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| Blogs > lionthatroared > Roaring from the Lion |
Do You Love A Man In A Uniform?
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Do You Love A Man In A Uniform? This is a picture of me today, in my Army ACU's. How am I looking? The lap swimming is paying off, I think.  I'm going to be a little angry here, so bear with me, and I hope you understand. I wanted to talk today about the American military, because I'm honestly tired of some of the misconceptions, myths, and outright lies perpetrated by the media, our own government, and those who feel it's okay to spit on us. You know what? It's okay. You can not like us. You can even hate us. You have the right to do exactly that. You have the right to protest and petition our government to disband the entire military in the name of peace. You have the right to the freedom of speech that lets you scream at the top of your lungs how much you can't stand anyone and everyone in the military for whatever reasons you may have. They might even be good reasons... I haven't lived your life, so I can't judge you. Apparently it's okay for you to judge ME, but that's another story... Do you know why it's okay? Because those of us in uniform fight and die so you can have that opinion. We choose to accept your sarcasm and your bile and your bitterness and your hatred, because if we didn't, you wouldn't be able to fling it in the first place. Try doing that in just about any other country that has not embraced the American example. Protesting, that is, or speaking out against the military or the government. Go ahead. I dare you. I double-dare you. Every country that has chosen not to follow the example of the United States would have their military arrest you, beat you, torture you, imprison you, take away all of your possessions, publicly humiliate you, tax you so hard that you'd lose your home and everything you and your family have, savage your sexuality, enslave you, kill you, kill your family, kill your neighbors who had the bad luck to be living next to you, hunt down and kill your friends just in case they contracted the "freedom disease" you had, and desecrate your body in ways only humanity could ever come up with. Go ahead. Just try. If those other countries "have got the right idea", then feel free to go see for yourself. Or you can take my word for it when I say that over 7/8ths of the world would happily throw your life into a wood-chipper for daring to speak against their military or their government. And most of the remaining 1/8th would shut you up in other, less violent but no less oppressive, ways. Don't believe me? Go watch the news once in a while. See what happens to protesters in other parts of the world... those that dare to have protesters, that is. The United States treats their protesters with gloves and warm blankets compared to them. You think tear gas and tasers are bad? You think being manhandled a little by police is bad? You think getting thumped by a baton because you were stupid enough to pull a weapon on a cop is bad? HA! You have no fucking clue, pal. None. And you think you know the truth about what's going on in those countries, do you? Let me guess, from all the television shows and movies, right? You're only seeing what got past the censors in that country... you have never, and likely will never, see the savage butchery that usually accompanies innocent people who desperately wish they had the same freedoms that you spit on and take advantage of. Our military keeps your freedoms safe, and we do it with our blood, our limbs, our mental health, our physical well-being, and our very lives. We brave weapons that would give you nightmares for your entire life if you ever actually encountered them in real life, so that you can protest our funerals. We endure tortures that would break your minds like twigs if you had to endure them, so that you can call us baby-killers and warmongers and death merchants. We live in conditions that have been compared to maximum-security prisons and found wanting, live in dust and mud and sand and biting insects and poisonous plants and killing climates, live in countries full of people who also spit on us if they don't actively want to kill us... so you can sit in your comfortable armchair and condemn the sacrifice we make because you don't want to understand why. And yes, I say you don't WANT to understand why. It's not that you're incapable of understanding, you simply refuse to accept it because we offend your delicate sensibilities. But in the interests of trying to educate and make a difference, here's why we military folks do what we do. 1. To protect your freedoms: Before the United States rose up and created their own rules for living, there was not a single country that was free. Not one. Every single country was ruled by monarchy, warlords, and despotism, and those rulers did whatever the hell they felt like doing to you. Oh, some of them couched their dictatorship with sweetness and light and proper etiquette, but it was a velvet glove over an iron fist... again, feel free to look up your history on whatever country you think was an exception to that rule. There wasn't one. This country is the only one that gave you the freedom to create your own life without fear of tyranny and oppression. That might be changing in the near future, but that's a whole other political mess I'm not going to get into. 2. If we didn't, you would not have the life you currently lead: Here's some Wake-Up Juice for you... humanity sucks. There are people with a lot of power, a lot of money, and a lot of firepower who would happily take everything you have. Do you like going to church? What if the guy who just conquered your city said religion now earned a death sentence? Maybe you'd be happy to die for God, but that life you led is now over, one way or another. Are you rich? Well off? Own a fancy car or home? If the warlord with the guns and tanks and air power decided that he wanted it, you would lose it. Your only alternative would be to use that wealth to create an army to protect yourself with... and that would only last as long as you held out. Not much of the happy, easy lifestyle you currently enjoy, eh? How much freedom do you have behind walls and armed guards? Do you like your job? Hate your job? Well, guess what? You get to do it for free! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, you're a slave! Or getting paid such a pittance that African tribes are sending YOU money so YOU can survive! Do you like your car? You don't own it anymore! It was taken by some guys with guns because they wanted it! Did you like living? Oops... sorry, some other guys with guns got bored and decided to have a little game of How Long Can He Live, and forced you to run through a minefield, or stuck you with a poisonous dart, or threw you to starving tigers, or just put you in a cage and didn't bother to feed you. This country maintains a powerful military and a nuclear deterrent because if we didn't, some other country with a hell of a lot less scruples than we have would happily come over here and take it from us. And then we live by their rules, or we don't live at all. Think I'm exaggerating? Go look at Africa. Go look at south-east Asia. Go look at the Middle East. Go look at South America. Those people live in a constant state of fear, ever-changing dictatorships, terrifying warfare, and other assorted nightmares. 3. Believe it or not, we like you: Your military is friendly, caring, and is genuinely concerned for the welfare of you and your country. That may be somewhat conditional on the soldier in question, but as a whole, we don't do this for the money... we do it for you. We come to your aid in times of crisis, and we ask for nothing but a small salary and something to live on when we retire... just like everyone else. We take enormous pay cuts so our government can give billions in aid to other countries and to illegal aliens... but also to give to the poor and needy, those that genuinely can't care for themselves, and those who just need a little something until they can get back on their feet again. We give our own food up so a hungry can eat for a day, because we know we can handle the lack for a while, but that might not be able to. We take on the enemies of the American way of life, because if we didn't, you would suffer for what we didn't do. We throw ourselves into hurricanes and forest fires and earthquakes and floods in order to rescue those who can't rescue themselves, because we couldn't live with ourselves if we stood by and let another person die while we stood safe. We aren't warmongers. We aren't murderers. We don't look forward to killing others, and we certainly don't want to die. We just realize that someone has to make that sacrifice so that others don't have to. We accept that our choice to be the sword and shield for this country means having to do things no decent human being should ever have to endure. No one forces us to stand that ground, to hold that line in the sand, to refuse those who would take from you that which we have given so much to retain. "The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war." Douglas MacArthur We're not asking for your blessing. We know that's probably asking too much of some people. All we really ask is that you treat us with the same respect you would treat others. We ask for the same respect you would give your dog, who defends your home selflessly for no other reason than loyalty. We ask for the same respect you would give your parents, who would give their lives to protect yours and sacrifice everything for your well-being. We ask for the same respect you would give your friends, who stand by you even when they know you're wrong. We just want to be treated like you would want to be treated. If you can't manage that, at least have the common decency to leave us alone and let us live our lives in the way we have chosen, just like you have. And if you can't even manage the tiny, insignificant thing of not going out of your way to spit on us... ... well, then I pity you. Because I don't hate you. I'm volunteering to possibly die to allow you that virulent hate. So I pity you. I can't imagine what horrors you must suffer to hate those who would give up everything for your well-being... for your freedom. I just wanted to get that off my chest. Thank you. .  Your Friendly Neighborhood King of the Jungle, The Lion. READ THIS! ------>>>lionthatroared I DARE you to read my blog and attempt to be unchanged by sheer, utter AWESOMENESS!!! It's like Kung-Fu Panda fighting Super Models with heavy metal music pumping in the background... hyped up on Rockstar energy drinks! And... whipped cream with chocolate sprinkles! And... laser-guided sex toys are probably involved! And... and... oh, I know... I'm pretty sure Chuck Norris roundhouse-kicked it at some point! |
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You know what... I don't think it's ok for anyone to spit on or talk trash or anything else to our military . This was a great post, but being a Vietnam Army Brat (dad volunteered for three long tours) I personally think anyone in this country that can't respect what you all do or even the uniforms, should be shipped out. To somewhere they will have all time in the world to read up on why we do what we do. Disrespect has no place in this country, especially to our military. Just my opinion. And I thank dad every day for the opportunity to spout my opinions any day someone shows their contempt on any of our finest Americans. Thank you for your service, my dear. Respond to every call that excites Your Spirit ~Rumi  ..
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A man in uniform will do it for me every time.. Looking awesome there and ty for your service. hugs V  Become a blog watcher sweet_vm
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You know, Lion, I don't understand and I never will understand those that look down on the military or resent them or whatever. Even if you have a philosophical difference with military activities, these are the folks who protect our freedoms, and no matter how I look at it, they are to be respected. These people put their lives on the line every day - or are willing to put them on the line - which to my mind makes them unbelievably brave, and certainly braver and more deserving of respect than just about any profession I know. And yeah, you look hot in your uniform, but then I'd do ya out of it too.  2022... it HAS be better, right?!
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