds

Last week was Marine Week in Boston. What had the potential for a patriotic assembly in honor of the men and women serving their country, felt more like a fairground for weaponry; like field day but with guns, trucks and death machines.

The homepage for Marine Week says that visitors can “expect to see Marines volunteering with community groups, hosting physical fitness challenges and sports clinics in city parks and showcasing state-of-the-art Marine vehicles, aircraft and equipment.” The challenge is that when we talk about “state-of-the-art equipment” we're really talking about weapons; and weapons are designed for one thing – to kill (er...umm “defend”). So while the PR knife can cut this into a neat shape, what I walked into on the the Boston Common was a display of America's force, complete with hundreds of kids (and adults) running from one weapon to another to explore our “state-of-the-art”-ness/ability to kick some ass. Oh and there was a merry-go-round too.



It's unrealistic to think that we have evolved beyond the need for weapons and that diplomacy will reign supreme. However, displaying weapons in this forum, completely removed from the severity of their invention, has an odd effect. Weapons out of context (and by context I mean people shooting at each other and the ramifications of ending life) are cool, hence the popularity of combat video games. So when the Marines set up camp and show off their equipment it's simple to guess how kids are going to react: they were psyched, running around from gun to gun, playing war and imaging the glory of battle. In short, they were entertained. Which begs the question: are enrollment numbers so off that recruitment has devolved to entertainment and gadgetry as opposed to duty and honor? After a visit to Marine Week I was left with one impression: if you want to play with this stuff for real: Join us.

This begs a deeper exploration.



This post is riddled with disclaimers and it reflects an hour walk through the event and about an hour of observation. Truth Be Own is all about opinions and observation, so unbunch the panties and take it for what it's worth. Oh...and I more than willing support the folks who lay it on the line, but like most others I hope for a different answer.