It's not the U.S. flag that has, or will, become the new swastika. The Confederate flag already IS the U.S. version of the swastika. I don't know anyone that flies it loudly and proudly who isn't a racist.
Absolutely not! The Star Spangled Banner will always have a place in my home and every where I end up. I have a great amount of respect for the flag and those that fight for and died defending it. We are no where near what Germany became during that time. Fly it high and proud!
I wonder if the German soldiers who fought in WWII felt the same way? I appreciate and respect those who serve in the armed forces for their personal sacrifices, but I don't understand how they don't question their participation in certain campaigns.
That is an excellent point, Savvy... Look what happened at the DAPL and the militarization of the police departments. They are rapidly progressing from peace officers to crowd & population control
Ordering the murder of civilians is an ILLEGAL order in any mans army. The Trials at Nuremberg are a testament to that. Consequently, soldiers BELIEVE the orders they're given are LEGAL
Let's say you were a general, and you gave an ORDER. And the underling you gave the ORDER to said, I'll take that under advisement.. How long do you think an army like that would last?
Not at all. The UCMJ is quite Constitutional.. What unconstitutional behavior does the army engage in?
Ok.. I'll give you the drone killing of American citizen Anwar al-Awlaki, but in the main, the military does NOT murder civilians. "Murder" is a LEGAL word.. Murder involves moral turpitude.. It's true.. The military kills people.. But, they don't MURDER them..
That's my point, and why I couldn't have ever been a soldier or police officer. Also why I chose to leave a "good" job for a crooked company years ago. I have a strong sense of conscience and my life and choices are primarily ruled by that.
I suppose that belying one's own conscience or moral compass is one of the personal sacrifices that some members of the military make.
There are some whose moral compass PREVENT them from putting on a uniform. There are others whose moral compass REQUIRES them to put on a uniform.
When I came home from Vietnam, people called me baby killer and spit on me. Was I deserving of that? These days, when people see soldiers in the airport, they walk up to them and shake their hand.. Are they deserving of that?
excon
This post was edited by excon at March 4, 2017 12:02 PM MST
I can imagine circumstances where that would be quite a difficult decision. Sacrifices were made by those who took both paths, I would say.
I don't think you were deserving of that, no. And while I do not agree with the majority of America's involvements in the affairs of other countries, I do think that those who serve in the military (as a group) are deserving of our respect and gratitude.
I understand that there's a technical difference between murder and "collateral civilian casualties", but I'm sure it's of no consequence to the loved ones of the dead.
I must admit that things are getting really clouded for me as far as the government I was supposed to support. To me, the American flag represents the people who died so that I could have rights and freedoms to defend. The Swastika represents none of that. Although, people died for both, but those people died for just being Jewish. It represents a superiority over a race. Does that sound positive? I think not.
This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at March 4, 2017 1:11 PM MST
Benedict Arnold 