If you've never served a day in the military, what gives you the right to scorn them?

I've come across many comments here on Y!A, where people have made harsh comments about our troops. "They signed up, that's their fault", "Better them than me", "Who cares, they made the choice"......yada, yada, yada. I'm sure it's mostly children that post these ignorant comments, but sometimes I'm pretty sure it's adults making some of them. Have you ever once considered that there are other reasons beyond college money or a "free ride" that these men and women have volunteered their lives for this country? You know, there is this thing called "PATRIOTISM", the very reason I served for 8 years. Being a former soldier myself(Infantry), it pains me to hear those from my own nation making comments like those above and many more. Trash the leadership that sent them there for no good reason, not the soldiers themselves. You should be ashamed for making a mockery of their service to ALL OF US. They serve a greater purpose than themselves and I for one salute them all.
Additional Details
When I made the decision to serve this country almost 20 years ago, I wasn't thinking about what "criminals" I would be serving, it was because I wanted to do my part as a citizen to protect my country in time of need, to honor and to protect my family, to serve a purpose greater than myself. With all of the trials and tribulations that this country suffers from I wanted to make a difference. I do consider myself to be very patriotic, but I'm not blind and neither are they. When I went to combat in Panama, a buddy of mine was killed. It brings tears to my eyes to remember that and for his family who lost their only son. He was 24. Yes, we made the decision to follow orders but we didn't always agree, however, it was our duty as it is for those who are in Iraq and other theatres of operation around the globe at this very moment. Let us not regard their service or their ultimate sacrifice as meaningless, it's not. Honor them, honor them and more.

2/27 INF. '87-'96 11H ToW gunner.

suro25

as a soldier it is so demoralizing to hear the people of the USA the country that we are fighting for doesn't care to support the soldiers or not.
this is sad
support the troops
suro

War Pete

As a soldier myself i can tell you, it pains us all to here those comments.

But it only takes one person like you to undo a hundred of them,.

Thanks for the support.

shrty0525

My hubby is active duty - has been over 10 yrs now.

We'll hear the stupid things some people will say - and I get madder than he will. He keeps reminding me about free speech - and he knows freedom isn't free.

Because of my hubby, I've learned for the most part to ignore it. It's not worth my time or energy to get angry.

Buckeye143

whoever said these comments are just a bunch of hippies who need to stick with what they know best...their bongs.

Dani

Recently at Bush Intercontinental Airport, four Marines deplaned and were walking toward luggage. As they passed , people stopped and applauded. Many reached out to shake their hands. I mentioned this to a young woman who worked in a gift shop. She said, " You should see it when they are escorting a body. This place gets so quiet, you can hear a pin drop."

I think there are many more people who appreciate and support our troops who are serving now, as well as those who have served before.

Roadrunner58-79

The person who has never served in the US Military DOES NOT have the RIGHT to scorn the
People who volunteer to serve their country, which BTW IS THE GREATEST COUNTRY TO EVER EXIST, in the US Armed Forces!!
GOD BLESS THE US MILITARY AND THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank You for your statement!!
US ARMY(RET) 21 Years!!

Billy TK

Well put Mack, and Thank you and the guys and gals for your service ,Pete.

EZMZ

Our Troops are the finest people on the planet----------I really respect them for fighting for us. Hope we can do much more to give them credit for achievements in the future---------------and I hope the cowardly terrorists will make some major mistake that will help to make them less hidden so we can ferret them out-----------the enemy seems to be most adamant that we stop the search for the 3 soldiers---------tells me we may be close to the core nucleolus and a major breakthrough might be found any time now.

Richard of Fort Bend

11H TOW gunner, huh? I remember many days at Ft Benning at the TOW school there, back in 79-82. And the darn J1P1 cables in the old modified M113 TOW-equipped APCs....all pre-Bradley of course.

Anyway, to answer your question, the Constitution gives every American the right to scorn anything he/she wants to.

It's not fun, but I would not have it any other way. We who served have our own pride - we do not need kudos from pimple-faced couch potatos. We who gave our time and endured dust, rain, cold, heat, horrible food, no sleepm, and those who endured enemy fire - we can endure the smart-a$$ remarks of these people.

i am confident that the constitution and the country will still be here long after these pimps are gone.

Harley

God Bless America our Troops and Commander in Chief !!!

british gurly

hell if i was a US citizen i would join the army. hell i'm thinking about joining the British Army and transferring to the US army. I think what the soldiers are doing is amazing so i got no reason to diss them but love them!!

Well said. Its not always about getting money for college or the benefits. I joined for all the same reasons you did. Thank you for your service.

cut-it-out

God Bless all the men and women who have served and who are serving this country at this moment. And let us never forget all who made the ultimate sacrifice.
These men and women do serve a greater purpose than themselves and I salute them as well.

It's Kippah, Kippah the dawg

Well, what's said is the truth. They DID volunteer, they DID agree to a term of enlistment, and they DID agree to follow the orders of the CIC, no matter how much of an idiot he is.

The problem I think is that the gov't has isolated itself from any criticism from the general public. The next available scapegoat is the soldiers themselves. It's easy to bash those who aren't here. Now that the Iraq SNAFU has escalated to the point of anarchy, the public knows it was wrong to send them there in the first place, but pig-headed George will see this through to the bitter end. After all, he's not in harm's way.

I salute the military members over in Iraq. They are dying for a bunch of ungrateful savages who would NEVER return the favor if America needed intervention by Iraqis (ha!, not that that would ever happen).

Javier G

its not the fact that we criticize the soldiers, its the fact that soldiers complain about going to war and they knew in advance what they were getting themselves into. Also, it is your right, actually your duty to refuse to go and attack if it does not agree with your conscious. I have a question what service are they providing to me??? The service where they went to destroy two nations and not even accomplish their objective or attack a nation that no relevance to our objective and now we're stuck in a quagmire where we destabilized a region, how did iraq ever threaten my freedom??? oh to answer your question the military represents me and when they go overseas and do unjustly things it makes me look bad that is why i can scorn

Anti-Patriotic

BECAUSE I CAN. If you don't like that Americans are scorning the US Military, harm them like you harm anyone that disagrees with you; such as the Iraqi people.
I don't have to be patriotic, you can't force me to be. Are you going to kill me if I refuse to wave the flag? Are you going to hurt me if I gag on Apple pie or fall asleep at a baseball game?
It's a basic American right, to have free speech.
They signed-up, they did not have to, they were not forced into it. It's their mistake or maybe they were lied to a misled.
It's their choice they went to Iraq, I don't have to feel sorry for them.

Edit: Check-out my 360 page and leave comments if this offends you.

GreenBeansRevenge

i think nationalism is worst of all right up with sectarianism and racialism. That's fine to love yourself but i see no connection to that and killing others.

Lycian M

I wouldn't say the US soldier is the brightest...considering they are risking death in the name of stealing taxes for Bush's friends in the name of "rebuilding" Iraq and fighting "terror". One can feel sorry for them purporting an ideology that ONLY they believe in. They are NOT supported by the American public OR the US government, and lack of respect and support is something America can be proud of..after all..it took America over 60 years to built that weak monument to WW2 veterans AFTER most of them were dead. Meanwhile anyone connected to the contracts derived through this "war on terror" has made out like bandits.
No one should mock the troops. Most of them DO believe they are helping someone but unfortunately most of those they are helping are CRIMINALS.

deejay d

i scorn nazis without having joined their organization.

i scorn mobsters without ever having been one.

I am free to scorn the torturing, child raping monsters that make up your military

mild_irritant

I don't scorn them - I want to bring them home.

They signed up to defend our nation against enemies - not start a civil war in a country that was never a threat to us!

They are being killed for no purpose.

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