Posted on 11/10/2014 5:18:33 AM PST by Citizen Zed
Put a man in uniform, preferably a white man, give him a gun, and Americans will worship him. It is a particularly childish trait, of a childlike culture, that insists on anointing all active military members and police officers as “heroes.” The rhetorical sloppiness and intellectual shallowness of affixing such a reverent label to everyone in the military or law enforcement betrays a frightening cultural streak of nationalism, chauvinism, authoritarianism and totalitarianism, but it also makes honest and serious conversations necessary for the maintenance and enhancement of a fragile democracy nearly impossible.
(Excerpt) Read more at salon.com ...
Good post...GMTA...:)
I also spent 4 years in the Corps the same time as you and while I agree with you, I didn’t need to be spit on when walking down the street either.
I agree.
My Dad is a veteran. He was the “Radar O’Reiley” of his unit (supply sergeant). Must have been a good one because I remember as a kid we couldn’t go anywhere without one of his “customers” coming up to him and thanking him.
But he was a supply sergeant, not a combat soldier. He doesn’t attended veterans events because he doesn’t seem himself as a hero, but just as a guy who did his job.
I didn’t read past the first sentence because it’s tripe. Americans do not worship soldiers. They worship celebrity. If a soldier happens to become a celebrity for one reason or another, the public may “worship” them for a short time. But all in all, when people like Robin Williams die they get infinitely more press than when a soldier dies.
Anyone who I meet who has served, I make sure to thank them. Not because I view them as “heroes”.
The vast majority of civilians who have never served don’t understand the peculiar way of life and the special and unique demands that the military makes on those who serve.
At any given time, no questions asked, you can be taken out of the stream of whatever comforts of life you may have around you, put on a ship, plane, or truck, sent to ANYWHERE no matter how dangerous or uncomfortable, may be deprived of everything from food and water to your very life, and your death will likely be a very anonymous, lonely one. And you are doing it all for relatively low money.
Being a military wife is a damned hard job, especially if you have kids.
So, I believe in a special, default respect we should render those who serve. If they are called on to surrender everything they have including their lives, they should at least know that it was for something, and that there are some people who do care and are grateful.
i served in germany in the cold war. i am not a hero either. neither is the outfielder who makes a diving catch to win the world series. the term hero has been watered down, like so many of words and phrases, and usually by the left. i’m even tired of the “thank you for your service” though i am always polite and appreciate what the person is trying to express. i also believe there is a difference between being brave, being a hero, and being a role model. in fact one I DO BELIEVE MY SERVICE HELPED KEEP AMERICAN CITIZENS FREE, something this libtard doesn’t want to believe.
You are 100% correct about the cops.
Yesterday in church the pastor paused the service & noted that Veterans’ Day is tomorrow Tuesday. He then asked all Vietnam veterans to please stand. Four of us old f@rts stood up & he came around & shook our hands. Then the pastor called for applause (which I HATE in church during the service) after which he gave the blessing.
I don’t know, it just didn’t seem that special. Now don’t get me wrong, American society appreciates its veterans much much better now than in the immediate post-Vietnam years & I’m grateful for that.
Maybe calling all vets `heroes’ is a symptom of the fact that the percentage of citizens who serve in the military is small & getting smaller. Not like in the days of the draft when serving a hitch was almost a requirement for full citizenship or running for public office.
FWIW, I flew helicopters in Vietnam. Fired upon, yes, but I was doing my job, what I was trained to do. Tomorrow I’ll go downtown & get my free hamburger & while I’m eating I’ll think of the real combat heroes. The ones whose example set the bar for the rest of us in uniform at the time.
Almost forgot to mention - that church I was in is the post chapel on Fort Campbell KY. Mostly young soldiers & their families. Since they are in the 101st most probably have multiple deployments under their belts. Theirs should be the real gratitude, my combat days are many decades gone.
But David is a hero. He went and had BOTH ears pierced. THAT, my friend, is bravery.
Not sure he hangs with. I admire all who sign to serve, but don’t call them all “heroes.” Indeed, we hope they don’t get in a position to become a hero. But if called, they will do whatever is needed, and perhaps become a hero.
Similarly, unlike the MSM, I never called all who were killed at the World Trade Center “heroes.” Certainly, some were, others not.
It’s no surprise to me that left wing lunatics still hate the military and cops. They have since Vietnam. Nothing has changed except they have to grit their teeth now when so many Americans show their appreciation for valor in uniform. This turd only said what the rest of them, Obama included, think.
This scumbag couldn’t make it through salvation army boot camp.
Why wasn’t it Nobel. Because John fn Kerry and his communist friends spit on our soldiers and told us they were baby killers?
Patton was a hero, Jimmy Stewart too. And we need more like you and their kind.
Ooh rah from a devil dog dad.
Let me clarify: what I meant was, there was no cause like Gulf War 1 or 9-11 and certainly no cause like WW2 or even early Nam. There was no discipline and rampant drug use.
And remember, the burden of proof is not on me. My contention is that not all are heroes - I NEVER SAID none were heroes. My other contention is that it’s absurd to say that all soliders are better men than all non soldiers. You are trying to defend the absolute. I am not.
While we who served may not be “heroes”; we all signed a contract, swore an oath, lost our rights voluntarily, and were prepared to die if it came down to it. This is something that most Americans do not do.
To have a turd write something like this before Veterans Day is disgusting.
Kind words... Thanks
You can’t talk about this article reasonably without first challenging the conflation of police work with military service.
I challenge that conflation.
Every cop is just working a government job, exactly like the guy who works at the DMV, and is entitled to no more “respect” than one citizen allows another.
Being a cop isn’t particularly dangerous, so don’t try to argue that either, because you’re arguing against verifiable stats that show what the jobs are in this country that kill people. Policeman doesn’t even make the top ten.
Everyone in MILITARY UNIFORM in the service of the United States is a hero.
Pride, one of the 7 deadly sins.
Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.
Proverbs 16:18
In almost every list, pride (Latin, superbia), or hubris (Greek), is considered the original and most serious of the seven deadly sins, and the source of the others.
It is identified as believing that one is essentially better than others, failing to acknowledge the accomplishments of others, and excessive admiration of the personal self (especially holding self out of proper position toward God).
Dante's definition was "love of self perverted to hatred and contempt for one's neighbour".
In Jacob Bidermann's medieval miracle play, Cenodoxus, pride is the deadliest of all the sins and leads directly to the damnation of the titulary famed Parisian doctor.
In perhaps the best-known example, the story of Lucifer, pride (his desire to compete with God) was what caused his fall from Heaven, and his resultant transformation into Satan.
In Dante's Divine Comedy, the penitents are burdened with stone slabs on their necks which force them to keep their heads bowed.
As only light can drive out darkness, only humility can drive out pride.
I seem to remember earlier this year when liberals got high and mighty for anyone who’d dare question if Pvt. Bergdahl was anything less than a hero or P.O.W....
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.