With deference to Para's long standing and positive direction that we do not have profanity in the title...SHIT. This is not click bait.

Enough is enough from the veteran community, y'all sound like you want a reservation and a casino...Rant on!!!

The majority of veteran ideas are SHIT.

I've worked with every level of military folks, up to the very top "tier". None of which think like most of you and let's face it have much differing views.

I've been a member on SF since 2004. And my absolute rant blow-out is going to be that being a military vet is not what it means to be an American. For the vast majority of vets I want to say: "thank you for your service, and put the fry's in the bag dude".

I have never done this, and my post count is the proof, but I have absolutely had it some of you in various threads.

Military service to vote? Military service to have an opinion? Only males that own property should vote? And they have to be white. Only those that register to selective service can vote? Bitch please.

"We saw a movie called Spaceship Troopers" and that's what we should become!!!

Well, I saw a movie called Idiocracy...and we have ackually become that. All you Crocs shoe wearing folks should know that originates from that movie. "Welcome to Costco, I love you"...you are the retarded ones.

Yes, we should and will always give due respect to our service members.

However, we should also give the same respect to the garbage collector who pays his taxes every year and raised an entire family. This man served his country. To the construction man who hires American, pays his dues to the state and federal. Are these men also "serving"? Yes they most certainly are. They are "service members" protecting America every single day. Instead of bombs and mortars, it taxes and regulations. ICE, Border Patrol, USDA ag enforcement, commerce, etc.


Finally, it's a two way street. We absolutely love our military and law enforcement and first responders...but serving in the military isn't some magic golden key.

TLR-Those of you that use military service to up end the Constitution and the Federalist Papers and original documents...you are not on the right side of history

Life is 80/20 ratio.

20% carry the dead assed weight of the 80%.

Having been a "lifer" in both the military, the civilian sector, as well as a child, supported by parents/family (or, several others), now retired, and trying to finish this last fucking call of duty called end of life, the realization reveals, it always was/is/will be an 80%/20% (plus or minus a shit sandwich or 5) no matter where your positioned in the Human Centipede.

As for me, I have always decided that I will be of the 20%.

Figure out the "why" of it. I am not explaining.

Another "20%-er" knows, and an "805-er" cannot care.

I did it because I believed that is how I should do a thing, not because I was "in the thing".

None of the "things" (positions in organizations/whatever) defined me nor my decisions to "occupy" the "20% "doing". I just could not/cannot see myself any other way.

Understand or don't, matters not. Just sayin' to say it.


20% guy picking up my trash, has the same respect from me as the 20% brothers I remember.

In that, we are in 100% agreement.

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
Life is 80/20 ratio.

Yes, I served this country in some of the harshest environments in the world under arms for 17 years, and yet was not military.

The folks who cook, clean, maintain our consulates and embassies, in the most austere environments around the world don't matter, American citizens? Just because they were not in the military?

Someone tell me why the criteria is "military" is the prerequisite to vote?

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
Life is 80/20 ratio.

20% carry the dead assed weight of the 80%.

Also I'm in that 20%...Thank you for your statement on my position, said concisely.

quote:

"We saw a movie called Spaceship Troopers" and that's what we should become!!!

The funny thing is even in the Starship Troopers novel, it wasn't military service that was required. Filipino Johnny Rico was told by the recruiter that he would be signed up to test medical drugs on Pluto if he didn't choose a career path.

And with the number of people that vote every election, I'd say we've hit that ideal by default as most people don't vote or care what happens to them.

Good timing! About an hour ago the garbage collector came, I ran out and gave him a gift card to Firehouse subs. He said I'm not the regular guy. I said take it anyway, you work hard especially with all the snow.
It makes me feel good! I'll give the regular guy one next week if I'm awake.

“Every man thinks meanly of himself for not having been a soldier, or not having been at sea.”
— Samuel Johnson; 18th century.

Actually "only males who owned property could vote" was not a concept put forward by veterans. It was, in fact, the original requirement by many states for voting at the founding of the country.

As second generation career military I don't feel my service should provide any special privilege, or make my opinion more important than that of any other. What I do believe is a functioning society requires members who see themselves as part of something greater than themselves. So they serve in the military, as first responders, in public works, and many other ways. This is acknowledgment that they have a responsibility to make things a bit better and safer.

Simply having a job or owning property would be a game changer with voting, but not gonna happen. You could put the threshold done to $15k a year, or retired.

Instead of that, we try to get a ballot in the hand of every homeless person, or vote for them. The same with someone in a facility that doesn’t know left from right.

The only tiny threshold we can strive for is some type of I.D. to vote, even that is a struggle.

Agree with the OP. Things tend to get carried too far and this topic has been bugging me a bit also.

Prior to tar and feathering me for it, just know I was raised in small town America where veterans were ubiquitous. Nearly all were model citizens, but it needs to be said that some were complete culls.

quote:

Originally posted by sooma:

For the vast majority of vets I want to say: "thank you for your service, and put the fry's in the bag dude".

Wow.

You come across as someone with a grudge against vets TBH

Did something happen to you along the way that made you bitter like this?

just popped in to say nice thread, and I dig your vibe in the tai chi thread, too.

PASig:

I found it accidentally, but I think Sooma's post on page 3 of this thread in the Lounge gave me a little better understanding of his starting this thread here in the Rants.

I served and don’t expect or receive anything for it. Telling me to put your fries in your bag, well my instant response to sooma is to tell you to go screw yourself.

As for his point, did any of you guys read the thread he was referencing? It was in regard to voting rights. Should the voting age be raised, should you have to be a net positive taxpayer, own land, pass a naturalization test, etc. Some people said IF it was based on age there should be a cutout for military members and Otto quite correctly suggested a good reasoning was that if an 18 year old is being sent to war he probably should get a vote on it. Reasonable line of thought.

Somehow sooma took that and ran on an idiotic rant about some vets are assholes. So what? Some guys on this forum are assholes. He also bashed vets all while subtly sliding in that he served too. Under arms just not in the military. Which is it sooma? Should we give a shit that you served or not give a shit? Sounds like you like to play both sides of this subject when it suits you. Does your service lend credence to your argument? All vet ideas are “shit” but yours are magical. You seem to love yourself a bit much don’t you.

Like I said you lost me at the fries comment. Your anger is outsized to the subject and you are cherry picking guy’s comments about voting age.

Feel free to point out a single thread where a vet said if you haven’t served you ain’t shit. Please enlighten us.

Let’s read your quote again about the MAJORITY of vets. “For the vast majority of vets I want to say: "thank you for your service, and put the fry's in the bag dude". If you think that’s a reasonable thing to say then yes, GFY. Oh, and thanks for your service. (sarcasm emoji)

In regards to the 80/20 rule, look up "Pareto's Law". IIRC it says that 80 percent of the problems are caused by 20 percent of the people.
My mission in life is to not be in the 20 percent.

It just comes across as something with a grudge or something against vets.

That recruiter's door was open to him too...

quote:

Originally posted by sooma:
blah, blah, blah...

All you Crocs shoe wearing folks...

blah, blah, blah.

Gonna set my 3d printer up this weekend. There are plans to print them. Thought I might print me a pair. Cool right?


Rick

Have you considered switching to chai tea?

Maybe he will find his answers at Hogsworth. Lol. I suspect sooma is a lot closer to putting fries in our orders than vice versa.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:

quote:

Originally posted by sooma:

For the vast majority of vets I want to say: "thank you for your service, and put the fry's in the bag dude".

Wow.

You come across as someone with a grudge against vets TBH

Did something happen to you along the way that made you bitter like this?

Zero grudge against vets, clearly stated. The issue is vets think that is the only form of service to this country that should count, therefore have exemptions.