Support our Troops

Support our Troops 

I don’t know about you, but I’m getting sick and tired of being demonized for not supporting the troops. What happened to free speech? Do you think it’s OK for a group of people to be massacred? If the answer is no, then why should I support the poor or middle-class people for joining any branch of the military? The military is mostly full of those people. I don’t see or hear people from the hierarchy joining the service or encouraging their kids to join. If joining the Army is such a high honor, then why don’t they want to be a part of it? Come on, if you’re trying to fool me, be good at it. I also find it suspicious that they won't recruit someone with a criminal record. I understand this is a standard issue; however, what's the fundamental difference between joining the Army and going to prison? There are no winners or losers when it comes to war; both parties, heck, even third parties, lose. 

What about children? Do you support our troops killing children in wars? That's right, kids have died, and other countries use kids as soldiers. (Heck, it wouldn’t surprise me if we did the same thing.) Also, I think it’s messed up how the Military manipulates the troops to do these awful things, like killing in cold blood and stealing. People love to say they're fighting for our freedom, no they're not. How can they do that if they don’t know what I’m going through? I’m dealing with PC, discrimination, gun control, Police harassment, and I’m being spied on. Since I brought that up, why is the government spying on its people? We didn’t start any terrorist attacks, did we? The military has done nothing to help me with these things. What do you mean they're fighting for my freedom? I don’t know what our troops are fighting for or who they're fighting against? It’s hard to know when the news doesn’t give us the whole story. I understand why reports won’t give us the full picture, but don’t treat us like we're stupid. 

To the people who say you shouldn’t criticize the Military if you haven’t joined, if that’s the case, why are you complaining about what the President is or isn’t doing if you’ve never been President? Also, you don’t have to get shot to know it hurts because it can penetrate your skin. If you say that the Army is protecting the luxuries, we have that other countries don't have. First of all, that should be the standard. Do you think it's messed up that other countries are not like the U.S.? If the answer is yes, then that's my point. Second, how do you know how bad things are in other countries if you don't want to live in or visit those countries? Just because we're doing better than most doesn't always mean we're making progress. 

This is one of the many reasons why I don’t want to join the military. Heck, basic training is enough for me not to join. Would you be annoyed that you tried your best to complete the course, only to get chewed out because you or your comrade screwed up? How can I trust a system where you have to follow every order without question? That can make you vulnerable to being manipulated. The Army is not above toxic leadership. I know that's the second in command's job, but I doubt he's speaking on everyone's behalf. 

Don't get me wrong, I respect the Army for being about structure and discipline; however, I'm not crazy about how they maintain those values by dehumanizing the recruits. On offence, but I wouldn't take sexually harassment claims seriously. I mean, you draw the line with that, but not everything else? Also, this country hasn’t done much good for me, so why would I give my life to protect it? Where’s the honor in fighting a war that has nothing to do with you and you didn’t start? I wouldn’t ask anyone to do anything for me that I can’t do for myself. 

Don’t take what I’m about to say the wrong way, but I find it funny that soldiers complain about not seeing their loved ones. I’m sorry, but I don’t feel sorry for you because that’s what you signed up for; you weren’t drafted. Don’t you talk to people about joining the Army beforehand? If you can’t deal with being away from family, losing body parts, watching death and destruction around you, then don’t join. Also, I don’t think joining the Army makes you noble because you’re being compensated for joining. Heck, I don't know if you joined because you want to serve or you want a license to kill. 

This is why I don't agree with the term good soldier, I mean, what's good about causing death and destruction? Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying they aren't good people who join the Army; however, when you join an organization, it supersedes everything else in your life. We wouldn't have veterans who still consider themselves soldiers, the term brothers in arms and severe consequences for going against the Army. If you think the ends justify the means, then that says more about you than it does me. We're gambling with soldiers lives, I mean, they don't know if their deaths were in vain or not. Halo Reach and Captain America: The Winter Soldier deal with this. OK, I do feel sorry for soldiers who suffer from PTSD and homelessness because they deserve more than that for putting their bodies and sanity on the line. 

Look, I'm not saying we don't need soldiers; however, don't act like America is doing things from a place of righteousness. We wouldn't make amends for our mistakes if that was the case. Heck, our national anthem wouldn't have been written by someone who supports slavery. Just because you are doing something noble doesn't mean you are going about it nobly.