Are you sick of hearing ‘support the troops’ yet? The yellow-ribbon bumper stickers on the cars, the American flags on the houses in the neighborhood, signs in the windows, TV news announcing troops are leaving/coming home from the war. Are you sick of it all yet? I’m sick of it, and I’m a troop!
However, I will give you the same advice that Derrick Ramsey (yes, the former UK star and NFL standout) gave me when I was complaining about being ‘tired of going to college.’ You know what he said to that? And I quote: “Steve, get over it. I haven’t had a summer off in 25 years and neither will you.”
Not exactly the encouragement I was looking for but he made his point.
I know how some people feel, though. They feel bombarded with the ‘support the troops’ message everywhere they go. Well, get over it.
It makes me sad to realize that some people really feel this way. You can move to another country. It’s perfectly legal, I researched it for you! That’s why this country is so great! You have that luxury to just go!
Fox news actually had a guy on TV recently who flat out said he ‘did not support the troops because they were overpaid!’ Really? Try telling a deceased service-member’s parents that they were overpaid. I dare you.
So you’re on TV announcing your beliefs against the American soldiers’ payscale. Guess what, you’re able to speak your opinion so freely because service members like the ones overseas and at home are defending that right for you. It wasn’t free. It still isn’t free. You think gas is expensive? Try paying for freedom in blood.
I saw a bumper-sticker once that read “If you can read this thank a teacher, if you can read this in English thank a Soldier.” (To include the mighty Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard.)
Freedom has a different taste when you are here as the protector of it, than when you’re home as the protected with it.
America really needs to reassess some major issues. I won’t bother getting into the ‘prayer in schools’ issue here. You can say that there is no prayer in school but as I heard someone say once, as long as there are ‘pop quizzes’ there will be prayer in school. “God please let me pass this quiz. Amen.”
I’m starting to lose track here, what I’m driving at is the sense of entitlement issue and the forgetfulness of us as Americans to just be thankful with what we DO have. We are absolutely saturated with ‘stuff.’ That in the end has no intrinsic value. Your Blackberry will most likely not be in the afterlife waiting for you. America has a real problem with ‘me-ism’ (ethnocentrism). Movies have shown this for years. The pretty American girl in the foreign country being told ‘no’ for something and then screaming, ‘you can’t do this to me I’m an American!’
I used to find it funny. Now I’m realizing some of it’s very true. However, it’s a part of everything we are right now.
Couples who have a baby praising God and saying ‘look what the Lord has done!’ Then the same couple, fifteen years later, are on the Maury Povich show because they can’t handle their child who is acting ‘crazy and misbehaving.’ What’s even more mind-boggling is that they don’t believe as parents they had any part in this either?! Are you kidding me?
Or the married couple who pray for each other and love one another to begin their marriage and now they want them gone because they ‘can’t stand them anymore.’
You know every Sunday you’re not doing God a favor by going to church, God has done you a favor by having a church standing there for you to go into and fellowship. Freedom of religion is pretty nice huh?!
I’m part of the entitlement problem too, don’t get me wrong. My wife and I are shopping for a home and the one we like didn’t have a dishwasher and I told that to CSM Cowan. You know what he said? ‘Be thankful you have dishes to wash, some people here don’t.’ He’s right.
America’s sense of entitlement has made her greedy. All of us have become greedy with her.
You know what, though, we bought that entitlement with blood, and now it’s time to be thankful for what we have again. The economy is down, the housing market crashed, gas prices are high, and all you hear is ‘support the troops’ blah, blah, blah, and now you want answers from somebody! After all this can’t happen to us – we’re Americans!
So you want my advice?
Get over it, and get back to being the America that made us great.
Roll-up your sleeves, put your head down, stop surfin’ the internet, and get to work America.
“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” Well, my unit’s doing it. The service members all over the world are doing it. What are you doing?
And one last thing – Support the troops.
‘I love you Lindsay and I’ll see you in less than a month hopefully:)!!!’
- Steve
‘PS – Happy Birthday Taura! You’re the best sister a brother could have!’
May 27, 2008 at 9:31 am |
I saw the article title and was about to be upset with this liberal rag yet again. Well said and I hope it is well read. Thank you for your service and the freedoms you and your fellow soldiers provide us with every day.
May 27, 2008 at 10:02 am |
I support the troops. I donate to the DVA, and I volunteer frequently for numerous veteran’s activities. But let’s be clear. $2.50 for a stupid yellow sign doesn’t equal support.
Our government gives billions to contractors who get the best aromor and weapons, uparmored personnel carriers and full college reimbursement. Yet when Sen Jim Webb passes legislation to give our vets a fair college plan, he gets voted down.
When we do go to war, our political leaders completely ignore the advice of military officials, botch the operation, then let men and women die rather than change strategy. Plans fall apart at execution…you must remain flexible. However, rather than adjust our strategy, they churn endlessly and lead us into failure. People view General Petraeus as a genius, because the surge MAY be working. I view him as a patriot for not retiring when Rumsfeld ran him over and went to war on the cheap.
To be short, let’s think about supporting our troops. And not saying we support our troops. Any idiot can do that. If you can’t or no longer serve, repay our veteran’s in treasure or time. Not words. Volunteer at your local VA, send money to one of the many activities to help veterans. Vote to get better benefits, and to make sure that our politicians are good to the military, and not just guys who SAY they are.
Time for the actions of Americans to be as loud as the actions of our men and women in uniform, and our words to be as quiet as their dignity in sacrifice.
May 27, 2008 at 10:02 am |
I am a Nam Vet. There is a difference between fighting a war when you have been attacked by another country (i.e. Japan), and when you have been attacked by a group of goons (911), and a war being fought just because you think you might be attacked (Iraq). Wait until the rest of the world gets tired of the US pushing its way on them, you haven’t seen a real war yet. Take the time to read a book called Unveiling Islam. Your thoughts about war will change. The me-ism is called Narcissism, look it up. It’s destroying the youth in America.
May 27, 2008 at 2:03 pm |
Thank you for your service. I often want to say “Thank You” when I pass by a soldier at the airport or somewhere else, but I never do. I am grateful to be a spoiled American. Great post.
May 28, 2008 at 11:51 am |
Come home safe and be spoiled again with the rest of us. I walked in a Memorial Day parade in Covington on Monday afternoon. I always look for veterans on the sidelines, sometimes they will wear something to identify themselves. It is nice to make eye contact and say thank you.
And thank you. The troops do their jobs and do them well. They do not create the policies. We can blame civilian politicians for that.
May 28, 2008 at 1:01 pm |
I was bored at work and saw the title of the post on the ky.com homepage and decided to check it out. Anyway, I kept reading your other posts also. I love the one about your Mom that was very sweet. My mom has passed on, so anything about a mother touches me. I would like to say thanks to you and all the other soldiers out there and hopefully the Government will learn to give you a little more respect when you return home. I don’t think soldiers are overpaid at all, you couldn’t pay me enough to get shot at. Anyway, hope you make it back to Lexington ok and in good spirits. I don’t know you but to you, Lindsay, and the rest of your family, Keep your heads up! God Bless.
May 29, 2008 at 4:09 pm |
Support the members of the US military. Get them the hell out of Iraq now!
June 2, 2008 at 10:38 pm |
Hey Stevie,great entry! I cant even come close to imagining what you and everyone who has ever served go through. What I can say is THANKYOU. Thanyou from the bottom of my heart. I cant imagine myself over their.I’m scared to death of waterbugs much less guns and pants that dont stretch. Keep on doing an excelent job,and stay safe! Love you brother! Taura
July 25, 2008 at 3:01 am |
I am a soldier on my second deployment. (Iraq and Afghanistan) Its true, most American’s can’t imagin being over here because they have never done without anything.
To the husband and wife fighting, if you had to do without one another you might be a little more greatful that you have someone to call your spouse.
To those who think soldiers are over paid, how could you say that and not be a soldier. If you really think soldiers are over paid the Army is still taking recruits, you can be over paid too.
To the Nam coment, yeah, it is a different war. The Army doesn’t deploy itself, so you can thank the President for that one. Talk to soldiers, they would much rather be home to see their families than in a hot, dirty, dangerous third world country, but soldiers are here because of a scense of duty something that lacked in all the draft dodgers of the 1960s and 70s.
America is spoiled, because we made them that way. America has everthing. You have to be in another country to understand how great America is. Don’t forget what made it that way, hard work. Don’t ever give up, keep trying. If you think your life is hard just remember there are those who have it worse. Life can always be better, but it doesn’t come without work. If you think your job sucks, quit and join the Army. You might like it, or you might just see how good you had it. The main this is don’t complain. If this sounds like I am complaining, I am not. I re-enlisted in Iraq knowing full well that I would deploy again. It is just frustrating to most soldiers to see Americans complaining about things when they really haven’t had to do anything difficult in their entire lives.
Thanks for reading and
God Bless
scott