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ESPN’s Colin Cowherd: People Who Enlist in the U.S. Military ‘Have No Choices,’ Join ‘To Pay Bills’
PJ Tatler ^ | September 30, 2014 | Bryan Preston

Posted on 09/30/2014 5:23:15 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

ESPN’s Colin Cowherd went off on a rant today about Americans who do and do not, in his view, deserve his “sympathies.”

Those who do not include those who choose to smoke, eat fast food or drink “13 cokes” every day. “That’s on you,” Cowherd said, delivering a sentiment that many Americans would probably agree with.

“My sympathy goes to the military members in this country,” Cowherd said toward the end of Tuesday’s show. “Socio-economically, no choices, paid almost nothing, lose a limb, lose a life. That, I feel sympathy for.”

Military members past and present probably aren’t looking to Colin Cowherd in a feeling of gratitude for that. Americans who enlist or enter the officer corps do so for many reasons — family history of service, a desire to give back to their country, a desire to gain experience and education, and of course the need to do something positive to escape tough circumstances all factor in.

Cowherd wasn’t finished. He also said that police and firemen don’t join out of a sense of duty.

“What fireman becomes a fireman knowing that at some point he will at some point run into a house that’s burning?” Cowherd asked rhetorically. “It’s dangerous!”

The obvious answer is “All of them. Including the thousands of volunteer fireman around the country.”

Cowherd returned to explaining his understanding of why Americans join the military.

“We know most people that go into the military in this country — they need the military often to pay bills. That is is almost a federal safety net financially, and by the way you’ll take shots. You’ll be sent two or three times to a raging inferno in the Middle East. That stuff scares me. That stuff I’m worried about. There’s loss of life there.”

(VIDEO-AT-LINK)


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: armedforces; economy; military; television
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To: Ghost of SVR4

Where did you wind up?
My unit (Tow company attached to second tank batallion) wound up sitting in a dump between Kuwait City and the airport for months. Burning oil fields in two directions.


41 posted on 09/30/2014 6:30:00 PM PDT by MrEdd (Heck? Geewhiz Cripes, thats the place where people who don't believe in Gosh think they aint going.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

We all know that this in not true.


42 posted on 09/30/2014 6:32:52 PM PDT by CPT Clay (Follow me on Twitter @Clay N TX)
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To: Ghost of SVR4

Semper Fi.

During the Eisenhower years we were called Greyhound bus drivers because of the color of our Class A uniforms. It pissed me off to no end. We wouldn’t dare to leave the base in uniform without spitshined shoes headgear and tie.

Now I see military personnel, even in church services, wearing filthy camouflaged fatigues and brogans.


43 posted on 09/30/2014 6:46:02 PM PDT by 353FMG
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To: C. Edmund Wright

I don’t care. His analogy was deeply flawed.


44 posted on 09/30/2014 6:47:11 PM PDT by Marie (When are they going to take back Obama's peace prize?)
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To: Shark24

It just proves that USAF recruiters don’t eat lunch.


45 posted on 09/30/2014 6:54:24 PM PDT by 353FMG
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

B f’n S!
If this pos ever spent any tine with the majority of our young service members he’ know better than to open his stupid pie hole!


46 posted on 09/30/2014 7:02:06 PM PDT by Ouchthatonehurt ("When you're going through hell, keep going." - Sir Winston Churchill)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
It's fairly obvious which side of the Great Cultural Divide Mr. Cowherd finds himself on. I wonder if he even knows it exists? That the military is the last resort of those too unfortunate to be able to do better is a slur of some long standing - a half century, perhaps - and it was never actually true in the first place. In these days of an all-volunteer force it is wildly untrue, even under such excrescences as Carter (under whom, God help me, I served) or Clinton or worse than either of these, 0bama, who appears to regard servicemembers with the same contempt that Hillary shows them, as menials.

Cowherd has shown that he did not serve, that he knows no one who has or is, and that he is content to offer up his judgments from an impenetrable bastion of ignorance. Let him stew in it.

47 posted on 09/30/2014 7:04:28 PM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

If you join the military to pay bills, you’ll become richer dumpster diving.


48 posted on 09/30/2014 7:12:15 PM PDT by Hillbillary
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I “enlisted” at 19 with encouragement from the Selective Service Act.I admit that it’s highly unlikely that I would have served if there was no draft.But I didn’t have any bills and was making decent money...for a kid of 19...when I signed up.


49 posted on 09/30/2014 7:14:15 PM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Islamopobia:The Irrational Fear Of Being Beheaded)
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To: NormsRevenge

They are, pick any random story on their website and every other post is pure rage.


50 posted on 09/30/2014 7:16:00 PM PDT by mykroar (This is an insult to the nation's intelligence and these days, that isn't easy.)
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To: C. Edmund Wright

His rant about how smooth Obama was on 60 Minutes showed how far left he swings. The piece today was not in that vein.


51 posted on 09/30/2014 7:25:00 PM PDT by superfries
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To: NormsRevenge

I suspect that Keith Olberdork is involved in employee indoctrination. He may do some commentary, but behind the scenes I would bet that he functions as the zampolit. Just remember, ESPN is owned by Disney.


52 posted on 09/30/2014 7:29:37 PM PDT by Fred Hayek (The Democratic Party is now the operational arm of the CPUSA)
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To: GrandJediMasterYoda

Insane “cartoonist” Ted Rall wrote him off and “just another dumb jock”>


53 posted on 09/30/2014 7:32:06 PM PDT by Fred Hayek (The Democratic Party is now the operational arm of the CPUSA)
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To: Fred Hayek

That’s the real kicker,, Disney ,, ABC ,, ESPN

Wow! Talk about fantasy affairs.


54 posted on 09/30/2014 7:33:12 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi - Revolution is a'brewin!!!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I joined up at 18 with no bills to pay either. That was back when I thought I’d be defending the American Way. How naive I was. I tell young guys not to join now.


55 posted on 09/30/2014 7:34:18 PM PDT by fr_freak
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
I was 17 when I first signed-up and had no bills.

I was 22 signed up after college, because I knew it was right.

56 posted on 09/30/2014 7:35:02 PM PDT by Kakaze (I want The Republic back !)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

“Cowherd” would be pronounced, “Coward,” no?


57 posted on 09/30/2014 8:03:02 PM PDT by dangus
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Many Fortune 1000 and other CEOs are military veterans.

Is it any wonder? They know how to get it done.

58 posted on 09/30/2014 8:06:43 PM PDT by Ghost of SVR4 (So many are so hopelessly dependent on the government that they will fight to protect it.)
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To: MrEdd

Before or after the Highway of Death. Before, we we’re diverted as SCUD hunters as many units were and travelling, after, making POW camps watching over the throngs of broken souls that wouldn’t dare mess with the U.S. might at that point. Largest “camp” we had approached 1000 Iraqi’s being processed every few days, Engineers were using the hulks of bombed out Saddam armor/apc’s to help form the parapets as our hummers would en-circle it all and rotate our headlights on/off at night so the prisoners could not get a bead on what direction was what.


59 posted on 09/30/2014 8:15:18 PM PDT by Ghost of SVR4 (So many are so hopelessly dependent on the government that they will fight to protect it.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Cowherd needs to buy a clue. I joined the Navy in 1967 at age 20. I wasn’t looking to pay any bills, I wanted to figure out in what direction my life should go. Boot camp accomplished that goal, then only 3 years, 9 months to go!

It was the best decision I ever made in my life, joining the military. I’ve never wavered on that conviction.


60 posted on 09/30/2014 8:52:51 PM PDT by Rembrandt (Part of the 51% who pay Federal taxes)
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