Culture, criticism, and power dynamics

Yesterday I wrote about the military child, particularly military daughters. I referenced Military Brats: Legacies of Childhood Inside the Fortress. I don't know if you clicked on the link, if you read the blurb. Two sentences stand out to me:

Wertsch employs extensive research to probe the consequences—both positive and negative—of being raised in a family characterized by rigid discipline, nomadic rootlessness, dedication to military mission, and the threat of war and personal loss. With its clear-eyed, sometimes shocking depictions of alcoholism and domestic violence, and its empathy for military parents caught up in an extremely demanding way of life, Military Brats provides catharsis, insight, and a path toward healing.

Last week I wrote about the Power of Children, how so much of modern history traces back to World War II. I pondered how we can stop hate and genocide from happening. Lao Tse had something to say about that, 2500 years ago, connecting wars among nations to violence in the home, and conversely peace at home leading to peace among the nations.

#ToTheGirls, Month of the Military Child, and #Tableflip2015

#ToTheGirls is trending on Twitter, and it's wonderful.

April is the Month of the Military Child, and I keep thinking about the connections between how I grew up with the US Air Force, and moving here, outside an active Army base.

There's a book, Military Brats: Legacies of Childhood Inside the Fortress, first published in 1991. Excerpts are available on Google Books. The parts I have read, she seems to be writing about an earlier generation of Brat, perhaps my parent's time, and yet there are many aspects of Brat culture that were still in place when I was growing up. Still, chapter 4: "Daughters of Warriors," hit home.

"In fact, to be a daughter inside the Fortress is to be a kind of hovering spook: a weightless creature without power, without presence, without context, whose color is camouflage and whose voice is unheard."

The world is changing. There are many more women in the U.S. Armed Forces today. Just last year, Admiral Michelle Howard was promoted to 4-star Admiral. This interview from Forbes is worth reading.