ArrowCollarMan
A-List Customer
- Messages
- 471
- Location
- Los Angeles, Cal-i-forn-i-a
I'm just posting this to get some general imput about the Armed Forces.
See, I've got one cousin getting out of Marine Boot Camp next week, one who is trainning with the Air Force to and will eventually become a Air Force mechanic, and one who has signed up for the Marine Reserves. Naturally, I feel worried about them because there is a war on (a war, which so happens, I do not agree with) and will most likely be putting themselves in harms way.
For a while now I've been against war and against violence in general. War is devestating to everyone. My grandmother has told me stories about how her friends went off to serve in WWII and how her once big group of friends dwindled away. Some died, some lived. I'm not entirely sure how it effected her but she has told me to NEVER EVER join the military. My grandfather was in the Marine Corps in WWII; he served as a radio operator. He was captured in December of 1941 in North China and was a POW of the Japanese for the rest of the war. He was beaten, starve, tortured and worked. All of what was inflicted upon him and his comrades haunted him until the day he died.
It seems like everyone talks about how we should honor those in the armed forces and thank them for defending our nation. In some way, I feel distain but not for the people just for what its representing. I'll say again, I feel no distain what-so-ever to people who serve its just the concept of "fighting to defend our freedoms" seems too vauge and inpersonal. Also it becomes honorable to kill. The military isn't all about killing people, I know that but it just seems twisted in a way. When one is out fighting its said that, "you must kill or be killed". That sounds awful. People who were in the military don't seem to ever mention regreting it at all although when talking about war with a veteran I find that they'll mostly talk about how they had fun with their friends and good times and so on. I don't know if they ever say "I enjoyed fighting for my nation". There is alot I don't understand and alot I never will. I don't want to show disrespect to people in the military but somehow I feel I am. I'm not trying to be ungreatful either. I'm just worried about my cousins. There is nothing I can do but I've been told to just support them.
I'm confused, worried and upset. No one has told me anything I want to hear either its "Don't say anything stupid", or "You can keep your confused opinion". I've also been told why it should be honored, but I don't see honor in war. I feel like I'm looking at this all wrong. They're my family, I love them but I just don't know what to think of all this.
See, I've got one cousin getting out of Marine Boot Camp next week, one who is trainning with the Air Force to and will eventually become a Air Force mechanic, and one who has signed up for the Marine Reserves. Naturally, I feel worried about them because there is a war on (a war, which so happens, I do not agree with) and will most likely be putting themselves in harms way.
For a while now I've been against war and against violence in general. War is devestating to everyone. My grandmother has told me stories about how her friends went off to serve in WWII and how her once big group of friends dwindled away. Some died, some lived. I'm not entirely sure how it effected her but she has told me to NEVER EVER join the military. My grandfather was in the Marine Corps in WWII; he served as a radio operator. He was captured in December of 1941 in North China and was a POW of the Japanese for the rest of the war. He was beaten, starve, tortured and worked. All of what was inflicted upon him and his comrades haunted him until the day he died.
It seems like everyone talks about how we should honor those in the armed forces and thank them for defending our nation. In some way, I feel distain but not for the people just for what its representing. I'll say again, I feel no distain what-so-ever to people who serve its just the concept of "fighting to defend our freedoms" seems too vauge and inpersonal. Also it becomes honorable to kill. The military isn't all about killing people, I know that but it just seems twisted in a way. When one is out fighting its said that, "you must kill or be killed". That sounds awful. People who were in the military don't seem to ever mention regreting it at all although when talking about war with a veteran I find that they'll mostly talk about how they had fun with their friends and good times and so on. I don't know if they ever say "I enjoyed fighting for my nation". There is alot I don't understand and alot I never will. I don't want to show disrespect to people in the military but somehow I feel I am. I'm not trying to be ungreatful either. I'm just worried about my cousins. There is nothing I can do but I've been told to just support them.
I'm confused, worried and upset. No one has told me anything I want to hear either its "Don't say anything stupid", or "You can keep your confused opinion". I've also been told why it should be honored, but I don't see honor in war. I feel like I'm looking at this all wrong. They're my family, I love them but I just don't know what to think of all this.