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A few months ago, I said in a facebook group that I don't automatically respect soldiers. I said that if they are good people, I will respect them - but that I won't automatically extend my respect to every soldier just because they wear a uniform.

I am still getting hate letters. I am still getting messages from people saying that I should respect the military for giving me my freedoms, that I would live in a dictatorship if it weren't for the military, and so forth. I have been called all sorts of things - the nicest of which have been spoiled brat and closed minded idiot.

So there are two parts to this question:

1) Do you automatically respect/disrespect the military? Why or why not?

2) Why do you think that soldiers are defended so aggressively (I don't think a thread made about how I don't automatically respect all construction workers would have gone on nearly as long!)?

I'm dead tired, so I'll apologize in advance if any of this is confusing or sounds crazy. ...Well, maybe I should just apologize for the confusing, the crazy can't be helped...

Personally, I do respect the soldiers and the uniform. I mean, normal people get a set amount of respect from me from the start (Yay for default levels) and soldiers get a higher default amount of respect, but such things from me should be seen only as temporary modifiers (If we were to put it in game terms.)

To clarify, the defaults only work for people I have not yet encountered in life. The moment I begin socializing with someone, the level of respect I have for that individual changes based on several factors that all tell me what kind of person they are. I'm not so shallow as to judge by current personal appearance, since their own personal tastes on what looks good and what doesn't is their right, so I shouldn't base them against what I find aesthetically pleasing. But I do judge from their mannerisms. How they hold themselves, how they walk, how well they interact with others, how they speak (though not so much, since I've put thought into being a voice actor and realize that how one speaks can be altered to best suit their current situation) and the general overall feel I get from them. That automatically raises or lowers what I think of the individual, and they're given a chance to redeem or harm themselves by how I see them treat others. If they find the pain and suffering of others to be humerous, if they're rude or inconsiderate, or if they have an honestly huge ego, I think less of them. If they show the opposite qualities though, I think more of them.

Though I guess that's not an entirely accurate way of how I think of people and respect them and all, it's probably best that I leave it at that. I'd get too confusing otherwise without a fair amount of explaining, which I'm far too tired to bother with at the moment.

If you voluntarilly go into combat and war knowing the risks, you don't deserve any empathy from me, let alone respect. I actually don't really have a problem with the individual soldiers, as long as they are'nt complete pricks. I have a lot of issues over the military and government in general.

Saying that we would live in a dictatorship if it were'nt for the military is bullshit. If anything, the U.S. would be better off not being so militarized. Constantly occupying countries and getting tangled up in foriegn matters is what makes so many people despise the western world.

I also tend to get pissed off when people tell me that they died for the flag. If you risked your life for a piece of cloth, you really have some mental issues.

But that's exactly the thing - I am expected to respect ALL soldiers, even if they don't deserve the uniform. That just seems... troubling to me and bordering on hero-worship.

Every single soldier in the army because they truly and honestly believe that they are making the world a better place and they are good and generous people - I respect them. I may not show it because I don't know which ones they are, but I feel it. I wonder why they decided to join the army instead of the peace core or the red cross or some other non-violent organization, but I guess that's their business.

But then there are soldiers who join because it's just a job, because they can get education, because they can get benefits, because that's what their father did and it was expected of them, because they were scared when graduating and signed up without thinking, because they thought that joining would grant them automatic respect from a family/community that wasn't giving it to them, and so forth. I'm not saying that the majority joined for these reasons, or even a significant minority. I am just saying that people who joined for these reasons aren't worthy of respect any more than anyone else is.

Like Kindy, I do have a general amount of respect for all people - but my default higher goes to people with true hearts - people who do their jobs (whatever their jobs may be) to make the world a better place. Teachers, construction workers, politicians, etc... Being a teacher takes a LOT of sacrifice. Most of the teachers I know have deliberately put aside their own children and even, in some cases, their own lives so that they could bring us wisdom. And yet, no one shouts me down if I say "I don't automatically respect every teacher!" I wonder why the special case is made for soldiers...

Shinta is correct that many aspects of the US would be better off if the military were cut down. It's not just that the US has the biggest military, but rather that it is bigger than ALL the other militaries combined. The result is that we have less money for teachers, less money for repairing bridges, we are going into debt, social programs are constantly being cut off - why? Because cutting back on the military is unthinkable. It would be seen as disrespect... I also agree with Shinta that, while I will respect the person who joins the military for good reasons, I will always hold it against them that they joined the military instead of an organization that does all the same good without the evil.


What about all the other organizations that do the same good in peace? What about all the people who work every weekend at Habitat for Humanity, for example? They may not wear a uniform, but they do the SAME good works. The only difference is that they don't also go and kill people in times of war (as saffron has stated - it isn't the US freedom that is being defended in Iraq).

What about all the other organizations that do the same good in peace? What about all the people who work every weekend at Habitat for Humanity, for example? They may not wear a uniform, but they do the SAME good works. The only difference is that they don't also go and kill people in times of war (as saffron has stated - it isn't the US freedom that is being defended in Iraq).
I never said I didn't respect those people. Plus, I am pro-war. Not just the Iraq war, but any war, I am all for. So going off and fighting in war is kind of an added bonus on their side.

Oh, sorry, that's something I didn't consider. Though surely, not all people who sign up for service are suicidal. Indeed, I think we mostly have the scholarship benefits they offer to blame for people who really don't have an interest in "defending their country" signing up for military service. A recruiter came to our school last year. All he talked about was how it could pay your way through college.

I get angry at the military.

Those who know me know that I never, ever get angry, or at least show it. I've been called names, disrespected, and all that sort, but nothing angers me more then the military and those in authority allowing it.

I mean, really, why do people fight? Why do people even have wars? In some ways, perhaps wars would be best to help lower the human over-population, but that's just my darker self talking there.

I admit some soldiers are truly good, for say, the soldier that protects people and take on a mission in order to save lives... But today, rarely do I see or hear this to be the case. The military is being abused.

The idea of soldiers, strong warriors, and people willing to sacrifice themselves in brilliant. The idea of someone mis-using that idea for the wrong purposes, is sickening.

Why are soldiers even in iraq right now? I truly don't understand. It may be just my lack of knowledge on the matter, but as things are and from what I gathered, the military needs to stop.

For crying out loud, why is the -US- military in -someone else's country?- What the hell?!

Pardon my language, I just have a bad outlook on the military Authority.

I respect the person in uniform automaticly for being brave enough to join, that doesn't mean I respect the person personaly. I have a military family, both of my parents were in the Air Force, my brother is just about to get out of the Air Force after 12 years, plus a bunch of my aunts and uncles were in various branches.