<p>I've heard of people in our military who have experienced negativity from people, but I've never experienced it myself until today. It seems like a growing fad for young people to be anti-military.</p>
<p>"You suck. When you come back from Iraq, I'm going to spit on you just like people did to the veterans of Vietnam."</p>
<p>That's a direct quote.</p>
<p>I am by no means ignorant of the world in which we live, so I guess I'm not posting this because I'm shocked. It just bothers me to know that our military is willing to die for everyone in this country, but everyone in this country isn't willing to support our troops.</p>
<p>I am so sorry for what you endured... and from the bottom of my heart thank you for your service.</p>
<p>As a spouse I have had to endure listening to people speak about how the military are basically hired thugs, I don't have a sign plastered across my face saying military wife and thus people talk without ever knowing they are being offensive. Here is what runs through my mind and I hope it helps you......
Freedom isn't free and those protected by it truly do not understand the meaning.</p>
<p>BTW I keep that quote on my fridge when my DH is deployed, so that our children understand we know what the true cost of freedom is.</p>
<p>There is a talk show host in our area...his website has a saying I appreciate: two people are willing to die for you: Jesus Christ and the US Military.</p>
<p>People are ignorant and stupid but fortunately, people like that are in small minority. </p>
<p>I've been in airports where perfect strangers have stood and applauded for troops returning from Irag and Afghanistan. </p>
<p>My son came home for Christmas as a plebe and being a plebe, he was in uniform. He wanted to show it off for his high school buddies so he never changed. As per their custom, they headed off for our local IHOP at midnight and our son told us in the morning that as soon as he walked in, the entire restaurant eruped in applause! </p>
<p>Those are the people who count...you can tell everyone else that you serve to preserve their rights to be idiots!</p>
<p>When my DH came home from Iraq the next day we went out to dinner, he was wearing a polo with OIF embroidered on the right corner, underneath it stated Operation Iraqi Freedom (think golf shirt)...we finished our dinner and asked for our check, when the check arrived so did dessert. A couple across the room had noticed his shirt and sent it over as appreciation...of course DH went over and spoke to them...it will always be a fond memory of how strangers can show support for the troops.</p>
<p>At the Atlanta airport, the USO has a booth right by the passenger arrival area. Everyone claps for everyone in uniform who walks by. The USO volunteers (mostly retired military older gentlemen) help them find their way around or with whatever they need. It's very nice to see.</p>
<p>War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.
-- John Stuart Mill</p>
<p>If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget ye were our countrymen.
-- Samuel Adams</p>
<p>All that is essential for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
-- Edmund Burke</p>
<p>Thanks. I guess it's not that I need reassuring or anything. I live in Philadelphia and my school is overly liberal. There's not really anyone I can tell things like this too without having someone defend that person.</p>
<p>Read some of Frank Schaffer's Books. His son graduated from an extremely liberal high school and enlisted in the marines. You might enjoy reading how Mr. Schaffer's whole perception of the military changed.</p>
<p>You'll always find a supportive and sympathic ear hear, so don't be shy!</p>
<p>It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.</p>
<p>It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.</p>
<p>It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.</p>
<p>It is the soldier, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial.</p>
<p>It is the soldier, who salutes the flag, who serves under the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag.</p>
<p>Father Dennis Edward O'Brien, USMC
(original authorship disputed, but who cares)</p>
<p>This is my son's favorite rate. Ignore them. They won't be the man in the arena. :)</p>
<p>Theodore Roosevelt
26th President of the United States</p>
<p>CITIZENSHIP IN A REPUBLIC
"The Man In The Arena"
Speech at the Sorbonne
Paris, France
April 23, 1910</p>
<p>(excerpted)</p>
<p>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 them 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, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in 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 fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. </p>
<p>Sweet Jesus I love that quote. And "f" those kids. Do what you do and forget about them, because you'll be making more of a difference in/on the world with a military career than they ever will saying stupid things like that.</p>
<p>People who would spit on a returing serviceman/woman are in the very small minority, as were those like that in the 60's. I can find only one source that claims to have any evidence of actual spitting on American servicemen after Vietnam, (60 cases) and even that source is questionable. Urban myth or not, 2.6 million men and women served in Vietnam during the conflict. 60 cases is a pretty small percentage of nuts in the barrel.</p>
<p>"I live in Philadelphia and my school is overly liberal"</p>
<p>Most "liberals" love their country and are willing to defend it as well. "Liberal" is a patently political term as it is thrown about today and has little to do with the identification of love of country or the willingness to scarifice for it.</p>
<p>Before you blow off the effects of the American public on the Vietnam vet, you should read 'Stolen Valor : How the Vietnam Generation Was Robbed of Its Heroes and Its History' by B. G. Burkett and Glenna Whitley . It is an eye opener. The "spitting" was much more subtle but it happened to all.</p>
<p>My son came from a very liberal private school and at the senior awards was given an ovation that lasted over 2 minutes. Even the most liberal faculty members were very proud and supportive of my son as were the liberal students and their parents. I almost found that it was more of some of the conservative parents with equally high achieving sons and daughters that asked "why does he want to do that and not go to Stanford?"</p>
<p>Shogun is correct:
[quote]
Most "liberals" love their country and are willing to defend it as well. "Liberal" is a patently political term as it is thrown about today and has little to do with the identification of love of country or the willingness to scarifice for it.
<p>The way that most people use the word "liberal" is different than its traditional meaning. Liberal was originally used to describe the democrats view on social welfare and governement taxation and spending. That is different from a hippie which is more of your down with the military and war they are nothing but baby killers attitude. Personally I am very offended by people who live under the blanket of US freedom but then question the actions that the military takes to defend it.</p>
<p>Last July 4th I was at a barbeque with my family and overheard one of my mom's friends (who is what some might call a liberal) saying that she was "ashamed of her country and what it is turning into." Needless to say we got into quite a heated debate (especially considering that it was 4th of July)</p>
<p>Personally, I consider my self very conservative and I take offense when people don't respect our country (I was almost suspended once for grabbing a girl by the back of her coat to force her to stand up for the pledge). I do however know that "liberal" mentality that was referred to earlier, and frankly I think that their is something wrong with people who would criticize our country and our soldiers. It is a strange world that we live in.</p>
<p>GO NAVY and all of the other branches of the armed services!</p>