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

[Mackey]

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?

My thoughts? There is some truth here. As a culture we do tend to worship idols. Regarding the military, in my time in, I came to realize most of us were in primarily to advance themselves personally and professionally. That's just the way it is. I'm not saying I wasn't proud to serve and I did enjoy the honor of saluting during the national anthem and all. But we were in to do a job. No one I knew wanted to die for their country (but I'm sure many would if called to).
In "the real world" there are many many people who are unsung heros and deserving of as much (or more) respect.

However, my bottom line: Just as in the military, when we saluted the higher ranking officer (or even the car with the stars on the plate), we were saluting the ideals and showing respect and honor ultimately to our country. so while not all military or LEOs are necessarily deserving of respect, they all should receive it just for wearing the uniform.

 

[SSGSAD]

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 haven't read the whole post, BUT I VOLUNTEERED, 26 YEARS of my life, and did WHAT I was TOLD to do, no MATTER how STUPID I thought it was ..... YES, I said MY piece, about it ..... I ALSO EXPECTED, the people that I TOLD to do WHAT I TOLD THEM to do, WHEN I told them to do it ..... all in "peacetime" I NEVER WENT OVERSEAS, NEVER risked MY life, as so MANY others did, I have ALL MY PARTS, and no "extra" pieces.... BUT I STILL SERVED, a VERY UN forgiving "government"... I am happy that I served, and I DID IT FOR YOU !!!!! SSGSAD

 

[Bill of Rights]

I've always loved these stats. When was the last time a rouge Tuna or Redwood broke from their respective norms and intentionally tried to kill a fisherman or logger.

I can hear if now, "Tater, you better not go loggin' on the westside of the forest, there's a mean group of evergreens just lookin' to take out a logger"

Don't know if they're rogue tuna per se, but....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6ps7PJy89s

The only thing I can find for the other one was this guy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4hXdsVUnp4

Blessings,
Bill

 

[13Hollow Points]

I think military and LEO's are in two different camps. When you enter the military you are giving up all personal freedom. The military owns you. They tell you what to wear, where to go, and what to say. (speaking from experience) You lose yourself. When you become a LEO you gain instant power and control. The military is a selfless service to an entire country. LEO's have more personal gain than the military ever does. So, I have the utmost respect and admiration for fellow service members but LEO's are much harder to give the "auto" respect and admiration.

 

[J_Wales]

Read through post #40 so far:




You're correct that the people in those occupations have a higher death rate/more dangerous job. Thing is, though, you have to ask who they went into that line of work to help. A large percentage of soldiers and emergency workers don't go into their chosen fields just for a paycheck and conversely, most loggers , roofers, and sanitation workers probably don't go into their fields for the joy of a well-cut log, the satisfaction of a roof well-done, or the knowledge that that day, they've helped someone by tossing their garbage can for them. I don't say that to malign any of those or the other professions you quoted from that list, I only wish to point out that the serviceman or public servant (many, anyway) does what they do because of an inner compulsion, a need to give to their fellow man. If that can be done and also earn a paycheck doing it, so much the better.

Hope that helps! (Now on to read the rest of the thread.)

Blessings,
Bill

As usual, well said Sir.

God bless the Fishermen. God bless the Farmer. God bless the Logger. God bless the Garbageman. God bless those others that face dangerous situations as well.

 

[Vince49]

It was worth it.

 

[Archaic_Entity]

"Quotation is a serviceable substitute for wit."
Oscar Wilde


"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat." - Theodore Roosevelt

 

[ThrottleJockey]

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?

I knew this would happen. I can't get any further into reading this thread until I get this off my chest. They do it for a PAY CHECK and thus are NOT volunteering. If a stranger ran out into the street to shove a child out of harms way, THAT would be volunteering and worthy of more than just a "good job" IMO but when you are doing it as a means of supporting yourself it is a JOB and is done for the purpose of providing INCOME. I could use the same argument about my JOB and talk about how none of you would have ANYTHING if it weren't for the truck drivers sacrificing time with family, risking life and limb every moment of every day the way you idiots drive, then at the end of the work day we get to go find a dark place to park where hopefully we won't be arrested, ticketed, towed off or robbed/killed. Instead of going home, we get stranded in parking lots of abandoned businesses.....


But I'm NOT going to do that, because it is my JOB to make sure you have food, clothes, guns, ammo, literally EVERYTHING you touch on a daily basis. I get paid for it and that is my thanks. I don't have an ego problem like many LEOs suffer from.

If you've got it, a truck brought it.

 

[ATM]

...If you've got it, a truck brought it.

If you've got a truck, someone manufactured it.

If they manufactured it, someone provided the steel.

If they provided the steel, someone mined the ore.

If they mined the ore and it wasn't stolen by criminals or another nation...

someone served to protect it.

Kudos to all involved for putting your lives on the line to ensure that I get my stuff.

 

[rugertoter]

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?

Feel the same way, and I was in the Marines. I think we are so "hero" starved, in the United States anyway, that they are creating heros. I don't look at myself as anything special.

 

[24Carat]

What is the nature of the threat in those top ten? Is it workplace accidents or someone actively trying to murder them? I think there's a huge difference.

Exactly! Thank you

 

[jsharmon7]

If you've got a truck, someone manufactured it.

If they manufactured it, someone provided the steel.

If they provided the steel, someone mined the ore.

If they mined the ore and it wasn't stolen by criminals or another nation...

someone served to protect it.

Kudos to all involved for putting your lives on the line to ensure that I get my stuff.

Thanks for pointing out the ridiculousness of all of this. Nobody owes anybody anything. I appreciate the farmers just like I appreciate the soldiers who keep the enemies of our country at bay. If you became a soldier/cop/farmer/fireman/etc. for pats on the back then you did it for the wrong reason. Do it because it's what YOU wanted to do it and be happy with your decision.

 

[24Carat]

. . . . .

 

[flatlander]

How many years have you served? Maybe it's not what you're trying to say but the delivery sucks.


Bob

 

[JBrockman]

What is your opinion of Volunteer Firefighters?

 

[starbreather]

Wow, that's the difference 60 years will make. Blatant lack of respect, you did forget a few other public servants. Hey, why not?

 

[lucky4034]

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?

Feel free not to thank them... its your right. But why would it not be appropriate for anyone else to thank them?

Without them... YOUR WORLD NO LONGER EXISTS. We thank the military and LEO's because they are willing to do the ONLY job in this country that is NECESSARY and as you point out... NO ONE is forcing them to do it. Remove them and our country would soon resemble Mogadishu.

Sure there are cases when one of them or a small group of them screw up, or abuse their status/duties... but it pales in comparison to selfless duty so many of them have afforded us in the history of this country.

Right now we have the best police and military in the world and it shows. Remember that next time you are on a nice date with your wife/gf, or when you are attending your son's graduation. Maybe then, you will be a tad bit grateful that they exist, because without them none of this would be possible. And please don't tell me that you think a country, with the amount of natural resources that we currently have, with no military to protect it, and no police force to regulate it, would be a utopia LMAO....

 

[wtfd661]

I think military and LEO's are in two different camps. When you enter the military you are giving up all personal freedom. The military owns you. They tell you what to wear, where to go, and what to say. (speaking from experience) You lose yourself. When you become a LEO you gain instant power and control. The military is a selfless service to an entire country. LEO's have more personal gain than the military ever does. So, I have the utmost respect and admiration for fellow service members but LEO's are much harder to give the "auto" respect and admiration.

The bold parts of your post i had to LMFAO, I've been involved in LE for almost 25 years now and I have yet to see my INSTANT POWER and CONTROL (maybe I should have become a Jedi instead ). As far as personal gain go I guess that would explain for my entire career I have had to work 1 or 2 part time jobs during my career so far, there has NEVER been a time when I haven't been working more that 1 job to support my family.

And as far as "auto" respect and admiration, I am not looking for ANYONE's "auto" respect and admiration, all I look for is for someone to treat me like I treat them, with respect until proven other wise.

For the military personel they have my undying gratitude for stepping up and serving for myself, my family and my country and NOTHING will ever change that

 

[lucky4034]

^Well... you have my autorespect sir!

I'm ex-military and I have soooo much respect for Law Enforcement. No one likes being pulled over by a police officer or dealing with the police in general. In most cases, if you have to talk to a uniformed police officer, its probably not going to be a good experience as you likely have done something wrong. Therefore I think cops catch a lot of heat that is simply unwarranted.

So often I hear... "I hate cops"... "cops are *******s"... "cops are lazy"... blah blah blah... because when someone gets a ticket for going 10mph over the speed limit, they feel like they are victims. "that mean cop was just being a jerk... he could have let me go without giving me a $100 speeding ticket."

And the media doesn't help because the only time you hear about a police officer it is because one of them did something they shouldn't have. Ie... arrested a crippled senior citizen for jay walking or shot someones dog in a routine house call. You rarely hear about some of the extra positive things they do....

Those same people (and there are A LOT OF THEM who complain about evil cops) fail to realize that without police officers, there would be complete Anarchy and then those same victims would be the ones crying for help when their neighborhood starts to resemble a third world warzone.....

One famous saying I keep running across in the gun world is...

"We purchase guns in the hopes to never have to use them."​

Remove the police force and that motto will change to...

"We purchase guns in hopes to extend our lifespan"
​

 

[Denny347]

Thanks for pointing out the ridiculousness of all of this. Nobody owes anybody anything. I appreciate the farmers just like I appreciate the soldiers who keep the enemies of our country at bay. If you became a soldier/cop/farmer/fireman/etc. for pats on the back then you did it for the wrong reason. Do it because it's what YOU wanted to do it and be happy with your decision.

Hard to argue against this.