I sympathize with Gabriel's dislike for the Army…for men in uniforms, carrying guns. Not only because of the violence they represent, but for the easy escapism they offer to insecure young men with nothing else to look forward to. The attraction must be powerful. No need to develop your own outlook or way of living. Feel like a man, proud of yourself for defending a noble myth, and look sharp while you're following orders without question.
Almost every magazine back home runs advertisements for the military, aimed at young Black men and Latinos. It seems cynical, but it's a system.
First they throw your family into poverty, make life almost impossible, and deny you all the good things you see happening around you. So few Black Americans end up going to college. Getting hired by some white boss, and getting a fair deal afterward, is another set of challenges. Just when you're about to give up, they dangle this carrot in front of your face. Join the US Army! Travel the world! Get a cheap education! Meanwhile the white kids are going to the good schools, or getting trained to take over the family business. It's an environment designed to separate us out by class and race.
I don't admire the people who turn their backs on it all, to become pimps or dealers instead, but I know where they're coming from. Sometimes it feels like there's not much choice. Submit, or swallow so much of that cynicism that it becomes who you are.