Teens lack knowledge of Middle East

By Marie Barrett
Richwood High School

When my sister graduated from high school in 2000, she entered a world where war was something you learned about in history books.

But for today’s seniors, war is a word heard every day on the television. Having a relative fighting overseas is common. Signing up for selective service means much more than it once did.

The class of 2007 stands on the threshold of inheriting this war from their parents. But are they ready? Do they really understand what is waiting for them?

To find out, I surveyed 30 Richwood seniors - just over half the class. The questions were simple: Why did the war on terror begin? Who is Osama bin Laden and what is he doing? Why are there troops in Afghanistan? Why are there troops in Iraq? Who is Saddam Hussein and what is he doing? What is the state of current U.S.-Iran relations? What is Hezbollah? Would you volunteer to join the military at this time?

Almost every student cited Sept. 11, 2001 as the beginning and cause of the war on terror, and almost every student identified Osama bin Laden as the leader of the people who masterminded the 9/11 attacks.

They were also able to explain that bin Laden is currently in hiding and that U.S. troops are in Afghanistan to find him and fight terrorism.

When asked about Iraq, however, the answers became more varied. The majority of students said troops entered Iraq to help the people build a better government. The second most common answer was that the troops were battling terrorism, and the third was that troops are in Iraq because of the president’s private agenda.

Students were also unsure about Saddam Hussein. The majority could identify him as the former leader of Iraq and knew that he is currently in custody. But troublingly, the next most common answer was that he was the ruler of a country (they could not specify where) and is dead.

When it came to U.S.-Iran relations, students knew even less. The majority could not give any answer. Many who did said “bad,” but could not explain why. Others said relations were “perfectly fine.” Of the remaining four students, two said there are problems because of weapons of mass destruction, and two said that the U.S. and Iran are currently at war.

When asked about Hezbollah, only two students identified it as a group of people, one calling it a terrorist group and the other calling it a cult. A few thought it was a location in the Middle East, but more than 3/4 of the students were not able to give an answer at all — not even a guess.

When asked about joining the military, the vast majority said they would not be willing to fight. Their most common reason was fear of being killed for a cause they don’t believe in. However, they simultaneously expressed support for the troops currently overseas.

When the numbers were tallied, only five students said they would willingly join the service. Another five were undecided.

So are today’s teens informed and prepared for the real world? The results of my survey seem to suggest that they are not.

As teenagers, we must realize that this war will soon become our war. Soon we will be voting for candidates who will shape the future. But we hardly know what is going on.

How can we make decisions about our leaders if we don’t even know where they will be leading us?

What teenagers need to realize is that just because we haven’t been attacked again doesn’t mean that there isn’t a conflict going on. It doesn’t mean we are safe. It doesn’t mean we can afford to be unaware of other countries and of current events outside our own borders.