Do we honor the troops too much?

[Unkotare]

Military, teachers, nurses, police, and all the other pussies you stupid fat old farts honor can Kiss My Ass. Those jobs are not difficult or dangerous & definitely not worth all the praise & my tax dollars I am forced to honor them with.

You're an idiot.

 

[Mad Scientist]

The US Military as it exists now has nothing to do with anyones' freedom, in fact, it detracts from it. Why would you thank them for it?

Also, it's poor form for any Vet to go around expecting or demanding to be worshiped for his "service".

 

[Unkotare]

The US Military as it exists now has nothing to do with anyones' freedom, in fact, it detracts from it. Why would you thank them for it?

Also, it's poor form for any Vet to go around expecting or demanding to be worshiped for his "service".

Another ungrateful, unworthy worm heard from...

 

[MisterBeale]

I respect soldiers.
...

But particularly in the US, there seems to be a culture in which soldiers are treated with a reverance [sic] denied other professions.

Since you are not a US citizen, the appropriate step for you to take now is to SHUT THE FUCK UP AND MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS. If you must do something, take a moment to thank your lucky stars your also-ran country is an ally of the United States. Leave it at that.

You know, I'm not a partisan either way, but this is exactly how I feel about all the Israeli citizens, or Naomi coming on the board and spouting off their opinion on matters of US cultural and US policy matters.

What business is it of theirs whether we have this law or that? What business it is of theirs whether we have guns? I just don't see where foreign nationals care to have an opinion on OUR culture and laws? What on Earth motivates people who aren't US citizens to comment on American culture and American laws?

 

[MisterBeale]

The US Military as it exists now has nothing to do with anyones' freedom, in fact, it detracts from it. Why would you thank them for it?

Also, it's poor form for any Vet to go around expecting or demanding to be worshiped for his "service".

Another ungrateful, unworthy worm heard from...

Not necessarily. The press and the politicians, they all make the tacit assumption that the use of force always is in the interest of national security. The thing is, that is NEVER proven to the American public. Most thinking persons know that the use of American forces are used to protect America's economic interests, NOT their freedom, meaning the civil rights and civil liberties of Americans everywhere. (Meanwhile at home, they are sacrificed to "fight the war on terror.")

Of course, the precedent was set during the Barbary Wars when Thomas Jefferson went to War against the Islamic Caliphates who ostensibly WERE kidnapping sailors and demanding ransoms. In this case, the US was defending civil rights and civil liberties of merchants, while they were attempting to trade.

Most Americans would have no problem with the US military protecting merchants in International waters.

But can we seriously contend that THIS is all we are doing any longer?

 

[KissMy]

Military, teachers, nurses, police, and all the other pussies you stupid fat old farts honor can Kiss My Ass. Those jobs are not difficult or dangerous & definitely not worth all the praise & my tax dollars I am forced to honor them with.

You're an idiot.

No I'm not, but you have proven that you are an IDIOT!

In 2013, out of 900,000 sworn officers just 100 died from a job-related injury. That's about 11.1 per 100,000, or a rate of 0.01%. Policing doesn't even make it into the top 10 most dangerous American professions. Logging has a fatality rate 11 times higher, at 127.8 per 100,000. Fishing: 117 per 100,000. Pilot/flight engineer: 53.4 per 100,000. It's twice as dangerous to be a truck driver as a cop—at 22.1 per 100,000.

from 1990 through 2011, about 29,000 U.S. military personnel died of all causes (combat deaths, illness, accident, homicide, suicide, etc.), leading to an average "crude mortality rate" per 100,000 person-years of 76. Suicide killed more soldiers than combat. Accidents kill more soldiers than combat.

 

[Ravi]

I respect soldiers.

I respect the work they do, I respect the risks they take, I respect the commitment they make to serve the country.

But particularly in the US, there seems to be a culture in which soldiers are treated with a reverance denied other professions. I don't remember the last time I heard anyone talk about honoring nurses, teachers or the police; and that they also do extraordinary work in often appalling conditions and for limited salaries. Certainly nurses do not risk their life quite as often or as obviously as soldiers, but they still play a role in society I suggest few of us would want.

I can't help wondering if there is something deep within American culture that suggests that the field of battle is more important to America than education or healthcare - and with obvious results.

Would our world be a better place if we showed more respect for people like teachers and medical staff?

I think it was started by politicians to get people to join the military.

 

[Mad Scientist]

"Military Protects and Defends your Freedoms" is Fantasy.

Those that believe it are delusional.

 

[regent]

How much we respect the troops is largely dependent on how much danger we feel.

 

[Unkotare]

The US Military as it exists now has nothing to do with anyones' freedom, in fact, it detracts from it. Why would you thank them for it?

Also, it's poor form for any Vet to go around expecting or demanding to be worshiped for his "service".

Another ungrateful, unworthy worm heard from...

Not necessarily.

Yes, evidently.

 

[Unkotare]

"Military Protects and Defends your Freedoms" is Fantasy.

Those that believe it are delusional.

Says the pussy who takes those freedoms for granted.

 

[Unkotare]

Military, teachers, nurses, police, and all the other pussies you stupid fat old farts honor can Kiss My Ass. Those jobs are not difficult or dangerous & definitely not worth all the praise & my tax dollars I am forced to honor them with.

You're an idiot.

No I'm not, but you have proven that you are an IDIOT!

In 2013, out of 900,000 sworn officers just 100 died from a job-related injury. That's about 11.1 per 100,000, or a rate of 0.01%. Policing doesn't even make it into the top 10 most dangerous American professions. Logging has a fatality rate 11 times higher, at 127.8 per 100,000. Fishing: 117 per 100,000. Pilot/flight engineer: 53.4 per 100,000. It's twice as dangerous to be a truck driver as a cop—at 22.1 per 100,000.

from 1990 through 2011, about 29,000 U.S. military personnel died of all causes (combat deaths, illness, accident, homicide, suicide, etc.), leading to an average "crude mortality rate" per 100,000 person-years of 76. Suicide killed more soldiers than combat. Accidents kill more soldiers than combat.

You're a little pussy with a big mouth. Keep typing, hero...

 

[regent]

I don't know the benefits today, but I have often thanked the American people for the benefits I received, including an education.

 

[Ellipsis]

I respect soldiers.

I respect the work they do, I respect the risks they take, I respect the commitment they make to serve the country.

But particularly in the US, there seems to be a culture in which soldiers are treated with a reverance denied other professions. I don't remember the last time I heard anyone talk about honoring nurses, teachers or the police; and that they also do extraordinary work in often appalling conditions and for limited salaries. Certainly nurses do not risk their life quite as often or as obviously as soldiers, but they still play a role in society I suggest few of us would want.

I can't help wondering if there is something deep within American culture that suggests that the field of battle is more important to America than education or healthcare - and with obvious results.

Would our world be a better place if we showed more respect for people like teachers and medical staff?

I don't particularity like people stopping to thank me for my military service, but I keep my opinion to myself and shake their hand because I know there was once a time when people would rather throw rocks and spit at a soldier than shake their hand.

On a related note, I don't sport veteran paraphernalia because I'm looking for attention, I have it to identify myself to other veterans and family of veterans. I've been stopped numerous times by older veterans who recognized the symbol on a t-shirt, which represented the battalion I served under in Afghanistan, as the battalion they served under in Vietnam. Sometimes I'll stop an older vet, we share a brief word and are on our way. It's just a way of staying connected.

Once, I was stopped by a woman who recognized the service ribbon on my sports jacket. She asked questions people don't normally know to ask, like what province was I in. When I told her, her eyes welled up and she told me that's where her son was killed. I happen to still have a couple dozen photos of specific fobs on my Droid (no, it's not OPSEC anymore so don't go there) and I showed her a few pics of the exact fob she said her son was stationed at, and I gave what experience I had with similar units to what her son did. This was very emotional for her and she asked if she could give me a hug, and of course I was ok with that because she wasn't hugging me, she was hugging her son.

 

[Ellipsis]

....They now get exempted from property & income taxes. .....

I've been in for 5 years and I've never heard of this. Where can I sign up?