a rant that will probably tick quite a few off regarding Military/LEOs

[ThrottleJockey]

But I do think that people should realize that if we didn't volunteer than you would be on your own and in most cases SOL.

Is that a promise? I prefer it that way. I've been "on my own" my whole life and am just fine. I am not bashing, I DO appreciate what you guys do for "us" but I think it is a bit egotistical at the very least to assume the "we" would be SOL without these paid services from these paid providers.

 

[churchmouse]

A far larger percentage than those who have not served...


Careful with exactly how you phrase that question...
It sounds very close to Sedition to me...

But, what the hell do I know. I am just a dumb mechanic...

I would not say dumb mechanic. Yes, very close to sedition. This fellow is pretty deep rooted in his views of this world. Not sure he is wanting to see anything else. reminds me of a few other threads we have seen recently. Blame pointed in the wrong direction. These views, opinions and ideas are to be discussed in open forum. It is obvious how differently we all see the same issues. How we see the world is all a matter of perception. Our perception is based on our life's experience. No 2 paths are the same, they only cross at points along the way

 

[Jenel]

Try to fight your house fire with your garden hose and let me know how that turns out. It's not ego it's specialized training and equipment. And helping others not just looking out for yourself.

Is that a promise? I prefer it that way. I've been "on my own" my whole life and am just fine. I am not bashing, I DO appreciate what you guys do for "us" but I think it is a bit egotistical at the very least to assume the "we" would be SOL without these paid services from these paid providers.

 

[churchmouse]

Try to fight your house fire with your garden hose and let me know how that turns out. It's not ego it's specialized training and equipment. And helping others not just looking out for yourself.

No thanks. I have the highest regard for firefighters. Anyone that doesn't is a tic off center bubble.

 

[j706]

Something has been swirling around in my grey matter for a while that has really started to irk me.

Why does the general society place such importance on military and LEOs? It is almost as if godhood status has been bestowed on people that have VOLUNTARILY chosen a dangerous profession. It is akin, IMO, to the idiotic idolatry of celebrities. Not any of the above mentioned professions are forced upon a single soul in the USA. We do not have conscription; have not had a draft since the early 1970s; do not force people into jobs that garner the spotlight. These jobs are CHOICES made at the individual level. Pure and simple.

Do not get me wrong. I appreciate most of what military and LEOs do for security purposes. I simply refuse to give them any more credit than "job well done" when it is merited.

Your thoughts?

Huh? Confused are my thoughts. Not sure what you are getting at.

 

[iChokePeople]

Huh? Confused are my thoughts. Not sure what you are getting at.

His girlfriend dumped him for a Marine and he's a little angry about it.

 

[ThrottleJockey]

Something has been swirling around in my grey matter for a while that has really started to irk me.

Why does the general society place such importance on military and LEOs? It is almost as if godhood status has been bestowed on people that have VOLUNTARILY chosen a dangerous profession. It is akin, IMO, to the idiotic idolatry of celebrities. Not any of the above mentioned professions are forced upon a single soul in the USA. We do not have conscription; have not had a draft since the early 1970s; do not force people into jobs that garner the spotlight. These jobs are CHOICES made at the individual level. Pure and simple.

Do not get me wrong. I appreciate most of what military and LEOs do for security purposes. I simply refuse to give them any more credit than "job well done" when it is merited.

Your thoughts?

His girlfriend dumped him for a Marine and he's a little angry about it.

Don't worry, she'll be smoking every pole in town once he's deployed

 

[Blackhawk2001]

Ok, this is what rubs me the wrong way.

If military, leo, fire, etc is all altruistic service and deserves to be elevated above the plebes who just work for the money, then why did EVERYONE get so out of kilter when there was talk about postponing paychecks for the DoD?

Same thing happens every time a municipality wants to change how they pay police/fire.

It might (or might not) surprise you to learn how many military families live paycheck-to-paycheck, not necessarily through any fault of their own. I have my own tale of living close to the line as an officer on Active Duty in the 70s, and I know some enlisted personnel had it much much worse, later on in my career.

When the government threatens to put off a paycheck, they are threatening many families with not being able to pay the rent, buy groceries, pay bills - all of which have negative consequences for the military families involved, not the government - and end up costing military families more than just the inconvenience suffered by not being paid on time. Add to that a military OPTEMPO which has had Army families separated three times the previous rates - which also causes financial stress on deployed service members - and perhaps you might reconsider your opinion.

 

[iChokePeople]

It might (or might not) surprise you to learn how many military families live paycheck-to-paycheck, not necessarily through any fault of their own. I have my own tale of living close to the line as an officer on Active Duty in the 70s, and I know some enlisted personnel had it much much worse, later on in my career.

When the government threatens to put off a paycheck, they are threatening many families with not being able to pay the rent, buy groceries, pay bills - all of which have negative consequences for the military families involved, not the government - and end up costing military families more than just the inconvenience suffered by not being paid on time. Add to that a military OPTEMPO which has had Army families separated three times the previous rates - which also causes financial stress on deployed service members - and perhaps you might reconsider your opinion.

Some of that pain and discomfort will apply to anyone whose job and income are cut off, as someone will point out. What's NOT common is that daddy (or mommy) may be halfway around the world and completely unable to help, unable to take a second job as a Walmart greeter to make ends meet, unable to just quit and find a job that will actually PAY. What's also less common is that the very people who are cutting off your pay are the ones who won't stop spending, the ones who won't balance the budget (ok, yes, I'm oversimplifying, but they are the ones on the dotted line), the ones who are responsible for the problem. And to add insult to injury, they're still paying themselves and enjoying their usual taxpayer-sponsored golf outings, and not talking about cutting off their OWN air-conditioning.

Sorry, didn't mean to go off on a rant.

 

[churchmouse]

Some of that pain and discomfort will apply to anyone whose job and income are cut off, as someone will point out. What's NOT common is that daddy (or mommy) may be halfway around the world and completely unable to help, unable to take a second job as a Walmart greeter to make ends meet, unable to just quit and find a job that will actually PAY. What's also less common is that the very people who are cutting off your pay are the ones who won't stop spending, the ones who won't balance the budget (ok, yes, I'm oversimplifying, but they are the ones on the dotted line), the ones who are responsible for the problem. And to add insult to injury, they're still paying themselves and enjoying their usual taxpayer-sponsored golf outings, and not talking about cutting off their OWN air-conditioning.

Sorry, didn't mean to go off on a rant.

Yes you did........

 

[bubba16430]

To the OP your compairing the appreaction that people show Miltiary and LEO's to " the idiotic idolatry of celebrities". I don't follow your way of thinking i'm sorry.

True....

But if we are going to honor folks for the dangers they face in executing their work, let's give fishermen, loggers, pilots, farmers, coal miners, roofers, garbage men, and truck drivers the respect they deserve.

After all, they assume much more danger than does a police officer but are rarely given much credit at all for doing so.

They may a high death rate but your talking apple and oranges.

Examples? I must be missing all of this hero-worship being piled on our soldiers and LEOs.

I must have missed it also.

I've always loved these stats. When was the last time a rouge Tuna or Redwood broke from their respective norms and intentionally tried to kill a fisherman or logger.

I can hear if now, "Tater, you better not go loggin' on the westside of the forest, there's a mean group of evergreens just lookin' to take out a logger"

To all the military folfs out there Thank you.

 

[EvilBlackGun]

Yeah, but that Marine . . . ?

She is HOT !!!

His girlfriend dumped him for a Marine and he's a little angry about it.

 

[EvilBlackGun]

Mebbe, in some cases.

I saw an EMT van park into a Handicapped spot at a BigBox store recently. All the crew went inside to shop. I also saw that it had a "All Gave Some -- Some Gave All" bumper sign. THAT frosted me, having "given some" in 'Nam, but mebbe one of the crew had served in 'Nam. When the crew came back to the van, none of them looked to be over 30. Then, after getting in, they couldn't back out of their illicit parking spot, due to traffic, so they turned on the lights and siren, stopped traffic, backed out and went back to "serve". Yeah, "respect".

No thanks. I have the highest regard for firefighters. Anyone that doesn't is a tic off center bubble.

 

[J_Wales]

True....

But if we are going to honor folks for the dangers they face in executing their work, let's give fishermen, loggers, pilots, farmers, coal miners, roofers, garbage men, and truck drivers the respect they deserve.

After all, they assume much more danger than does a police officer but are rarely given much credit at all for doing so. J_Wales

They may a high death rate but your talking apple and oranges.

It would be apples and oranges to say the occupation of LEO is as deadly as that of farmer or fishermen, because in reality those occupations are over twice as deadly as that of LEO.

That is not to say LEO is not a deadly occupation. It is. Yet it is far down the list of most deadly.

The apples / oranges comparison takes place when one attempts to argue that LEOs have a higher risk of death than fishermen, or farmers, or coal miners, truck drivers or a host of others because it is simply untrue.

 

[iChokePeople]

It would be apples and oranges to say the occupation of LEO is as deadly as that of farmer or fishermen, because in reality those occupations are over twice as deadly as that of LEO.

That is not to say LEO is not a deadly occupation. It is. Yet it is far down the list of most deadly.

The apples / oranges comparison takes place when one attempts to argue that LEOs have a higher risk of death than fishermen, or farmers, or coal miners, truck drivers or a host of others because it is simply untrue.

To each his own, but to ME, there's still a difference between accidental/negligent risk and people shooting at you.

 

[J_Wales]

To each his own, but to ME, there's still a difference between accidental/negligent risk and people shooting at you.

There is a difference. The first is more often deadly than the latter.

 

[iChokePeople]

There is a difference. The first is more often deadly than the latter.

Do both, tell me they feel the same.

 

[J_Wales]

Do both, tell me they feel the same.

Feel what it is like to be dead?

I will wait, thank you.

That said, if I had to choose I would take LEO over farmer or garbage man. I would have a better chance of not being dead.

 

[iChokePeople]

Feel what it is like to be dead?

I will wait, thank you.

That said, if I had to choose I would take LEO over farmer or garbage man. I would have a better chance of not being dead.

...which brings us back to the real subject of the thread. The rest of you are free to feel any way you like. Me, I'm grateful that there are brave men and women around who make their decisions based on something other than what's safest for them.

 

[J_Wales]

...which brings us back to the real subject of the thread. The rest of you are free to feel any way you like. Me, I'm grateful that there are brave men and women around who make their decisions based on something other than what's safest for them.

Me too.
Thank God for fishermen!