Why Should We Thank A Veteran On Veterans' Day

[longfisher]

We should thank our veterans because doing so maintains the pretext that their sacrifices were honorable, just and necessary.

Such pretexts allow us to escape the justifiable guilt that we would otherwise be compelled to feel if we had to confront the truth that our collective silence in the face of demonstrable lies amounts to deceit and has allowed our government freely to prey on their patriotism, to falsely mold their motivations and to indifferently decimate their ranks...

...for very little of worth.

LongFisher

[Bird Dog]

You might want to take some time and look around this website

http://www.getmentalhelp.com/

[Captain Michael Buffington]

We should thank our veterans because doing so maintains the pretext that their sacrifices were honorable, just and necessary.

Such pretexts allow us to escape the justifiable guilt that we would otherwise be compelled to feel if we had to confront the truth that our collective silence in the face of demonstrable lies amounts to deceit and has allowed our government freely to prey on their patriotism, to falsely mold their motivations and to indifferently decimate their ranks...

...for very little of worth.

LongFisher

like conversing with a box of rocks.

Mike

[marine4003]

IS IT POSSIBLE THAT LONGBS WAS RAPED WHILE SERVING..AND HIS SUPERIORS LAUGHED...

[Matuka Fly]

Longfisher

[bobdu11]

Hey Longfisher...F U C K YOU !!!

[bigfish4me]

Regardless of how you feel about our government, the fine men and women that have served and are currently serving deserve our praise.....they signed the papers and took the oath, They put their lives on the line to protect our way of living and far too many have made the ultimate sacrifice....they knew that possibility existed and still signed on.......they are true Americans in my eyes LF and I support them 100%.

I read a quote somewhere that sticks in my mind....."If you can read this....thank a teacher, If you can read this in English....thank a soldier"

[longfisher]

I read a quote somewhere that sticks in my mind....."If you can read this....thank a teacher, If you can read this in English....thank a soldier"

Thank you for your civility.

I believe there's an element of truth to what you say. The world is a dangerous place, afterall (who the principle actors are which make it a dangerous place and what actions might be taken to make at least America more safe is where we disagree, I think).

But it really misses the point of my post. The point is not whether or not vets deserve thanks. They do. The point, found in the title of the thread, is why we feel compelled to thank them.

And, I'm suggesting that many to most Americans, safe and secure in their homes, do so for a variety of reasons one of which is the hidden guilt we feel for, as citizens, not asking hard enough questions of our government when they're deployed to fight to ensure that their deaths are meaningful.

Another may be that, historically speaking, only 5% of Americans have evern worn a uniform and the other 95% feel like chickenshits for having avoided shirked their responsibilities to serve. But that's for another post.

It's a simple enough concept. It's a concept that demands decency of us along with a decent regard for the lives of the troops; they should not be disposable or expendable without excellent reasons. It's a concept that fits nicely within the idea of what responsibilities an American citizen has as a citizen.

LF

[bigfish4me]

Thank you for your civility.

I believe there's an element of truth to what you say. The world is a dangerous place, afterall (who the principle actors are which make it a dangerous place and what actions might be taken to make at least America more safe is where we disagree, I think).

But it really misses the point of my post. The point is not whether or not vets deserve thanks. They do. The point, found in the title of the thread, is why we feel compelled to thank them.

And, I'm suggesting that many to most Americans, safe and secure in their homes, do so for a variety of reasons one of which is the hidden guilt we feel for, as citizens, not asking hard enough questions of our government when they're deployed to fight to ensure that their deaths are meaningful.

Another may be that, historically speaking, only 5% of Americans have evern worn a uniform and the other 95% feel like chickenshits for having avoided shirked their responsibilities to serve. But that's for another post.

It's a simple enough concept. It's a concept that demands decency of us along with a decent regard for the lives of the troops; they should not be disposable or expendable without excellent reasons. It's a concept that fits nicely within the idea of what responsibilities an American citizen has as a citizen.

LF

I cant say I disagree with this post.......I just couldnt bring myself to type that I actually agree with you

[longfisher]

I cant say I disagree with this post.......I just couldnt bring myself to type that I actually agree with you

...to the concept that a decent regard for the lives of our troops dictates certain responsibilities for us as citizens and that their careful and considered deployment is much more important than any other honorarium we could possibly provide to them, although I don't begrudge them honors for their service.

It's a very simple and appealing concept; that we citizens, both collectively and individually and by the simple virtue of citizenship, are tasked with responsible stewardship of our military personnel...as if we actually cared for them.

If that means holding our government to task, especially the recently and entirely rogue Executive Branch of government, then that's what it means.

BF$M, I sense that in the future you'll be on my side of this issue, and on the side of the troops, as a consequence. Then the magnetic sticker that may be on your vehicle will actually mean something important.

Thanks. Welcome.

LF