Just a quick short post about something bugging me....
Every time I returned home from a deployment to Iraq, I was greeted warmly by patriotic Americans who'd come out in the cold of night to meet us at the airports. The gesture was most appreciated and an experience I'll never forget. Every time I experienced that home-coming, I thought about our Vietnam veterans, and how differently their homecoming experience must have been. I'm grateful that the majority of Americans are supportive, but recently noticed several anti-military sentiments frequently appearing on social media sites and that really got me thinking. Here are two examples noted on public forums:
The first is in response to a 92 year old veteran who burned copies of thousands of DVDs to send to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. You can read the article here, and find the below quote in the comments sections of that NY Times article.
Direct quote from Rich Zubaty, Hawaii: "What a goofy story and goofier comments. I don’t want our murderous mercenaries overseas to immerse themselves in fantasies to feel good or “stay connected” to home. Wars will not stop until soldiers stop fighting them. I want those guys and girls to feel alone and isolated and be forced to own up to the consequences of what they’re doing. Or these wars will never end! This old duffer is still acting as if it’s World War II we’re fighting. It’s not; it’s the war for corporate dominance of the planet. Something a former stockbroker can’t be expected to know I suppose. But this isn’t about copyright pirating. Who cares about that? This is about delusional behavior presented as social work. Tell him to send food and toys to the children of Iraqi and Afghan non-combatants our drones blew to smithereens. Not to the solders who killed their parents."
Here's another, lifted from a Facebook post depicting a graph that indicates more than 50% of discretionary spending (which he apparently confused with the federal budget) went to military purposes. Direct quote from Mr. Matt Perna: "What chaps me is this! The men/women who push the buttons, pull the triggers, throw the grenades, carry out the missions without a moment's consideration, those who physically inflict the destruction and terror upon the countless peoples the world abound. The "Good Ole Boys," the Jarheads, the Grunts, whatever the fuck they call themselves.. Why is it that we not only exonerate them from the roles that they play, for the crimes against men that they perpetrate, yet continue to extend to them our praise, our reverence and honor? What the fuck freedoms have they afforded me? There aren't any invading Afghan tribes in my parent's neighborhood, shooting cattle and knocking in doors. Are the North Koreans fighting to establish a military base in Iowa. Has it it again that we're threatened by Iran when we've our own weapons pointed up her ass from 15 different directions?"
It doesn't bother me that these guys express opinions different from my own beliefs. What bugs me is that both seem to think that military guys decide when and where they want to go into harm's way, forgetting that politicians make that decision. Sure, we chose to serve. Someone has to stand post, for a nation without a military / defense will eventually be a state of another nation.
Sorry that this isn't a post about technology, but I have to ask... How many Americans would you suppose blame the military for the conflicts we've been engaged in for the past decade? I sure hope it is a very few, statistically insignificant portion of the population.
God bless the men and women who defend our nation and execute the orders of the Commander in Chief without question.
Not tho’ the soldier knew
Someone had blunder’d:
Their’s not to make reply,
Their’s not to reason why,
Their’s but to do and die: - Alfred, Lord Tennyson, The Charge of the Light Brigade
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Every time I returned home from a deployment to Iraq, I was greeted warmly by patriotic Americans who'd come out in the cold of night to meet us at the airports. The gesture was most appreciated and an experience I'll never forget. Every time I experienced that home-coming, I thought about our Vietnam veterans, and how differently their homecoming experience must have been. I'm grateful that the majority of Americans are supportive, but recently noticed several anti-military sentiments frequently appearing on social media sites and that really got me thinking. Here are two examples noted on public forums:
The first is in response to a 92 year old veteran who burned copies of thousands of DVDs to send to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. You can read the article here, and find the below quote in the comments sections of that NY Times article.
Direct quote from Rich Zubaty, Hawaii: "What a goofy story and goofier comments. I don’t want our murderous mercenaries overseas to immerse themselves in fantasies to feel good or “stay connected” to home. Wars will not stop until soldiers stop fighting them. I want those guys and girls to feel alone and isolated and be forced to own up to the consequences of what they’re doing. Or these wars will never end! This old duffer is still acting as if it’s World War II we’re fighting. It’s not; it’s the war for corporate dominance of the planet. Something a former stockbroker can’t be expected to know I suppose. But this isn’t about copyright pirating. Who cares about that? This is about delusional behavior presented as social work. Tell him to send food and toys to the children of Iraqi and Afghan non-combatants our drones blew to smithereens. Not to the solders who killed their parents."
Here's another, lifted from a Facebook post depicting a graph that indicates more than 50% of discretionary spending (which he apparently confused with the federal budget) went to military purposes. Direct quote from Mr. Matt Perna: "What chaps me is this! The men/women who push the buttons, pull the triggers, throw the grenades, carry out the missions without a moment's consideration, those who physically inflict the destruction and terror upon the countless peoples the world abound. The "Good Ole Boys," the Jarheads, the Grunts, whatever the fuck they call themselves.. Why is it that we not only exonerate them from the roles that they play, for the crimes against men that they perpetrate, yet continue to extend to them our praise, our reverence and honor? What the fuck freedoms have they afforded me? There aren't any invading Afghan tribes in my parent's neighborhood, shooting cattle and knocking in doors. Are the North Koreans fighting to establish a military base in Iowa. Has it it again that we're threatened by Iran when we've our own weapons pointed up her ass from 15 different directions?"
It doesn't bother me that these guys express opinions different from my own beliefs. What bugs me is that both seem to think that military guys decide when and where they want to go into harm's way, forgetting that politicians make that decision. Sure, we chose to serve. Someone has to stand post, for a nation without a military / defense will eventually be a state of another nation.
Sorry that this isn't a post about technology, but I have to ask... How many Americans would you suppose blame the military for the conflicts we've been engaged in for the past decade? I sure hope it is a very few, statistically insignificant portion of the population.
God bless the men and women who defend our nation and execute the orders of the Commander in Chief without question.
Not tho’ the soldier knew
Someone had blunder’d:
Their’s not to make reply,
Their’s not to reason why,
Their’s but to do and die: - Alfred, Lord Tennyson, The Charge of the Light Brigade
