I was just telephoned by a man that was working down a list of seniors at my school. The caller i.d. read "incomplete data", and when I answered, he asked me if Jonathon was available. Being the relatively cautious person I am, I asked him to identify himself. He continued to ask if Jonathon was available, and then realized that he was speaking to the person he was looking for. He began to ask me what my post-graduation plans were, and playing along, I told him that I plan to go to university and have been contacted by many schools, and that I had just been offered a fifteen-thousand-dollar-per-year scholarship from a school in New York. He then said that sixty thousand was a respectable sum, but he could beat it with a full ride to a school of my choice.
He informed me that he was with the United States Marine Corps, and he was calling all the seniors at my school to see if they were interested in something along the lines of 'finding out more about your options', through a presentation to which he alluded. He asked me what my gpa was, and I told him 3.6, to a positive response. He then asked me if I would answer a few elligibility questions, just to see if I qualified. I preempted him, told him that I have a long family history of military service; my mom served in the navy, two of my uncles are serving in the Marines right now, and it goes back at least six generations with at least one ancestor serving per generation. I told him I know exactly what kind of a person he was looking for, and I wasn't it. I told him my chances of joining the Marines out of high school were extremely low. I told him I didn't want to waste his time. He calmly accepted this, and asked if I knew anyone that'd be interested, and I said he'd best look into the ROTC crowd, even though they're the Air Force enthusiasts. He thanked me for talking, wished me luck for the future, and I wished him luck in his search. We then hung up our phones.

Throughout the entire experience, I had a decidedly uncomfortable feeling comprised of guilt, sadness, disgust, fear, and foreboding. Up to this point, the future had seemed far distant, but this man that never offered a name brought it very near, very quickly. The idea that I am wanted to serve in our military astonishes me. I have great respect for those that choose to serve, but the entire concept makes no sense in my mind. Too big, too complex for my understanding, I suppose. Anyroad, what bothered me about the conversation is that he was offering me the potential for a brighter future, all expenses paid, in exchange for potentially putting my life in mortal danger, with the added possibility of killing fellow human beings. What's worse is that he danced around the reality of the situation. Not once did he say he was a recruiter, or the phrase 'serve your country', or anything like that. It reeked of dishonesty and false carrots. He appealed to my lesser nature, instead of being straight with me. And still, I don't blame him.
He was doing his job, with the belief that he was making the world a better place. If it involves some bent truths, some omitted information, so be it. Problem is, I don't know that he was wrong to take that path. How many would enlist if they were faced with non-sugar-coated truth? How much good would be left undone, how much evil would stand unchecked, if he didn't present his offer in that manner?

As it stannds, I'm very conflicted about how to feel about the whole thing... what do you guys think?

P.S. You have my sincere apologies for the unusual length; this is as compact as I could get it and still have it feel complete.