Soldiers deserve respect for their courageous sacrifices, and a strong military is necessary to the safety of any nation, but militarism--excessive emphasis on the military and its interests--threatens the cultural balance of society. Militarism endangers the quality of school music education due to its tendencies to (1) encourage allocation of a disproportionate share of funds to military projects, (2) emphasize practical skill development (rather than creativity and critical thinking) in schools, and (3) promote patriotic songs, thereby narrowing/distorting the music curriculum. Military leaders and scholars have noted an increase of militarism in the United States since 9/11. The U.S. military remains large and well funded while schools are underfunded and arts programs are targeted for cuts as educational policy emphasizes literacy and numeracy.