I have never liked the argument of someone serving or not serving, especially when it comes to politicians. Both parties have thrown this at the other. Neither Bill Clinton or 45 served. Kerry and McCain did.
Trump is a vile pile of shit, but his lack of service isn't my issue. Kerry did serve and ended up apposing the war in Nam. McCain also served and stood up for the policy. But long after, while Kerry and McCain were opposites on that war, never held grudges.
The draft was a bad thing, not a good thing. I would have been fine with it, if the one going in had had the option of saying, "Look, I will be happy to serve state side, but if you put me on that battle field, I'd get myself killed or someone else killed needlessly."
Bill or Trump, or Mitt Romney for that matter. If you are going to say that they were trying to avoid death because they were afraid, then why would you want someone mentally unfit on the battlefield with you? It makes no sense. I didn't serve myself, and I'll be the first to admit mentally I could not handle it. But that does not mean I don't value those who can or did. It would be a wonderful world where no nation needed a military, but unfortunately we are a social and tribal species. I'd certainly prefer exhausting all diplomacy first and have war as a last result. But I am certainly thankful for those who did what I could not do in landing on the beaches of Normandy and defeating a monster.
Forcing someone who is mentally unfit to handle that kind of stress is stupid and dangerous to those who do end up on the battlefield. Lack of service does not mean you cant value the weight of of those who did serve. The ones I value are not the ones who go in with the attitude of revenge like some stupid Rambo movie. But the ones who understand that war is hell and should never be entered into lightly.
Obama did not serve Ike did. But both understood the weight of conflict, the toll of it and cost. War is not something out of a movie. I think most humans want peace. And while we cannot 100% disengage the world, it is also far to small for indefinite expansion by friend or foe. In an age of mutual destruction, war is now a hair trigger to a domino that all 7 billion of us should avoid at all costs.
I valued Kerry and McCain's service, not because I agreed with that conflict. Any conflict we get into is a policy issue done by our government, not those on the battlefield. And for those who didn't serve, just speaking out, your voice, your free speech, the thing they both defend, that is also a service.
Trump is a vile pile of shit, but his lack of service isn't my issue. Kerry did serve and ended up apposing the war in Nam. McCain also served and stood up for the policy. But long after, while Kerry and McCain were opposites on that war, never held grudges.
The draft was a bad thing, not a good thing. I would have been fine with it, if the one going in had had the option of saying, "Look, I will be happy to serve state side, but if you put me on that battle field, I'd get myself killed or someone else killed needlessly."
Bill or Trump, or Mitt Romney for that matter. If you are going to say that they were trying to avoid death because they were afraid, then why would you want someone mentally unfit on the battlefield with you? It makes no sense. I didn't serve myself, and I'll be the first to admit mentally I could not handle it. But that does not mean I don't value those who can or did. It would be a wonderful world where no nation needed a military, but unfortunately we are a social and tribal species. I'd certainly prefer exhausting all diplomacy first and have war as a last result. But I am certainly thankful for those who did what I could not do in landing on the beaches of Normandy and defeating a monster.
Forcing someone who is mentally unfit to handle that kind of stress is stupid and dangerous to those who do end up on the battlefield. Lack of service does not mean you cant value the weight of of those who did serve. The ones I value are not the ones who go in with the attitude of revenge like some stupid Rambo movie. But the ones who understand that war is hell and should never be entered into lightly.
Obama did not serve Ike did. But both understood the weight of conflict, the toll of it and cost. War is not something out of a movie. I think most humans want peace. And while we cannot 100% disengage the world, it is also far to small for indefinite expansion by friend or foe. In an age of mutual destruction, war is now a hair trigger to a domino that all 7 billion of us should avoid at all costs.
I valued Kerry and McCain's service, not because I agreed with that conflict. Any conflict we get into is a policy issue done by our government, not those on the battlefield. And for those who didn't serve, just speaking out, your voice, your free speech, the thing they both defend, that is also a service.
