No One Cares About Soldiers?!?
I spotted this post at The Blue Star Chronicles
Nobody Cares About Soldiers
Saturday, July 1st, 2006 at 8:53 pm by beth
Yesterday an American Soldier told me that nobody cares about Soldiers. There wasn’t the tiniest hint of self-pity in his words. It was stated as fact, just simple cynical fact.
Me, being me, declared ‘YES they do. Many people do. The AMERICAN PEOPLE CARE!‘ I said it with passion and conviction.
‘Why do you think that?’, I asked.
‘We are pawns in a political game.’ he replied. He told me about how the guys over there all talk about it - privately. They see the news, they hear what people say. They know they are expendable.
‘It’s disheartening’, he said. Again said not with self-pity - just as fact...the rest of the post can be seen HERE.
It's a shame that the soldier in question feels that way. Having been over there I know it's easy to feel that the only ones who understand your situation are your fellow soldiers and to some extent your family and friends. I personally avoided watching the news on TV and for the most part reading about anything to do with the war or politics while I was in country because I found it frankly depressing. Other people found different ways to cope.
I also know that the majority of the "folks" are behind the soldiers. A graphic example of this I witnessed this weekend. I attended a baseball game between the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers at the former Ballpark in Arlington. Before the game the ceremonial first pitch was delivered by a member of a MI Company scheduled to deploy to Iraq sometime this summer.
When the unit was introduced, thirty five thousand stood as one and cheered for these soldiers louder than any player introduction that day. While someone could say that doesn't really mean anything, because they didn't have to invest anything in it, I would say on the other hand they could have just sat there, they could have golf clapped they could have even booed if they wished but they didn't...they cheered and they cheered loud and long. I only wish every soldier in Iraq could have heard it. The cynical out there will say of course they cheered it's Texas after all, and to that I say guilty as charged. I have never been more proud to be a Texan or a soldier than I have that day.
Yeah, there are people out there who say that things like I described are shallow and superficial like a yellow ribbon magnet on the back of your car. They say if you really support the troops you should contribute to this or that fund...put your money where you mouth is, as it were. I personally don't care what people spend their money on or give their money to as long as it doesn't go to the other side or people who support those who are aligned against us. It is a free nation (at least this week) and if folks want to donate to the USO or Soldiers Angels or any of the other dozens of organizations designed to support those in need, thank you very much, but it doesn't mean you are a heal or a hypocrite if you don't. So all you folks out there who stand up and cheer at a ballgame or shake a soldiers hand at the airport or send a goody box through Anysoldier.com thank you it means a lot to the soldiers who get that bit of love...you guys rock. God Bless The USA.
Thanks again for the ticket Keith!
Nobody Cares About Soldiers
Saturday, July 1st, 2006 at 8:53 pm by beth
Yesterday an American Soldier told me that nobody cares about Soldiers. There wasn’t the tiniest hint of self-pity in his words. It was stated as fact, just simple cynical fact.
Me, being me, declared ‘YES they do. Many people do. The AMERICAN PEOPLE CARE!‘ I said it with passion and conviction.
‘Why do you think that?’, I asked.
‘We are pawns in a political game.’ he replied. He told me about how the guys over there all talk about it - privately. They see the news, they hear what people say. They know they are expendable.
‘It’s disheartening’, he said. Again said not with self-pity - just as fact...the rest of the post can be seen HERE.
It's a shame that the soldier in question feels that way. Having been over there I know it's easy to feel that the only ones who understand your situation are your fellow soldiers and to some extent your family and friends. I personally avoided watching the news on TV and for the most part reading about anything to do with the war or politics while I was in country because I found it frankly depressing. Other people found different ways to cope.
I also know that the majority of the "folks" are behind the soldiers. A graphic example of this I witnessed this weekend. I attended a baseball game between the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers at the former Ballpark in Arlington. Before the game the ceremonial first pitch was delivered by a member of a MI Company scheduled to deploy to Iraq sometime this summer.
When the unit was introduced, thirty five thousand stood as one and cheered for these soldiers louder than any player introduction that day. While someone could say that doesn't really mean anything, because they didn't have to invest anything in it, I would say on the other hand they could have just sat there, they could have golf clapped they could have even booed if they wished but they didn't...they cheered and they cheered loud and long. I only wish every soldier in Iraq could have heard it. The cynical out there will say of course they cheered it's Texas after all, and to that I say guilty as charged. I have never been more proud to be a Texan or a soldier than I have that day.
Yeah, there are people out there who say that things like I described are shallow and superficial like a yellow ribbon magnet on the back of your car. They say if you really support the troops you should contribute to this or that fund...put your money where you mouth is, as it were. I personally don't care what people spend their money on or give their money to as long as it doesn't go to the other side or people who support those who are aligned against us. It is a free nation (at least this week) and if folks want to donate to the USO or Soldiers Angels or any of the other dozens of organizations designed to support those in need, thank you very much, but it doesn't mean you are a heal or a hypocrite if you don't. So all you folks out there who stand up and cheer at a ballgame or shake a soldiers hand at the airport or send a goody box through Anysoldier.com thank you it means a lot to the soldiers who get that bit of love...you guys rock. God Bless The USA.
Thanks again for the ticket Keith!
posted by Outlaw 13 at 18:10
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