RE: Do you think American soldiers are put on too high of a pedestal
January 23, 2017 at 1:00 am
(This post was last modified: January 23, 2017 at 1:05 am by henryp.)
I've always thought the pedestal was a recruiting strategy. I go to a lot of hockey games, and they always have their Chevrolet soldier of the game type thing, and everybody in the arena gives them a standing ovation, and the players are tapping their sticks. They have military appreciation night, and all the players are thanking the troops.
And I think, what does this look like to a 10 year old? To see a stadium of adults standing and applauding. To see their sports hero's thanking them. That shit has to have an impact when 18 comes, and the recruiter shows up at their highschool and says "Hey, want to do that thing you've seen everybody applauding as long as you can remember?" That works a lot better than "Hey want to go somewhere awful for a little money, that seems to be mostly for political reasons these days?"
I don't stand during this time, because I'm with my 7yo, and I want her to see that it's not some unanimous 'this is the best thing ever.' I've got nothing against soldiers or the military, but the recruiting is fucking dastardly, and I won't be coerced into being a part of it.
And I think, what does this look like to a 10 year old? To see a stadium of adults standing and applauding. To see their sports hero's thanking them. That shit has to have an impact when 18 comes, and the recruiter shows up at their highschool and says "Hey, want to do that thing you've seen everybody applauding as long as you can remember?" That works a lot better than "Hey want to go somewhere awful for a little money, that seems to be mostly for political reasons these days?"
I don't stand during this time, because I'm with my 7yo, and I want her to see that it's not some unanimous 'this is the best thing ever.' I've got nothing against soldiers or the military, but the recruiting is fucking dastardly, and I won't be coerced into being a part of it.
