Some advice for you parents...

<p>Swearing is poor leadership?</p>

<p>Well, I will say in its defense that I can count on one hand the times in 30+ years I have heard my husband swear - and he is/was an outstanding leader for both his USNA/USN career and as a husband and father. So he would concur with this comment.</p>

<p>ON THE OTHER HAND - I am a New York Italian and swearing is definitely a part of my vocab - not quite like the movie Jarhead or the unedited Patton - ( I can say sentences without "F" as the noun,verb adjective and period) but certainly at appropriate times. I usually say if it's good enough for the Apostle Paul ( who swore, if you know how to read the Greek right in calling some Gentiles 'dogs') it's good enough for this mama...again....at appropriate times ( which really isn't all that often, by the way)</p>

<p>Let me tell you all a story.</p>

<p>3 years ago I attended our daughter's Civil Air Patrol banquet. She had been in the program for about 7 months. I knew nothing much about all of it - just that she LOVED it and was advancing through ranks. I go pick out a table to sit at, and there are already 3 people sitting there. One of them happens to be a 3rd class mid and her family. I knew the parents - their younger daughter was also in CAP with my daughter - but I knew they had an older daughter at the Academy. I quickly surmised this was their oldest child home on leave. I was introduced as Janell's mom and before I could open my mouth again, this mid says and I quote: "I'm damn impressed with your daughter, ma'am!" Now, mind you - I don't know her - but I looked at her face and saw a gritty realism, an honest heart, and a touch of pride in that comment. I realized that while most moms might feel a bit put off by that kind of opening salvo from a perfect stranger. I recognized this was HIGH PRAISE INDEED coming from the mouth of a midshipman! This was intended as a compliment and I took it as such. I instantly fell in love with the mid - and the rest of our dinner was a blast.She just graduated class of '05 - and at this year's CAP banquet, I was able to personally congratulate her on her Marine 2/Lt Commission and I reminded her of her comment, and told her that soon, that daughter of mine would be following in her footsteps. She had indeed summed up my daughter correctly!</p>

<p>Now, just think of the difference if a politically-correct-trained mid had said:
"I'm impressed with your daughter, ma'am."
instead of what was really said:
"I'm damn impressed with your daughter, ma'am."</p>

<p>Something gets lost without the "D" word. </p>

<p>Far be it from me to knock Academy training....this mom knows nothing about it from the get go.....but I vote for swearing at appropriate times. :-)</p>

<p>Had to comment. What a great post! Thanks.</p>

<p>Oh, timing is everything!</p>

<p>How many people here nearly died laughing when Data, realizing the ENTERPRISE was going down, uttered the now-infamous "Oh, ****!"</p>

<p>ROFLMAO!</p>

<p>Now, admittedly, some people in uniform use foul language every other word (one of my classmates was like that). THAT truly DOES drive me nucking futs.</p>

<p>zaphod,
"...was probably thought up by some elitist leftist dork at Berkeley." Daughter also received NROTC scholarship to UC Berkeley. Okay, stop laughing, UC Berkeley is the top public university in the world--and aren't they in charge of the nuclear reactor at Los Alamos?</p>

<p>Wonderful. Leftists with nukes.</p>

<p>Jane "I wish I had the blue-eyed bastards in my sights" Fonda must be so proud.</p>

<p>Sorry, but I am decidedly DOWN on the left wing in this country. I've got friends and colleagues getting shot at in a war, and these clowns are doing and saying what would rightfully have gotten them shot for treason just a few decades ago.</p>

<p>Don't get me started.</p>

<p>Lets keep the politics off line. There are plenty of folks in the military on both sides of that fence. Patriotism isn't owned by one political party.</p>

<p>"Swearing is poor leadership"</p>

<p>Depends on the leader. It usually also depends on the results. An effective leader can adjust his style (and language) to fit the people he/she is attempting to motivate. Some leaders rely on fear as their motivating force and many times use poor language to try to motivate their team. This method usually leads to limited results in the long run.<br>
Others know when to use a "colorful phrase" to make a point, but they don't lead that way. Hence the difference between George Patton and Omar Bradley (two USMA grads, but hardly "pukes")---one ends up reporting to the other because of different leadership styles.</p>

<p>Amen. I only swear when I'm driving!</p>

<p>Anyone who goes to USMA is a puke.</p>

<p>It's simply a fact of life.</p>

<p>;-)</p>

<p>"Patriotism isn't owned by one political party."</p>

<p>Owned, no. Redefined, yes.</p>

<p>And that's all I'll say. My blood pressure is high enough already.</p>

<p>"Politicians often appeal to patriotic emotions in attacking their opponents, implicitly or explicitly accusing them of betraying the nation. In the view of many, the nature of these comments harm political discussion and provide less opportunity for deliberative democracy to flourish, because it appeals only to a visceral negative emotion (mistrust and angry patriotism), rather than to voters’ reasoned views on policy."</p>

<p>Remember that when they're calling your kid a baby killer and spitting on him/her in the airport.</p>

<p>That's started, BTW...</p>

<p>thank you shogun.<br>
zaphod, how about thousands of American military officers and enlisted personnel who belong to the democratic party? Democratic MOCs nominate candidates to service academies too. Moreover, there is a Young Democrats club at USNA! Oh, I almost forgot, there's also a "Mess With Texas" group ;)</p>

<p>No problem with them, although I do find it difficult to accept how someone can wear the uniform and belong to a party that seems to be doing everything possible to ensure that our enemies are propped up and that we fail.</p>

<p>I'm sorry if some disagree with that, but I can't help it if they can't accept reality.</p>

<p>Maybe the mids in question just don't belong to that faction of the democrat party which constitutes the blinking light on the tip of the left wing of American politics, and which has taken over their party. </p>

<p>If not, then good for them. It shows they have brains. Too bad the rest of the folks in their party (who hate them for the sacrifices they're making and the service they're giving) don't agree with them. Country would be a much better place.</p>

<p>Oh, and don't be fooled by the location. I live in Texas because this is where my company has me. I'm originally from NYC (my nominating congressman was a dem), and have lived in Rhode Island, Maryland, Florida, Virginia, Massechusetts, North Carolina, and now Texas. I may be in either Wisconsin or Minnesota by the end of March.</p>

<p>Sheesh! I need a break! :-O</p>

<p>Hey! No fair! How'd you get that smiley to work?</p>

<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/misc.php?do=showsmilies%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/misc.php?do=showsmilies&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Thanks! I'm used to a different board format, and I was using the wrong codes.</p>

<p>I'm curious, is there a USNA forum where Mids, alumni, and parents hang out? (as in a semi-official one or something?)</p>

<p>current listserves are:
usnaparents.com
usna-net.org</p>

<p>check out the new and improved <a href="http://www.navysports.com%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.navysports.com&lt;/a> links allow you to watch navy sports on the computer!</p>

<p>Hmmmmm. Interesting.........
Zap, I heard that fish oil & red wine do wonders for high blood pressure.</p>

<p>KEWAL!</p>

<p>Ah, the internet....</p>

<p>Wonder how the heck we did without it....</p>

<p>"I heard that fish oil & red wine do wonders for high blood pressure."</p>

<p>LOL!</p>

<p>I'd settle for eating right and exercising, but the Navy never broke me of my lazy habit! (I'm a stubborn SOB. I think I graduated based on that alone.)</p>

<p>No joke, but I do intend to start eating the very foods you recommend beginning tomorrow. I appreciate the advice.</p>

<p>blame it on the food in King Hall--I hope Maryland doesn't restrict individuals bringing in fruit/plants like California does. My daughter took a bag of fresh apples and oranges back to Maryland. I've spent a small fortune sending her priority mail food!</p>