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- Oct 21, 2010
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I've seen miscellaneous comments on this topic across various threads over the past 18 months I've spent on this forum. Since a new crop of parent's are coming on board I thought it might be useful for folks to append on how they deal with the following comments from folks:
1. How could you let him join xROTC? He might be killed?
2. Good Lord! I hope he doesn't go Infantry!
3. Why does he want to shoot and kill people?
I had to deal with #2 myself this past weekend. My sister-in-law made that statement (we dealt with #1 with her last year). This was really a variation on #1. I essentially ignored it but did state his MOS options in order of preference. You should have seen her eyes get wide when I mentioned Special Operations. I know just by looking at her that she's thinking he'll get killed.
Now I certainly do not want my son to be harmed in any way. But if anything did happen to him while serving his country, at some level I'd be OK with it because it happened while he was doing what he always wanted to do. And someone's sons and daughters have to do it. Of course I would mourn and be full of sorrow. All my dreams for the future are bound up with him. But I'd like to find some way to (perhaps gently) tell such people off.
Anyway, if I have a problem dealing with it I'm sure some of the new folks during this scholarship season will be facing these same, or similar, comments and will wonder how to deal with it too. Do any of you "old timers" have suggestions (and no, I don't really think you're old Pima! but would especially love to hear what you have to say about this)
1. How could you let him join xROTC? He might be killed?
2. Good Lord! I hope he doesn't go Infantry!
3. Why does he want to shoot and kill people?
I had to deal with #2 myself this past weekend. My sister-in-law made that statement (we dealt with #1 with her last year). This was really a variation on #1. I essentially ignored it but did state his MOS options in order of preference. You should have seen her eyes get wide when I mentioned Special Operations. I know just by looking at her that she's thinking he'll get killed.
Now I certainly do not want my son to be harmed in any way. But if anything did happen to him while serving his country, at some level I'd be OK with it because it happened while he was doing what he always wanted to do. And someone's sons and daughters have to do it. Of course I would mourn and be full of sorrow. All my dreams for the future are bound up with him. But I'd like to find some way to (perhaps gently) tell such people off.
Anyway, if I have a problem dealing with it I'm sure some of the new folks during this scholarship season will be facing these same, or similar, comments and will wonder how to deal with it too. Do any of you "old timers" have suggestions (and no, I don't really think you're old Pima! but would especially love to hear what you have to say about this)