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?
My thoughts? There is some truth here. As a culture we do tend to worship idols. Regarding the military, in my time in, I came to realize most of us were in primarily to advance themselves personally and professionally. That's just the way it is. I'm not saying I wasn't proud to serve and I did enjoy the honor of saluting during the national anthem and all. But we were in to do a job. No one I knew wanted to die for their country (but I'm sure many would if called to).
In "the real world" there are many many people who are unsung heros and deserving of as much (or more) respect.
However, my bottom line: Just as in the military, when we saluted the higher ranking officer (or even the car with the stars on the plate), we were saluting the ideals and showing respect and honor ultimately to our country. so while not all military or LEOs are necessarily deserving of respect, they all should receive it just for wearing the uniform.