I'm Tired of people dissrespecting our troops!

I have made this thread to pay respect to the soldiers that are over seas. I have read to many threads that are focused on tearing down the military. I have read to many posts that wish our troops dead, or blaming the war on them.

my father and grandfather both served in the armed forces, and they are great men. It really sickens me to read so many hate posts when they are over there putting their lives on the line. They have families as well and people that care about them here, and our troops are not getting the respect that they deserve, and they are doing in my opinion the most difficult job in the world.

They each have developed their own reasons for fighting be it for the person next to them or for their family at home as well as many more.

All I am asking is that we show some kind of respect for them like i said the war is not their fault they are just doing their job.

www.youtube.com...






[edit on 6-3-2008 by Lowtoc]

Hi Lowtoc,

while there are those who may hold the view that all members of the United States military are guilty by association I don't think that is the opinion of everyone who is opposed to the current situation.

I can understand your where the desire to make such a post comes from and I hope that just as you have managed to gain such an understanding of the situation (based on first hand personal experience) you go on to apply that elsewhere.

War On Terrorism » Effective IMMEDIATELY

The dynamics involved, cultural, political, propaganda, agendas as diverse and opposed as any in Human history are WAY TOO COMPLEX to cast in the typically simplistic perspective (required for the mental abilities of the intended audience) of ludicrous hate speech or religious/cultural group bashing.

"Broad Brush Bashing" is the epitome of IGNORANCE. I don't care which brand you buy into, it's simply stupid beyond belief. To state "(enter name of group you hate) is totally to blame and EVERYONE who is part of this group is a dastardly dog" simply illustrates the utter blind ignorance of those who scream it.

Stating that all Muslims are terrorists is as stupid as saying all Caucasians are card carrying klansmen.

I very much agree with the above quote. Just as the above points out the absurdities of labeling all Muslims or Caucasians, it would seem to me that anyone suggesting all military personnel are fully in support of every action related to the current situation just needs to look a little harder. Compare that last story, and the moral strength involved, to this and you can plainly see that there is a vast difference in even the most basic attitudes of serving personnel. That there might then be disparity in belief regarding the cause(s), justification and legitimacy of the current situation seem indubitable.

That said, at the top of every thread in this forum is stated:

This is a forum to speculate on conspiracies and other issues related to the "War on Terrorism" and the defense of the "Homeland" against terrorists. Discussion topics and follow-up responses in this forum will likely tend to lean in favor of conspiracies, scandals, and cover-ups. Members who would seek to refute such theories should be mindful of AboveTopSecret.com's tradition of focusing on conspiracy theory, cover-ups, and scandals.

Perhaps then it is not accidental that you find the need to make such a post. I seem to remember that a big goal of President Bush was to 'Unite the nation' and yet presently among American friends I see divides as bitter as ever. Perhaps, and as others may point out the attitude of "If you're not with us, you're against us." certainly doesn't appear to have helped any. Perhaps also though, as conspiracies regarding the current administration abound you have hit upon one here involving the advancement of the idea that all US military personnel be tarred as supporters of the current situation.

Taking into consideration the pain and suffering involved any criticism would seem a very effective way of further polarizing groups with differing views at a time when the old concept of a common enemy might not be quite the desired effect.

Who would benefit from advancing such a theory?

Those in authority? No one can deny the pain suffered by those directly involved in the fighting and so any personal slight upon them is obviously to be seen as highly emotive.

Those in opposition? Is the idea that sympathy may evolve into support too worrisome? Slowly, slowly catch ye...

I think you have touched upon the most sensible of positions - those involved at the level which you reference are individuals.

Jak


[edit on 6/3/08 by JAK]

I am totally against this war,but not against the military. They're only following orders. That's their job.
Maybe i have been to the wrong threads but i havent seen anything you're accusing people of doing.

Remember, the cause of the war(s) is the issue here, or it should be the only issue here.

If you're talking about the prison abuse, well.. there's no denying that some bad people have been involved in terrible crimes. You have to accept this fact because its not a fairy tale. Now we got the pictures to prove it. Its a shame that we cant eliminate certain classes from the military, but it goes further than that. These people have been acting as such because they have been encouraged to do so by their superiors, imo.
And in turn their superiors have orders that anything goes from the higher ups, so who's to blame?

We are the United States of America, we should be setting the tone and the example to the world that encourages them to be like us, civilized.
Instead, what do we do?

ive propably one of those people that have said something that makes you mad. i dont hate the military i hate the policies that our leadership is making them follow despite massive public outcry. while i dont support the war in iraq i also dont oppose it because im not in iraq i dont know whats going on over there. i dont know why other people dot respect the military but if someone wants to kill me let them come get at me dont send someone to die where i should have. hence why im joining in 18 months when they defer my sentence.

I believe the war in Iraq is illegal.

I'm also convinced (by various sources) that civilian area's have been targetted.

I also think that there have been atrocities committed - by both sides and by ALL the military there, including UK military.

But I don't blame the average soldier - I blame those in charge, and always have.

I also think that on ATS there are those who want the rest of us to believe that the military can do no wrong, and this is clearly not the case.
This also has the effect of making people more militant against the armed forces - when someone stonewalls for page after page, saying exactly the same thing, it gets annoying for some, and they react by getting a bit over-excited and claiming things which have little foundation in truth.

Personally, I really like these gung-ho types on here and have great fun arguing with them - but it's nothing personal, and I think they also bring a sense of perspective to the boards.

So no, I don't hate or even dislike the average soldier.

I dislike the massive hypocrisy which surrounds everything that Bush does.

[edit on 6/3/2008 by budski]

I do NOT support our troops fighting. I DO support them coming home.

Also, I am a veteran, and have plenty of friends still in active duty.

reply to post by Lowtoc



Some people put the will of God above that of men.

Honor to where honor is due, respect to where respect is due.

Our troops or due neither honor nor respect for what they are doing.

i have been on this site only since november 07. but have not seen 1 post that disrespects our troops, in fact, this post sounds alot like you are on a fishing expedition. i don't even hear about them in real life outside this forum. there are probably a few, no doubt, but as in life, there are always some people, who blame the powerless, while ignoring the powerful.

problem is many nutters think if you don't support bush or the war it means your not supporting the troops. authoritarian followers can be kinda stupid like that...

How often does it happen that the people of the USA publicly do not support the troops? Maybe at some rallies during the year, but by and large this is not the case.

I do not support the troops myself, but I do not make large public spectacles of my opinion. I'm no hypocrite. I cannot support the troops, but not the actions they're taking. They're also volunteers, not draftees. They certainly have a choice, unlike wars of the past. I have every reason in the world to not support them. The wars they're engaged in are as wrong as any imperial war I've read about from the past.

People who claim troops don't get enough support aren't remembering the Vietnam Conflict era well enough to remember just how visible and vocal anti-soldier opinion can get.

I'm against the war, not the soldiers who are simply doing their duty.

While acts of misconduct by the military in Iraq get a lot of attention on here, I know most of our soldiers there at least try to do the right thing. But it's hard in a place where your mission is a huge public farce, your supposed allies hate you almost as much as your enemies, and you're simply trying to survive and do your job in the midst of all kinds of horror.

And I think the lack of morale and confidence in the mission helps lead to the kind of misconduct we have seen.

I have recently made some friends around here who are USMC Iraq War combat vets - and I think they're the most anti-war people I know.

So one doesn't have to hate the warriors to hate the war.

Plenty of them hate the war too - and they have much better reasons to than us.

hey why doesn't the op link us to all these threads of ppl disrespecting of our troops...because i too rarely see any of that...

reply to post by Lowtoc


I got one for you, I am against this government corrupted used of our military for their personal private agendas.

How about that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BTW I never knew my grandfather because he die during WWII, I never knew two of my uncles because they die one in Korea while serving with my father and another to Vietnam.

Still my brother served in the Navy and my husband retired from the military service.

So I still oppose the mockery that our present administration has made of our nation and our mighty military force in pursue of greedy personal private geared agendas

If you are a patriot and love our antion and its service men and women you should be angry too but for the right reasons.

[edit on 7-3-2008 by marg6043]

reply to post by marg6043


That's a very good point marge - too often, people confuse criticism of the command (politicians) with criticism of the troops.

I'd say that it is MORE patriotic to speak out against what the leaders do than to keep silent about it.

Well, I certainly don’t support the troops one little bit.

What is this insanity that you can not support an act yet support those who commit the act?

We all made our own individual decisions to agree to go to Iraq, to put ourselves in the position of having to kill people while invading their homeland.

Did the "just following orders" line work at Nuremburg?

How many of "I support the troops but not the war" folks also support the Nazi troops, but not Hitler's administration?

No, they were German Nazi troops doing the easy wrong instead of the hard right.

Ill say that again. Easy wrong or hard right.

We all had our choice to make. I chose to go and fight rather than face my family (so far my dad and two brothers have deployed to Iraq) and my brothers in arms. I chose not to go to jail as a deserter and live the rest of my life with a dishonorable discharge looming over me.

I made my choice, AS A MAN.

Don’t insult me be saying that I am incapable of making sound moral decisions so I just followed orders. Like we are just children doing what our parents tell us to.

And don’t make my cross any harder to bear by trying to sugar coat the truth, telling me that what I did was OK and that I have nothing to feel guilty for.

I chose to kill rather than face shame and prison.

I invaded Iraq, not the POTUS! He asked us to go, threatened us with jail if we didnt, and most of us went. We went to kill to protect our back-sides (literally.)

I chose my freedom over innocent lives and I neither expect nor deserve your support, nor do we need your support. What we need is forgiveness, and you cant forgive us if you think we are blameless.


[edit on 7-3-2008 by cavscout]

reply to post by cavscout


Great post
really great


a tad bitter for me, but wonderfull in the context.


I doff my hat to you

I also think is a great post budski, I am getting tired of post questioning why is patriots out there questioning the war, the president and its use of the military and why the military can not say enough is enough.

Originally posted by cavscout



Well, I certainly don’t support the troops one little bit.

What is this insanity that you can not support an act yet support those who commit the act?

It is easy to support the troops and not the war. It was not the troops decision to invade Iraq and they have a duty to follow orders. You may not agree with the war, or support your troops which is fine, I just dont agree with you.

[edit on 7-3-2008 by bakednutz]

reply to post by marg6043


marg,
I'm not being funny,
but I have no idea what you meant in your last post to me.


No offense

Sorry Budski I should have been more clear, you were telling cavscout that his post was great and I agree with you.

That is all.