oh noes! a political rant.
I hate politics. I make it a point to steer very clear of debates, news regarding such, or opinion articles. I care about them, but I hate to see how pathetic Americans out there are. Plus, a comment was made to me well over a year ago that still bugs me so I'll write about it. So I rant.
Normally people don't phase me when it comes to insults or negativity, especially if it's someone I've only spent a total time of 30 minutes with. Long description short - this girl was helping paint a mural with me and I noticed right away she was one of those pathetic people I mentioned above - spoiled, voice was too high pitched to be real, soon to be someones trophy wife. She said something to the effect that all soldiers who would volunteer themselves to join the army are stupid and no one in their right mind should ever waste their life helping in a war.
Okay, sure, join the army right now and theres a slight chance you will not make it to Iraq and back alive. But if thousands of troops have been there and back over the last years and only 100+ were killed, those numbers are good. And everyone else is in America, playing with tanks, building bridges, working around the country to help others and develop technologies.
My parents were in the army, I grew up on a military base for 20 years (exluding some time in Ireland) in the same place. Born and placed in a rusty ass military crib, watched my dad leave for months at a time, ate MRE's (meals ready to eat- decent food in camoflauge colored bags), listened to my mom talk about all the places she's gotten to go in the army. I am proud of them, and somewhat envious of the experiences they've had and places they've been. 80 percent of people I've grown up with had parents in the army. Kids would leave, go off for 4 years, and come back, which was kinda weird, but kinda cool in a way. It's a different world. Sure, there were no wars going on then, besides the Gulf War, but soldiers are very proud and feel it is a duty as well as an honor to serve. Though I know all don't think that way, I've met some of the opposite, too.
I have friends in service, mostly in the Navy and Air Force, and I could not be more proud of them for what they do and the achievements they make. I have watched a soldier come in and tell a friend her husband was killed, and how she handled the situation was exceptional. Don't tell me my parents and friends are stupid for their choice to serve their country.
There is no draft. Most people choose, for some reason or another, to join the army. Cheap college, getting out of the house, engineering experience, whatever their reasoning. There are other ways to acquire the same experiences besides military - scholarships, community college, internships. It's not always an easy choice, but to some it is. Parents who scream out "Bush killed my son", need to go look where their son signed the enlistment form and shut up.
About the politics, I don't particularly like either presidential candidate. Bush focuses too much on outside agendas and Kerry can't "fix the middle class" with his aristocratic mind. So if I got up to vote, I'd vote on First Lady. I love Laura Bush, she's so professional and classy. Theresa Heinz makes me vomit just to look at her, and I can't understand how making yourself look like a bitch on tv gets votes, but I think it works for her. Why should having a first lady who thinks it's fine to ridicule people of their faults and disparage people in public be okay? That's no role model.
Sure kids are starving in Africa and the Chinese have a population problem. Sure there's tons of oil in the mideast, and Osama still lurks around the old world. But kids are starving in America. Not only that, kids are growing more obese by the second, and forcing tax payers to pay for their medical treatments. The Poor are reproducing at ridiculous rates, the rich are having fewer kids. People are using their foodstamps to buy their neighbors steaks, and their child support to cash out at HEB and buy cigarettes. Old people are growing older and no one wants to pay for their social security if they think theirs is running out. Old people still get to drive and order their licenses in the MAIL without an eyetest, and they run over kids in parking lots. Drunk drivers get a hand slap if pulled over once, and 90 percent of the time they get caught for the second time, only this time they killed an innocent driver. Where's a president willing to help solve this shit? I am upset.
*breathe*
Normally people don't phase me when it comes to insults or negativity, especially if it's someone I've only spent a total time of 30 minutes with. Long description short - this girl was helping paint a mural with me and I noticed right away she was one of those pathetic people I mentioned above - spoiled, voice was too high pitched to be real, soon to be someones trophy wife. She said something to the effect that all soldiers who would volunteer themselves to join the army are stupid and no one in their right mind should ever waste their life helping in a war.
Okay, sure, join the army right now and theres a slight chance you will not make it to Iraq and back alive. But if thousands of troops have been there and back over the last years and only 100+ were killed, those numbers are good. And everyone else is in America, playing with tanks, building bridges, working around the country to help others and develop technologies.
My parents were in the army, I grew up on a military base for 20 years (exluding some time in Ireland) in the same place. Born and placed in a rusty ass military crib, watched my dad leave for months at a time, ate MRE's (meals ready to eat- decent food in camoflauge colored bags), listened to my mom talk about all the places she's gotten to go in the army. I am proud of them, and somewhat envious of the experiences they've had and places they've been. 80 percent of people I've grown up with had parents in the army. Kids would leave, go off for 4 years, and come back, which was kinda weird, but kinda cool in a way. It's a different world. Sure, there were no wars going on then, besides the Gulf War, but soldiers are very proud and feel it is a duty as well as an honor to serve. Though I know all don't think that way, I've met some of the opposite, too.
I have friends in service, mostly in the Navy and Air Force, and I could not be more proud of them for what they do and the achievements they make. I have watched a soldier come in and tell a friend her husband was killed, and how she handled the situation was exceptional. Don't tell me my parents and friends are stupid for their choice to serve their country.
There is no draft. Most people choose, for some reason or another, to join the army. Cheap college, getting out of the house, engineering experience, whatever their reasoning. There are other ways to acquire the same experiences besides military - scholarships, community college, internships. It's not always an easy choice, but to some it is. Parents who scream out "Bush killed my son", need to go look where their son signed the enlistment form and shut up.
About the politics, I don't particularly like either presidential candidate. Bush focuses too much on outside agendas and Kerry can't "fix the middle class" with his aristocratic mind. So if I got up to vote, I'd vote on First Lady. I love Laura Bush, she's so professional and classy. Theresa Heinz makes me vomit just to look at her, and I can't understand how making yourself look like a bitch on tv gets votes, but I think it works for her. Why should having a first lady who thinks it's fine to ridicule people of their faults and disparage people in public be okay? That's no role model.
Sure kids are starving in Africa and the Chinese have a population problem. Sure there's tons of oil in the mideast, and Osama still lurks around the old world. But kids are starving in America. Not only that, kids are growing more obese by the second, and forcing tax payers to pay for their medical treatments. The Poor are reproducing at ridiculous rates, the rich are having fewer kids. People are using their foodstamps to buy their neighbors steaks, and their child support to cash out at HEB and buy cigarettes. Old people are growing older and no one wants to pay for their social security if they think theirs is running out. Old people still get to drive and order their licenses in the MAIL without an eyetest, and they run over kids in parking lots. Drunk drivers get a hand slap if pulled over once, and 90 percent of the time they get caught for the second time, only this time they killed an innocent driver. Where's a president willing to help solve this shit? I am upset.
*breathe*