Veterans...from one hippie in the sixties...thank you.

a reply to: chadderson

I was born here and the rights came to me the second I became conscious in this world. The rights are not granted to us by government my friend, although the majority of its inhabitants accept that idea.

Oh well.

have a nice day

a reply to: redoubt

Have a nice day as well

a reply to: chadderson

I will address that: I was one home...who protested soldiers going...and demanding an end to war of all kinds, and to bring them home.

Hence...one person on the other side who did not serve...thanking those who did/are and do serve...to this day.

Thanks

originally posted by: mysterioustranger

I marched in the streets of Ann Arbor Mi and Chicago Il to stop the Vietnam war and bring our troops home.

You wore uniforms and we wore tie dyed and fringe vests. My friends were being sent to Vietnam, and coming home in boxes, one after the other. Others were called "baby-killers" forcing some to change clothes at airport to keep from being spit on.

Your service continues to give us the freedom and ability to do what we did and do in protest and support. We continue to reflect.

Thank you, thank you all, from whichever war or theatre you served, even at home in the Guard, and all the others branches of service.


Mysterioustranger

Here is the problem. Their service did not give us freedom, nor protect our ability to protest.

In fact, US foreign policy for 60 years has been all about global power, and it is provable that often said policy took AWAY the freedom, life, sovereignty, and human rights of many peoples in other countries.

Basically, it's the exact opposite. I do not say this to attack vets. But we need to stop whitewashing the history and claiming that the wars we are fighting are for our freedoms, or others. They simply are not.

originally posted by: chadderson
a reply to: mysterioustranger

Veterans day should be about educating people to end wars rather than honoring those who went out and killed because their dictatorship told them to. Many have "served" and many have been "drafted" over the course of time. Those who faced JAILTIME for refusing to become a cog in the gears of war, standing up for the love within their hearts, I commend them. Those who realized after being sent overseas that the wars are wrong, I commend them.

To those who serve because they have adopted the hate that their dictatorship has submerged them in, I pray for you. To those who think killing can be justified, I pray for you. To those blindly "supporting the troops", I pray for you.

Exactly, those who truly "served freedom and justice" are those who refuse such military service and seek to end the endless wars for power.

originally posted by: redoubt
a reply to: chadderson

True support is helping civilians/reservists/deployed/veterans understand that war is not the answer and should not be supported.

If I may...

War is a curse upon mankind. It always has been and likely always will be.
There are wars that are useless and then there are wars that are unavoidable.

Those who take the line should not be judged on the issue of war itself, but of those who stand ready to assure that the right to gripe about them later, remains intact.

Cheers

ONce again, NONE OF THESE SOLDIERS nor these wars have fought to "assure the right to gripe about them later." This is the lie that keeps on giving. And it is pure propaganda.

These wars have had nothing to do with American freedoms and everything to do with US global empire. Face it.

There is NOTHING good or credit worthy about serving greedy overlords...

originally posted by: redoubt
a reply to: chadderson

You truly believe the servicemen that died are the reason we have "rights"? I do not.

I'll pass this along to the vets of the War of Independence, when I pass from this existence to the next

That was over 200 years ago, and those vets are long dead. You can't use a just war from 200 years ago to justify unjust wars from the last 60 years.

It's ridiculous.

a reply to: Quetzalcoatl14

You're correct...our protesting stopped nothing and saved no one.But we did raise awareness of the follies of war.

Thats it....war continues to this day...it seems that war is business. Big business.
Thanks

originally posted by: mysterioustranger
a reply to: Quetzalcoatl14

You're correct...our protesting stopped nothing and saved no one.But we did raise awareness of the follies of war.

Thats it....war continues to this day...it seems that war is business. Big business.
Thanks

I hear you. And those of us who are protesting today continue to not allow war to be whitewashed. That includes both my op today and comments herein. I marched against the Iraq War.

I guess this is why some of us reacted to your op. We shouldn't target veterans themselves, UNLESS they know what war is really all about and are still supporting it. But, we shouldn't pretend either that soldiers in our country are actually serving justice or freedom. Because that feeds into the propaganda.