As I plod through the news feed on a weekly basis I often find stories that bring out several emotions in me as I read them. I believe everyone experiences this and although I have been called a cynic (and rightly so) and admit I've become socially numb on a lot of issues, I don't think I've gone so far over the precipice that lines the edge of humanity that I have no emotions remaining on certain matters. So as I personally feel joy, sorrow, indifference, dislike, irritation, frustration and outright rage over the articles I read, two emotions that seldom arise in me are shock and surprise. (Which ultimately turn into frustration and rage.) This week I was tripped up by both over a subject I'm still having a hard time accepting. Our modern day military men and women. Now I know your probably asking yourselves what problem could I possibly have with our service personnel? Well, my fellow Observers, it's not me having an issue with them. It's them having an issue with us. And that issue is about something we hear every day. We hear it on the news. We hear it on talk shows, on game shows and read it in newspapers. We hear it at parades, ceremonies and in our local shopping centers. It's as common as apple pie at Thanksgiving dinner and The Star Spangled Banner performed at a sporting event. The issue is our collective gratitude toward our military men and women for their service. That's right, they have a serious problem with us thanking them for their service to our country. Believe me, my loyal reader, I was just as surprised as you and my first question was probably the same as yours. Why? Why would they have a problem with our thanks? (OK, this is where the frustration and rage comes in). According to a recent New York Times article, to some recent veterans our thanks to them comes across as shallow, meaningless and ignorant. They consider it a reflex action from people who have no idea what they went through or what motivated them to join. (For the record, these are their words, NOT mine). Something that someone who would never join nor send their children to fight says to make themselves feel better about their guilt. Soldiers interviewed also said it raises questions about our patriotism, shared purpose and sincerity. That our thanks to them is self serving and suggests that we think we know what they experienced in combat. One veteran actually said "I pulled the trigger, you didn't. Don't take that away from me.".
And just to enrage us further, more went on to say that not only do they not want our thanks, they dread being put in situations when they know they are going to receive it. It's gotten to the point, within their ranks, that they actually have a name for it. "The Thank You For Your Service Phenomenon". They've also revealed that it has become considered an inside joke among them. Imitating civilians and pretending to thank each other while shaking hands with fake tears in their eyes. What a bunch of spoiled brats! Self centered, self absorbed children with some kind of false sense of entitlement. That's all these people are and all they'll ever be unless they grow up an put on their "big boy" uniforms, make their chow "all gone" and go to the latrine by themselves. This comes as no surprise as far as I'm concerned. Starting with generation X, it seems that a lot of our newest crop of "adults" (and I use that term loosely) think that they are owed something even though they haven't earned it. They readily expect their parents to provide them with everything they need. And if they do have a job, the money earned from it is spent on what they want, not what needs to be paid. Things like food, gas, insurance, lights, heat.... you know, non essentials. If there was one kind of twentysomething I thought had it figured out were the ones that joined up. I thought they felt a responsibility to their country and fellow citizens. Felt a need to take matters into their own hands and forge a life for themselves and become self supporting. Well.....I called that one wrong! Turns out they're just as bad, if not worse, than the ones who are still living in their parents basement asking Mommy for a PB&J with the crusts cut off.... and don't forget the milk! At least the one in the basement with the video games is playing with fake guns. Not only do these kids think they're owed something, they are justifying their claim of entitlement by waving their service in our faces like a flag of discontent and turning their noses down on our thanks for it. Not good enough America......NOT GOOD ENOUGH! How typical. Typical and nothing new. All they've done is taken teenage rebellion to a new level and a new age. Instead of it fading out in their twenties, they've found a way to drag it into their thirties before they start to get a clue. We can only hope it goes away by the time the men's hair starts to recede and the women's biological clocks start ticking.
What bothers me is that some of these recent soldiers are comparing themselves to older veterans. I do not argue the point that they deserve same amount of credit for their sacrifice, but suggesting that the older veterans feel the same way about our gratitude, in my opinion, is them trying to justify their tantrum. They have stated and actually believe that Vietnam veterans, returning home to protests, were at least shown a genuine feeling by the non fighting public. What a bunch of crap. Being spit upon and called "baby killers" was respected by our veterans because they considered it an honest opinion of how the public felt? Who do these people think they're kidding besides themselves? Vietnam veterans would have openly accepted our thanks.... wanted our thanks and were angered by not getting it. That's what these little doobers don't seem to get. The veterans that are standing out in front of our local stores in the rain and cold to sell "forget me nots" to raise money to help fellow veterans genuinely accept our thanks and our handshakes. They welcome them and receive them with respect and gratitude not skepticism and disdain.
So what do these new veterans want? What aren't they getting that they think they deserve from us? Obviously our thank yous are not enough. According to some, it's not even enough coming from the parents of fallen comrades. Stating that the thanks are "not for them" and "I'm not your son". Really?...... You can't even accept the thanks from parents who have lost their child without being insulted? That is a level of disrespect and indifference that is completely unfathomable to me. When did our service men and women become a bunch of ungrateful, disrespectful, whining, crying babies?
When directly asked what they would like from us, answers varied from voting to scholarships to jobs. One veteran said to give a vet $100.00. That would "at least show some sacrifice on the thankers part.". What?....Are these people kidding me? I'm fine with voting, scholarships and jobs. Those things are reasonable requests and have a certain credibility to be asked for. But 100 bucks?!?! Are you serious? Can you be any more adolescent than linking cash to sacrifice? So much for the soldier mentality. I suppose I should expect no more from immature children who feel that they have not been given their due yet again.
Service men and women who take this standpoint do a lot worse than make fools of themselves. They discredit all those that serve with them and those who served before them. Not only the surviving veterans, but to the memories of those who gave their lives. And let me tell you something all you junior Pattons and little Big Macs.... Get Over Yourselves! Climb down from your high horses and drop the holier than thou attitude because you served your country. It makes you no better than the people who didn't or for that matter, couldn't. That's the difference between the modern military and the past. The men and women who served this nation 25 years ago or more understood their sacrifice was for the common good of our country and was not a job of entitlement. It was a duty, that when one was called upon by, was met with their respect and the gratitude of the ones who stayed behind and that gratitude was received graciously. It was not met with irritation, sarcasm or jokes. Maybe because our thanks shouldn't be considered irritating, sarcastic or funny. Maybe.... just maybe, when you newbies get a little bigger in your age and your mentality, you'll be able to accept our thanks with the same respect we have for your service. Strictly an Observation. If you'll excuse me, I have $100.00 worth of VFW posies to buy.
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