a rant that will probably tick quite a few off regarding Military/LEOs

[nemo97]

Something has been swirling around in my grey matter for a while that has really started to irk me.

Why does the general society place such importance on military and LEOs? It is almost as if godhood status has been bestowed on people that have VOLUNTARILY chosen a dangerous profession. It is akin, IMO, to the idiotic idolatry of celebrities. Not any of the above mentioned professions are forced upon a single soul in the USA. We do not have conscription; have not had a draft since the early 1970s; do not force people into jobs that garner the spotlight. These jobs are CHOICES made at the individual level. Pure and simple.

Do not get me wrong. I appreciate most of what military and LEOs do for security purposes. I simply refuse to give them any more credit than "job well done" when it is merited.

Your thoughts?

 

[armedindy]

well, they CHOSE to put themselves in harms way to make US safer (this can be argued, but thats basically what it is) ....however i do kinda agree with you, though i usually think about astronauts....everyone freaks when a few people died cuz they strapped themselves to humongous rockets full of volatile fuel and tried to launch themselves into outer space...what did you expect

 

[Scutter01]

It seems to me that volunteering is why they deserve credit. The person who knowingly and willingly puts themselves in harm's way to protect what you hold dear is worthy of respect. If a random stranger saw a bus about to run down your daughter and he risked his life to push her out of the way, would you simply say "Well done." and move on?

 

[iChokePeople]

Something has been swirling around in my grey matter for a while that has really started to irk me.

Why does the general society place such importance on military and LEOs? It is almost as if godhood status has been bestowed on people that have VOLUNTARILY chosen a dangerous profession. It is akin, IMO, to the idiotic idolatry of celebrities. Not any of the above mentioned professions are forced upon a single soul in the USA. We do not have conscription; have not had a draft since the early 1970s; do not force people into jobs that garner the spotlight. These jobs are CHOICES made at the individual level. Pure and simple.

Do not get me wrong. I appreciate most of what military and LEOs do for security purposes. I simply refuse to give them any more credit than "job well done" when it is merited.

Your thoughts?

So... risking your life in the service of others (or performing any other difficult task in the service of others) is less worthy of appreciation because it's VOLUNTARY? Hmm. Not sure I follow you there. No, actually, I'm completely sure that I'm not with you. Me, I give a lot MORE credit to those who do it voluntarily.

 

[adam]

I simply refuse to give them any more credit than "job well done" when it is merited.

Your thoughts?

As a MIL person, I agree with you. I don't go out looking for discounts and I don't run around begging for handouts because of my service. A thank you works well for me.

I personally hate people who try to abuse it by running around everywhere flashing their ID or badge trying to get discounts or free stuff. If the store offers it anyways (Lowe's) then whatever but watching people try to goad an owner or employee into giving them a discount because they earned it burns me up.

ETA: Don't get it twisted, they get a ton of respect from me all the time. But sometimes people abuse it and it ruins it for me.

 

[Sailor]

If I write my own reply I will be banned. What Scutter said.

 

[IndianaSigma]

The argument that it is by CHOICE that they do this is working the other way on you. Someone that is forced to protect us isn't as worthy of appreciation as someone that CHOOSES to risk their lives to protect us.

I respect anyone that chooses to put their own life on the line in order to protect another person. They aren't putting their car on the line or their house.........life is precious and we only get one of those. Anyone willing to risk losing it while fighting to protect other people is worthy of appreciation and respect.

That being said.......the ones that go out of their way to get noticed aren't the guys doing it for the right reasons.

 

[! twitty]

It seems to me that volunteering is why they deserve credit. The person who knowingly and willingly puts themselves in harm's way to protect what you hold dear is worthy of respect. If a random stranger saw a bus about to run down your daughter and he risked his life to push her out of the way, would you simply say "Well done." and move on?

 

[MilitaryArms]

Something has been swirling around in my grey matter for a while that has really started to irk me.

Why does the general society place such importance on military and LEOs? It is almost as if godhood status has been bestowed on people that have VOLUNTARILY chosen a dangerous profession. It is akin, IMO, to the idiotic idolatry of celebrities. Not any of the above mentioned professions are forced upon a single soul in the USA. We do not have conscription; have not had a draft since the early 1970s; do not force people into jobs that garner the spotlight. These jobs are CHOICES made at the individual level. Pure and simple.

Do not get me wrong. I appreciate most of what military and LEOs do for security purposes. I simply refuse to give them any more credit than "job well done" when it is merited.

Your thoughts?

I think you need to go put on a uniform and put it all on the line for someone you've never met before. Risk your life so someone else can live free and safe, then perhaps your perspective might be different.

I respect someone that volunteers for dangerous duty, a duty that directly benefits me and my family, quite a bit. I'm very appreciative of their service.

 

[J_Wales]

Police officers do indeed have a dangerous job.

Measured by fatalities per 100K, police officers rank in the top ten behind:

Fishermen
Loggers
Pilots
Farmers
Coal Miners
Roofers
Garbage Workers
and
Truck Drivers

The 15 Most Dangerous Jobs In America

Lots of brave folks out there worthy of respect, but in my opinion military folks are in general a cut above.

 

[MilitaryArms]

Police officers do indeed have a dangerous job.

Measured by fatalities per 100K, police officers rank in the top ten behind:

Fishermen
Loggers
Pilots
Farmers
Coal Miners
Roofers
Garbage Workers
and
Truck Drivers

The 15 Most Dangerous Jobs In America

Lots of brave folks out there worthy of respect.

True, but the OP isn't talking about them. He specifically identified police and military and seems to have an issue with them specifically.

 

[fullmetaljesus]

We have as a society fetishised the military and such. It comes down to that blind patriotism, that sprung up around 9-11. When it comes down to it, they are just people like you an I, no better or worse. Branding them all as heroes cheapens what a hero is.

the soldier that runs through a volley of bullets to save a person, is a hero. the lucky few soldiers that go sit in an air conditioned trailer by a pond for a few years and then come back are not heroes. (last example is a friend of mine.)



most people that claim 'Merca is the best country in the world as more than likely never been any where else. Their pa told them them merica was the best, and his pa before him and so on and so fourth. its like never have had pie a person goes to a littel shop gets pie tries their first bite and says. "this is the best pie in the world"

I find it frustrating. People in todays society seem to be proud of their ignorance, so proud in fact that to try and reason with them is like telling a wall its really a cloud. It does no one any good. I've never left this country and I will never say its the best nor the worst because honestly I don't know that.


Leo's apply to the same thoughts i have about heroes. however one thing that really pisses me off is this bline hatred people have for them. that whole "Frak the PO PO" BS
people say they hate cops, for busting them when they are breaking the law. Hey dumbass be a good citizen and there wont be problems. You hate the cops? Alright but when SHTF call a hippie not the cops. I have dealt with police a lot. I used to get hassled all the time by them. But, i never lost respect for the badge. There are a few cops who as people i have no respect for, but will still respect the badge they wear.

To call all cops, heroes or scum is intellectually lazy and inherently flawed.


When it comes down to it. People are people, they could be wearing a paper hat, a suit, a tux, a uniform, a badge, a labcoat, or even a mascot costume. We are all people, we are all made of the same stuff, we are all on the same team. We need to do what we can to make life easier for every one.

 

[jayhawk]

Hmm, I kind of agree with the op...I don't think there is anything special about it being a voluntary choice. Maybe some do it for a paycheck, maybe some do it because they couldn't find anything better. Where LEO/Military types deserve respect is in dedication to duty under difficult circumstances, whether it be facing an enemy combatant, a criminal, or internal corruption. I guess I don't necessarily respect "the badge" in and of itself, but I respect the individual who does their job with integrity and bravery.

 

[nemo97]

I think you need to go put on a uniform and put it all on the line for someone you've never met before. Risk your life so someone else can live free and safe, then perhaps your perspective might be different.

I respect someone that volunteers for dangerous duty, a duty that directly benefits me and my family, quite a bit. I'm very appreciative of their service.

fullauto,
The only thing that kept me from military service was my eyesight thanks to those deep military cuts at the end of the Cold War. My best friend served in Saudi Arabia after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in the early 1990s. He supports my point-of-view on this one.

Maybe my hesitancy to go beyond "thanks for your service" stems from my belief that the Founding Fathers had it right to think a standing army can easily be turned into tyranny (Militia and standing army). Maybe my hesitancy comes from account after account of police brutality and misuse of power. Maybe it boils down to my belief that I can fend for myself and would rather call on my neighbors and friends if a larger threat needs to be repelled.

I do support a secure America. I do not support having military bases all over the world when. I do not support having our people shedding blood worldwide for causes that really have little to do with America. I do not support "empire."

I believe in exporting ideas and supporting those that wish to share in our values and ideas. I do not support forcing democracy all over the world.

Just a few added thoughts.

 

[sbcman]

Something has been swirling around in my grey matter for a while that has really started to irk me.

Why does the general society place such importance on military and LEOs? It is almost as if godhood status has been bestowed on people that have VOLUNTARILY chosen a dangerous profession. It is akin, IMO, to the idiotic idolatry of celebrities. Not any of the above mentioned professions are forced upon a single soul in the USA. We do not have conscription; have not had a draft since the early 1970s; do not force people into jobs that garner the spotlight. These jobs are CHOICES made at the individual level. Pure and simple.

Do not get me wrong. I appreciate most of what military and LEOs do for security purposes. I simply refuse to give them any more credit than "job well done" when it is merited.

Your thoughts?

Military and LEOs (along with firefighters/medics) are some of the very few remaining vestiges of honor, integrity and sacrifice in our society. These characteristics are attractive to most of society. Their duty calls them, for example, to the exact opposite of "idiotic idolatry of celebrities" (which I am in full agreement with you there). The importance that society places on military/LEOs stems from a group of men and women doing something that serves "US" in a way that most of society can't. Therefore, we recognize their commitment and we place importance upon them because we feel that by doing so we are a part of what they're about.

Likewise, much of society goes Gaga (pun intended) over celebrities because many of them typify the supreme example of man's nature- self-focus, greed, power. Many idolize these celebrities because it makes them feel in some way that they have gained what only the celebrity has earned. It's a living movie for them.

As a MIL person, I agree with you. I don't go out looking for discounts and I don't run around begging for handouts because of my service. A thank you works well for me.

I personally hate people who try to abuse it by running around everywhere flashing their ID or badge trying to get discounts or free stuff. If the store offers it anyways (Lowe's) then whatever but watching people try to goad an owner or employee into giving them a discount because they earned it burns me up.

ETA: Don't get it twisted, they get a ton of respect from me all the time. But sometimes people abuse it and it ruins it for me.

Thank you.

I guess I have never met any service men or women who have abused their service. All of them I know hardly speak about it at all

 

[shibumiseeker]

I respect people who serve their community to make their community a better and safer place. To me there is just as much dignity and worthiness of respect for someone who volunteers during a disaster, who donates blood regularly, or who learns emergency medical treatment even when it is not part of a job so that they might help a stranger or loved one in a crisis.

A soldier, police officer, or firefighter wear a visible uniform that represents that service to the community, but there are many more out there who give as much if not more to make things better and safer for all of us, and those people rarely get thanked or acknowledged.

This is why I appreciate the service anyone who serves gives, but I don't hold a mil/leo/ff in any higher esteem than the other folks who volunteer to serve their community but who don't get paid for it.

 

[nemo97]

We have as a society fetishised the military and such. It comes down to that blind patriotism, that sprung up around 9-11. When it comes down to it, they are just people like you an I, no better or worse. Branding them all as heroes cheapens what a hero is.

the soldier that runs through a volley of bullets to save a person, is a hero. the lucky few soldiers that go sit in an air conditioned trailer by a pond for a few years and then come back are not heroes. (last example is a friend of mine.)



most people that claim 'Merca is the best country in the world as more than likely never been any where else. Their pa told them them merica was the best, and his pa before him and so on and so fourth. its like never have had pie a person goes to a littel shop gets pie tries their first bite and says. "this is the best pie in the world"

I find it frustrating. People in todays society seem to be proud of their ignorance, so proud in fact that to try and reason with them is like telling a wall its really a cloud. It does no one any good. I've never left this country and I will never say its the best nor the worst because honestly I don't know that.


Leo's apply to the same thoughts i have about heroes. however one thing that really pisses me off is this bline hatred people have for them. that whole "Frak the PO PO" BS
people say they hate cops, for busting them when they are breaking the law. Hey dumbass be a good citizen and there wont be problems. You hate the cops? Alright but when SHTF call a hippie not the cops. I have dealt with police a lot. I used to get hassled all the time by them. But, i never lost respect for the badge. There are a few cops who as people i have no respect for, but will still respect the badge they wear.

To call all cops, heroes or scum is intellectually lazy and inherently flawed.


When it comes down to it. People are people, they could be wearing a paper hat, a suit, a tux, a uniform, a badge, a labcoat, or even a mascot costume. We are all people, we are all made of the same stuff, we are all on the same team. We need to do what we can to make life easier for every one.

^5 on your post.

I love being pulled over by a cop (not really), but I do love when asked, "Do you know why I pulled you over?"

"Yes sir/ma'am. I was driving XX in a YY zone." Amazing how shocked a LEO is when you are HONEST with them. Hasn't really gotten me out of tickets, but it sure beats being hassled by them for being a liar. In the event I am ticketed for speeding or something else I have done, I am NEVER upset with the LEO. I am only upset with myself for doing what I knew I shouldn't have been doing.

 

[nemo97]

True, but the OP isn't talking about them. He specifically identified police and military and seems to have an issue with them specifically.

I do NOT have an issue with LEO or military servicemen. Service runs in the family in both arenas. Maybe I am a bit screwed up by my upbringing. My dad served in the United States Air Force from 1966 to 1974. Yup, right dab smack in that little engagement called Viet Nam.

The ONLY story I ever heard about my dad's service time was a ticket he received for an open beer can in his parked car on base. Not one other story ever came of his service that spanned eight years.

My grandfather was trained to be a bomber gunner in WWII (never saw service).

I cannot count the number of LEOs that run through my family (likely match the number of preachers ).

I don't recall any of my family members ever seeking extra kudos for doing their jobs.

What I have noticed is how much emphasis has been placed upon servicemen and LEOs in our society. I just think it's misplaced.

 

[MilitaryArms]

We have as a society fetishised the military and such. It comes down to that blind patriotism, that sprung up around 9-11. When it comes down to it, they are just people like you an I, no better or worse. Branding them all as heroes cheapens what a hero is.

the soldier that runs through a volley of bullets to save a person, is a hero. the lucky few soldiers that go sit in an air conditioned trailer by a pond for a few years and then come back are not heroes. (last example is a friend of mine.)

I didn't read the word "hero" mentioned anywhere in the OP's post. As a matter of fact, I didn't see anyone in the thread call all military or LEO's "heros".

 

[J_Wales]

True, but the OP isn't talking about them. He specifically identified police and military and seems to have an issue with them specifically.

True....

But if we are going to honor folks for the dangers they face in executing their work, let's give fishermen, loggers, pilots, farmers, coal miners, roofers, garbage men, and truck drivers the respect they deserve.

After all, they assume much more danger than does a police officer but are rarely given much credit at all for doing so.