War...what is it good for?
I've been putting this off. It brings back uncomfortable memories.
Last week I was watching the news and the big thing was how some students at Rutgers University staged a "dead in" at a local recruiting effort. Basically, they laid around playing acting like dead iraqi citizens. A few days later on the news a group of young people protested in front of the recruiting office on broad street in Philadelphia. I'd like to say now that I share their fear of "the probably gonna happen war with Iraq"....but....
Hey, no offense, kids, but you got the wrong idea. I'm plenty certain these individuals feel all fulfilled and a lot of other bull crap...heck, when I was their age I thought I knew everything too. Besides, [unwrite] it, war sucks. I've been in one.....I think I've earned the right to at least say that. But I'm not complaining about whether they're right or wrong. We ain't even going there, my droogies. They have the right to an orderly protest (I don't think it was orderly, but I'll let it go) That's what makes this the land of the free.
But they're complaining to the wrong guys.
Why stage some elaborate hootinanny at a recruiting office? Especially on Broad street? No one in that office makes any policy decisions. I worked at the Pentagon for four years and there would be protesters out in front at least once a week. I had to think to myself "Why are they bitching at me?". I don't make the decisions! Complain to your elected officials! They're making the calls, not the joes in uniform. We do what we're ordered to do, and dammit, you oughtta be glad that we do. You don't have to agree everything, but when one kid on TV said "recruiters lie to kids to get them to join the military" I took real offense. I'll make it real clear to people out there. If you join any branch of the military you might have to fight in a war. There. Is that clear? Its not a nice thought, but thats the way it is.
But It does upset me....why do people cry and complain to the military when the military officers and enlisted personnel don't choose what battles to fight? To me its a bit chicken[unwrite]. Complain to city hall, or your local senator or whatever. Don't chain yourself to the door of a recruiting office. Or the Pentagon. No one in there is making the decisions. Besides if you have all the time to do that why not do something else useful, like volunteer at a homeless shelter or clean up a playground in the inner city. (Oh...forgot, I'm talking about chicken ass surburbanite kids....my bad)
Again, to clear things up, I don't particularly care that people protest...I just think they do it for attention. If not they'd protest to the people that are really making them upset. Its kind of like trying to stop people from smoking by blocking a 7-11 door. They ain't making the tobacco, folks....
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