Time to ask the hard question about those armed bullies.

[Baitball Blogger]

How many of them have military experience and use it to try to bully the rest of us? I'm just saying that there is no reason, any more, for our tax dollars to bolster organizations that spew out hard right-wing, conservative thinking. Whatever advantage that they might have been, directing that kind of thinking on the enemy, is now being directed to U.S. civilian populations and is destabilizing our government process.

There are good, wonderful people that sign up for the military for all the right reasons. We need more of them, and less of the hard right, N.R.A., don't tread on me, ANTI-government types.

[Stinky The Clown]

1. I get the impression many of these yahoos are playing at being military, not really ex military

To be sure, some are. But most of the yahoos I encounter , read about, hear from, tend NOT to have any military background except playing with GI Jose dolls as kids.

Fuck 'em.

[Baitball Blogger]

2. I hope you're right.

But it would be helpful if the military stepped up and said something publicly, because it's a poorly designed flaw in the system. I think, after 9/11, the military may have been recruiting the wrong kind of people.

And I think we need to find those hardcore conservatives in the military who hate Liberals and pull them out before they infect the rest of their branches. Liberals only want to honor the Constitution and should not be demonized for it.

[Laelth]

7. It's not appropriate for our military to engage in politics.

I would like to keep it that way.

-Laelth

[Baitball Blogger]

10. That's the problem. I grew up on a military base and it heavily slants conservative.

It's an indoctrination that I've seen get worse since Vietnam. I don't even recognize the political affiliations of my high school friends. They have morphed into their conservative fathers.

As far as I can see, unless liberals in the military come up and speak out, you never see evidence that they even exist. And believe me, I've eagerly looked for them to stand up and talk.

Non-partisan would be an improvement. But it's not a reality today. It's just talk.

[Laelth]

11. You understand the situation better than I, obviously.

My experience mirrors yours—that our military has become more overtly “Republican” since Vietnam, but I remain hesitant to call upon the brass to inject themselves into partisan politics.

How to change the underlying culture, I have no clue. I don’t deny that I would like to see it change.



-Laelth

[Docreed2003]

13. +1

Agree with this completely. Most of the yahoos buy up anything labeled as "tactical" and play "army man", but have never served a day in their lives. As a vet, I have plenty of friends who love their gun collections but not a single one of them would act out in this way. Sure, there are some in that crowd with military or police experience but I'd wager the vast majority are wannabes.

[EarthFirst]

3. Methinks Stolen Valor is rampant among this demographic...

Whether claiming service history or actual Stolen Valor; I’m of the opinion that 60% of their service history claims are shenanigans.

[Baitball Blogger]

4. +1

[dalton99a]

8. It's quite common. If you ask them for details, they get really evasive

because they know it's bullshit

(The older ones usually claim they were in Vietnam, the younger ones claim they were in Iraq)

[Stinky The Clown]

18. I know such a stolen valor piece of garbage.

In his sixties. Claims Viet Nam service but NONE of his stories have even a ring of truth. Another friend in the same cycle is a retired Army colonel. He agrees with me. Since he's making claims suitable only for dick wagging and not money or power, what he's doing is just bullshit, not a crime. As a vet, I think it should be.

[NRaleighLiberal]

5. check the orange cheeto stains on the triggers

[Baitball Blogger]

6. I would laugh, if it weren't so true.

[MineralMan]

9. Some of them served in the military, no doubt.

Many did not. That doesn't matter, though. Now, they are a ragtag caricature of military men. They fancy themselves as tough guys, with their mismatched camouflage and expensive semi-auto rifles. They have invested thousands in pretend uniforms and weapons, but have invested nothing in good sense.

Some may have served in the military, but took nothing from it but a misplaced sense of bravado.

Note: I served a four-year enlistment in the USAF from 1965-69.

[dware]

12. Everything you say in this post I agree with you.

I too served, but mine was from 1965-2000 in the USMC.

I have nothing but contempt for these wanna be's, they took the discipline from their military service and turned into a convoluted ideology.

Most of them that pretend to have served would probably run away crying at the first sign of real combat.

[MineralMan]

14. Well, my service was totally non-combat.

While I qualified as an expert marksman with the M16, I never saw one again after Basic. The USAF had other plans for me, I guess.

I don't know which of the arms-bearing protesters were actually in the military, nor do I know what they did in their branch of the service if they were. I do know, though, that they are not in the military now, and that's all that matters.

They do those things to intimidate people. That is their goal, and they succeed pretty much in that. Like you, I doubt that most would stand and fight if they came under fire.

[dware]

15. From one Veteran to another Veteran,

thank you for your service.

[MineralMan]

16. Right back at you!

I don't really feel like I need to be thanked, though. Those four years were my choice to make. They gave me some time to learn some important lessons before resuming my education. I did the work that was assigned to me as best I was able. I have never regretted my time in the USAF. It was valuable to me.

[dware]

17. No problem.

I always thank fellow Veterans for their service, we gave up a chunk of our lives to serve in our nations armed forces, to me, that is a sacrifice that should be thanked.

Have a great day.