That's ridiculous.
I agree, and anybody who opines different without the courtesy of research or the tragedy of family or personal experience Is at best ignorant and a lame try at childish shock.
I am a Vietnam veteran and I want to thank Just Asking for publicly recognizing our veterans. I am disappointed in some of the responses here. Did I know when I enlisted in the Army that at one point, my dirty, greasy hands would one day be the only thing holding my best friend's intestines inside his body while he breathlessly begged me to save his life? No, I did not. Did I know when I enlisted that the simple act of setting foot on the soil of the Republic of Vietnam would expose me to one of the most poisonous defoliants ever developed by the human race and would possibly lead to my son's birth defects? No, I did not. I was in Vietnam from September 1971 to September 1972. This was the height of Nixon's withdrawal program. I used to have a patch that said, "Vietnam - If you ain't been there, shut the f--- up."
I thought for a minute to make my answer an indictment against the insensitive and ignorant. But there are things you can't teach. You either have them or you don't. You can't teach love for your land, you can't teach respect or commitment to principles. Or the feeling you get from wearing the flag of your country on your sleeve. On your uniform. To represent as part of the Army, your country, the country of your father and your grandfather.
You too, cannot teach the immense respect for those who came back less than they were or those who didn't come back at all.
To imply that the misery experienced by our veterans is in some way minimized because of their volunteerism is a spit on the shoes of those who did what none of the criticisers did.
They Shut the Hell up and Served.
Only Americans?
I'm paying taxes.
Yes. Tomorrow is July 4th.
As a retired IRS employee, thank you. I wish I had a prize for you.
@JA -- I have empathy for your brother, but none of his "sacrifices" were for my benefit. They were for the benefit of Halliburton's profits, the reelection campaign of George W. Bush, and imperial hegemonic fantasies of the Partnership for a New American Century. Arguably, his occupation/combat in Iraq, or Afghanistan, or whereever he was stationed simply fueled more anti-American resentment, raising the possibility that I'll be harmed by asymmetric warfare on the part of whomever he ticked off.
So, I will feel sorry for your brother and the psychological damage he endured, but I will NOT elevate his suffering over lead-poisoned residents of Flint, or the people who suffered during the Tuskeegee Syphillus Experiment, or those who suffered the ravages of Hurricane Katrina, or etc.
@AC -- There is only one LEGITIMATE purpose to military service, the defense of one's nation-state against external military threat. The United States has fought three legitimate existential threat wars: The War of 1812 (which the US started), the American Civil War, and World War II. There is a contestable argument to be made for the Korean War, since the world's nuclear superpowers needed to figure out what the boundaries of geopolitical jockeying would be (i.e. could nukes be used). Without the Korean conflict, we might have had WW III.
Every other military conflict the United States has fought has been simply maneuvering for geopolitical advantage, and I no more consider that violence to be morally justified than the violence of street gangs defending their "turf" or Mafia families committing murder because "it's just business."
So stuff your "AMERICA...F**K YEAH" sanctimony, which is just "What WE do is Good because WE are Good and They are Bad" hypocrisy. The bombers of Laos, the torturers at Abu Gharib, the invaders of Grenada, etc. have done NOTHING that is morally defensible, and demanding that I "respect" them just because they were wearing American military uniforms while commiting their atrocities is nonsense.
@69K69 -- And if you hadn't served, the legitimate defense needs of the United States (which is the ONLY morally defensible purpose for military combat) would not have been jeapordized one iota. We would have still been blissfully safe from invasion behind our immense arsenal of nuclear warheads.
I'm sorry your own government put you into that house of hellish horrors. And I'm sorry that you didn't pay more attention before enlisting. Vietnam was a fairly well-publicized war, so it was no secret how awful things were there by the late 1960s.
And I will not STFU. You voluteering to go expose yourself to the house of horrors does NOT grant you authority to abridge my free speech rights.
Like I said. You don't understand.
Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of liberty.
John F. Kennedy
Dear Lord,
There is no greater feeling of liberation than to experience this freedom fromsin and death that you have provided for me through Jesus Christ. Today my heart and my soul are free to praise you. For this, I am very thankful.
On this Independence Day, I am reminded of all those who have sacrificed for my freedom, following the example of your Son, Jesus Christ. Let me not take my freedom, both physical and spiritual, for granted. May I always remember that a very high price was paid for my freedom. My freedom cost others their very lives.
Lord, today, bless those who have served and continue to give their lives for my freedom. With favor and bounty meet their needs and watch over their families.
Dear Father, I am so thankful for this nation. For all the sacrifices others have made to build and defend this country, I am grateful.
Thank you for the opportunities and freedoms we have in the United States of America. Help me never to take these blessings for granted.
Help me to live my life in a way that glorifies you, Lord. Give me the strength to be a blessing in someone's life today, and grant me the opportunity to lead others into the freedom that can be found in knowing Christ.
Amen
"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." (Psalms 33:12, ESV)
Eternal God, stir Thou our minds and stimulate our hearts with a high sense of patriotism as we approach the Fourth of July. May all that this day symbolizes renew our faith in freedom, our devotion to democracy, and redouble our efforts to keep a government of the people, by the people, and for the people truly alive in our world.
Grant that we may highly resolve on this great day to dedicate ourselves anew to the task of ushering in an era when good will shall live in the hearts of a free people, justice shall be the light to guide their feet, and peace shall be the goal of humankind: to the glory of Thy holy name and the good of our Nation and of all mankind.
Amen.
You do have free speech rights. I do not have a right to come to your house and cut your f'ing tongue out of your head. Apparently those are the only things that you and I will agree on.
I believe I've already said it, but I'll say it again. Thank you for your service, 69Kisses96. I, too, am very disappointed in the responses here. I thought if there was anything we, as people, could agree upon, it would be that those who have given much to our country deserve better than they receive. I'm kind of at a loss for words here, but I know that there are many others, like myself, who appreciate what you have given.
I wrote a page long retort as well and then deleted it all. Part of me is very sorry that I even asked this question because I wanted it to be something supportive.
Thank you for your thoughtful response.
The video above discusses the difficulties American soldiers face when they come home. I know soldiers from other nations go through the same thing, but this particular video referenced the statistics of American veterans only.
