If you've just graduated from high school and are making major life decisions for the years ahead, you may have already been approached by a military recruiter presenting dozens of ?benefits? of enlisting in the armed forces. Slick advertising and carefully crafted marketing messages may already have you convinced that paying for school is much easier if you join one of the armed forces.

What these attractive messages don't tell you is the real cost of joining ?Vietnam War veterans learned their lessons through the military and will tell you that joining the armed forces is not what you make it, but what those up the chain of command make it. There's a reason why the anti-war movement exists today; don't be the next victim of war lies and end up risking your life for somebody else's agenda. The young troops that Americans claim they support, who are now in prison and must live with a dishonorable discharge if they are ever released, didn't set up Abu Ghraib prison, and they most certainly didn't plan the daily events that took place there. But they must take the blame for these things because real justice would make our president, vice-president, secretary of defense, and the general staff at the Pentagon look like barbarians. The CIA's part in this national disgrace was expected, and since it would be impossible to damage their reputation further, no one would care.

Why High School Students Still Fall For the Lies

Joining the military seems to make sense for thousands of students who don't have financial resources to make their way through college. If your parents weren't able to set aside funds for your future, or you didn't do well enough in school to qualify for grants and scholarships, you probably won't be able to pay for school on your own.

The truth is a college degree can be obtained through a variety of means. Federal aid, scholarships, grants and even work-study programs are all available ? you just have to be smart enough to take advantage of the right opportunities. Unfortunately, army recruiters are very well-trained to emphasize only their benefits, and will not even shed light on the dozens of options available to you.

Investing In Your Education is the Best Anti-War Strategy

Anti-war supporters are making a commitment to help you steer clear of the armed forces after high school so you can pursue more valuable opportunities. Why would you give up your daily freedom, your sweetheart, and ultimately your life so Halliburton's CEO could make more money in a year than your father has made in his life time? Here's a guy with a really good reason for not serving his country on the battlefield. When Vice-President, Dick Cheney was asked why he had requested so many draft deferments in order to avoid the Vietnam War, he said, "I had better things to do."

We may not realize it, but self-esteem is a great determinant of whether or not we will be a success in life or not. Why? Because self-esteem, or the way we view ourselves, including ours skills and our talents, affect our thoughts. And these thoughts turn into actions. Being part of the needless murder of countless thousands of people, 4,000 of them young Americans like you, can destroy one's self-esteem.