Veterans
This post might be a bit controversial, I don't mean it to be offensive, but if you are offended, please consider your cultural biases and then comment!
Veterans have a special place in many of our hearts. When a person is drafted into military service or enters the military to defend a nation from its invaders, that's a noble choice and one that we should respect. That is true, too, of police, firefighters, social workers, teachers and lots of other professions.
But - and I think this needs saying - being a veteran is not something to glorify, especially if entering military service was done voluntarily or as a result of not knowing what your other options are.
I recently went to a High School graduation and they asked the seventeen and eighteen year olds who had enrolled to stand up. They were then applauded for their (probably) ill-thought-through decision.
Entering military service voluntarily is not always a great idea. For most people, it is not going to be the career of choice and, most of the time, you are going to see horrific things. Things that would get you excused from Jury Service a second time.
In Britain we treat our soldiers with respect. We have "Help for Heroes" and Armistice Day which everyone supports. But we don't put all veterans on some bizarre pedestal like the USA seems to. Going into the military is far less effort than going to university for several years to do a low-paid job (like teachers and social workers). Where's the praise for them?
I never wanted to go into the military nor do a selfless job that would serious affect my home-life, so I definitely don't deserve praise of this sort. But we should check ourselves and see who we really think does deserve this praise.
What do you think?
Veterans have a special place in many of our hearts. When a person is drafted into military service or enters the military to defend a nation from its invaders, that's a noble choice and one that we should respect. That is true, too, of police, firefighters, social workers, teachers and lots of other professions.
But - and I think this needs saying - being a veteran is not something to glorify, especially if entering military service was done voluntarily or as a result of not knowing what your other options are.
I recently went to a High School graduation and they asked the seventeen and eighteen year olds who had enrolled to stand up. They were then applauded for their (probably) ill-thought-through decision.
Entering military service voluntarily is not always a great idea. For most people, it is not going to be the career of choice and, most of the time, you are going to see horrific things. Things that would get you excused from Jury Service a second time.
In Britain we treat our soldiers with respect. We have "Help for Heroes" and Armistice Day which everyone supports. But we don't put all veterans on some bizarre pedestal like the USA seems to. Going into the military is far less effort than going to university for several years to do a low-paid job (like teachers and social workers). Where's the praise for them?
I never wanted to go into the military nor do a selfless job that would serious affect my home-life, so I definitely don't deserve praise of this sort. But we should check ourselves and see who we really think does deserve this praise.
What do you think?
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