Originally Posted by Shodokan

...This car comparison is very crummy. There is a difference between an accident and going around killing or helping to kill people. Unless you're doing drive bys in your car you shouldn't expect to be killed.

Originally Posted by LenMiyata

Grumble Grumble Grumble

You seem to be operating under the mistaken belief that EVERYONE in the military are expected to kill people. The fact is, that the US Army has a very large tail, with over 80% of the positions in a combat theater are jobs were your not expected to shoot at people. (e.g. supply truck drivers, medical personal, technicians, mechanics, clerks, etc. etc.) So considering this, what makes the car comparison so crummy??? You position could also be applied to civilian police, fire, rescue teams and medical personal. The fact that they expose themselves to danger as a part of their job doesn't mean you can just expect them to die on the job...

Originally Posted by LenMiyata

Grumble Grumble Grumble

You seem to be operating under the mistaken belief that EVERYONE in the military are expected to kill people. The fact is, that the US Army has a very large tail, with over 80% of the positions in a combat theater are jobs were your not expected to shoot at people. (e.g. supply truck drivers, medical personal, technicians, mechanics, clerks, etc. etc.) So considering this, what makes the car comparison so crummy??? You position could also be applied to civilian police, fire, rescue teams and medical personal. The fact that they expose themselves to danger as a part of their job doesn't mean you can just expect them to die on the job...

Originally Posted by aceman67

Shodokan, you take the internet for granted because you live in a country that does not control it, and actually allows for free speech.

You go into a communist country Country like Cuba, China or Vietnam, that just isn't the case. They have government mandated internet censorship, and they control what you can and cannot do on the internet.

If you want to read more on this particular subject, read this wiki entry (Internet censorship) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

And I ask you this: Do you have, or have had any member of your family, in the armed forces who has served over seas?

Because if not, then quite frankly, to me anyways, your opinions are moot and have about as much weight as a grain of salt, because you just don't know what our(Military families) lives are like.

As for me crying when I was 6, I heard the explosion and screams before the line went dead.



Exactly right. My father was a Signal man, he delt with Digital communications and encryption, and set up and maintain the vital communication links that make it possible for our troops to do their jobs.

Also, my fathers entire career was that of building nations, not killing people. To give you an idea of what my father has done, he assisted in the transition period for Germany when the Berlin wall fell, he was there, and has a rather sizeable chunk of the wall in display case on his mantel.

And as I've already mentioned, He was a Peace keeper during the Bosnia and Herzegovina civil war back in the 90's.
My most treasured photo of my father is of him playing with refugee children on a playground structure that his unit built while they were there. The most sad thing about it is, the children had never seen a playground in their lives, and so I've got this photo of Grown soldiers, teaching children how to play.

During the late 90's and early 2000, My father was a Military Air Traffic controller for the entirety of the eastern seaboard of Canada up until the New Brunswick boarder with Quebec. He directed search and rescue operations, and was on duty when Swiss-air Flight 111 crashed just off Peggy's Cove.

During 9/11, my father was stationed in Winnipeg, and due to his experience, they called him (Along with other members of his unit, the 731 Signal Sqdn.) in to take over Civilian air traffic control at Winnipeg International Airport. I sat on my schools front field and watched as Jet-liner after Jet-liner passed over head with members of the 17th Wing airgroup piloting CF-188A Hornets flying escort.

Originally Posted by zeroenix

Shodokan I believe that you are fighting this so hard on the fact that you are against the war? Im guessing, but it sounds to me you are very anti Iraq. Guess what? So are a lot of people in the millitary. But not to play the outplayed, if everyone thought the way you do, then why have a military at all? Lets all just do something safer and get more respect. And though it may not seem it, if it wasnt for the american military, the country would be taken over long ago. So keep going with the no respect thing you got going. Obviously its justified.

And i think that the car accident angle was a very good example. According to statistics aprox. 42,116 deaths a year in the united states are due to car accidents. Over 42,000 a year! And the death toll for the war in Iraq for the entire war is...

Aprox. 2,900. Wow! Your right! The car thing is no comparison. Cause one is expected to die. If you get in a car with those statistics, you might as well expect to die in there too. "Kids, your mommy and daddy drive to work every day. So we are probably going to die. Just dont be surprised and die when it happens."