LITS – Honestly, your comments in tone and content are quite hurtful. About me you said,
Do you think I am Anti-American? A Communist? I am old enough to be your mother. I would hope you would never use the same tone with own parents, parents of your friends or significant others. Of course you wouldn’t.
You and your buddies on this forum dismiss me (and others) because you don’t view us as legit. You don’t view anyone as legit if they have never served in the military. You do it to me and others. I have had several messages from other folks on this forum who have been driven away by the rudeness they have encountered here.
I am not sure what one has to do to be legit in your eyes. Pima once commented that dependents serve by being a dependent and enduring what goes with the service. If that is true then I served for 14 years, 9 different schools and 7 different homes in 5 states and one foreign country. I watched my father go to war and lived with that pain and uncertainty for a year. I will never be so presumtuous as to put myself in the shoes of a parent who loses a child to war.
Military service in my family goes back Bunker Hill. My grandmother sent all 5 of her sons off to combat including one who fought at the Battle of the Bulge and one who flew 187 combat missions in SE Asia. I have a brother, sister-in-law, aunts, uncles and cousins who have and are serving. My brother’s stepson fought in Afghanistan and Iraq (Fallujah). My daughter has chosen a military career and I support her in that choice. My opinion on the topic of this thread I said was mixed – I could see both sides. Roughly the same opinion as the Defense Secretary of the US and you don’t think my opinion benefits the Armed Forces?
If you would like to be more specific I would be happy to address my opinions.
You obviously think I posted the article to make some sort of political statement. Nothing could be further from the truth. I posted it because it is relevant, newsworthy and about the military. It caused me to pause and think. I thought about when/why the ban was instituted, back to the years before the ban (which you cannot remember). I read a lot. I read the news, other blogs and books to develop a sense of where we are as a country and how to move forward. I like to think of myself as open-minded and appreciate hearing all sides of an argument.
To those of you who think I am Anti-American or Anti-Military for daring to ask the question – perhaps you need to look inward.
ChristCorp – Read the links to the articles that I posted back on Post #33.