Would you be proud of your son or daughter if they Joined the Army?

[noseybuddy]

Maybe you should ask whether or not we would be disappointed, rather than proud. Like another poster said, whats to not be proud of? Its an honorable profession.

I personally would not choose it for my sons. Especially if they were to volunteer to serve in this war. But I can't see how I would be "appalled" or "ashamed". Just disappointed they didn't choose the path I had in mind for them. I'd get over it, though, because they are my children and I love them and support them no matter what they do. I just think asking the question, "would you be proud?" really is a little silly. Again, whats not to be proud of?

I agree with this. My first response was going to be "I would not be proud" but after reading this I was wrong. I would be very disappointed mainly because I don't agree, support this war. That doesn't mean I don't support our troops.

 

[MrsPete]

My Original Question was "Would you be proud of your son or daugher" It was not an "I dont appreciate what veterans have done for me." I am glad and thankful they didnt have people like me in there familys. To stop them or talk them out of going to fight meaningless wars. If you want to be a Hero be a cop, be a firefigher, be a teacher. I for one refuse to waiting by a phone to find out my son will be home in a body bag ! If you have no problem getting that call then I trully take my hat off to you KUDOS !

You're glad that other people come from stupid families who are too ignorant to talk them out of joining the military? This allows your selfish family to live comfortably off their sacrafices? Wow. I sure hope my daughters never meet your sons. Of course, if they did, and if their attitudes towards others match yours, they'd put them in their place and dump them.

While we're talking about stupidity, you're still operating under the assumption that joining the military = certain death. Though many members of my family have served in the two World Wars, Vietnam and the Gulf War, NONE has ever been killed. In fact, none of them were even injured! And, yes, some of them were on the front lines: one went to Vietnam twice as a low-ranking solider, one was an officer on a Navy ship that burned underneath him -- another was military police, and another was in the engine room of a nuclear ship.

 

[MrsPete]

I would be proud of her but I would be lying if I said I wouldn't try to talk her out of it.

If one of my daughters decides to join the military, I will talk to her about the REALITIES of military life: you can't quit after a month, you can't necessarily decide where you want to live, you could go to war, etc. I'd also make sure she knew the long-term benefits: a lifetime pension, medical benefits, housing loans, scholarship opportunities for her future children.

I'd want to make sure she went in with her eyes open -- but then, I'd do the same with anything she decided to do. Try to talk her out of it? Nope.

 

[agentpleakley]

OP: I would be very proud of my child should they choose this path in life. Yes, I would be concerned for their welfare. However, I would be concerned no matter what path they choose. Nothing in life is safe anymore. Was it safe for the innocent victims of the 911 attacks ? No. Was it safe for the students at Va. Tech. No. I would never be ashamed of my child's choice to serve in the military.

I rarely post on this forum -- but I wanted to add this quote:

It is The Soldier, not the reporter,

Who has given us Freedom of the press.
It is The Soldier, not the poet,

Who has given us Freedom of speech.
It is The Soldier, not the campus organizer,

Who has given us Freedom to demonstrate.
It is The Soldier, not the lawyer,

Who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is The Soldier who salutes the flag,

Who serves under the flag and
Whose coffin is draped by the flag
Who allows the protester to burn the flag



Lovemygoofy -- if you are reading this -- please pm me with how my family could send your husband and fellow soldiers a care package .... we would be HONORED to do so. Thank him for all he does for us.

Edited to add-- I realized that I was leaving others out -- if you have a child or spouse serving in the military and would like my family to send a care package -- please pm me with info -- again -- we would be honored to do this little bit to show our military that we are proud of them and support them

 

[Pam]

Hi there, I'm going to invite you to come down to Ft. Campbell, KY to meet some of "those people that join the army." You would be amazed at the variety of people you would meet but all have something in common. They are so proud of their job and service to this country and they do not need this better than thou attitude. Some of them may have came from humble beginings but there is no shame in finding a way to better yourself. There is shame on looking down from the pedastal because your family has a different way.

I would also like to introduce you to my husband Matt. Apparently he comes from your family. The kind that say it's just a job with their name on their shirt and that a large piece of paper from a university makes them better than others.

My Matt has been enlisted for 10 years now. He has been approached more times than I can count to go officer or even warrant. He won't and I'm not going to bug him to do it because an officer's wife sounds better than an enlisted. He stays enlisted because he cares about his soldiers. He has 42 people under him in his platoon. He wants to make sure they grow and becomes soldiers with solid lives and understand how the army works. He wants to be there at 3am when someones wife goes into labor or at 6pm as dinner is going on the table and someones car breaks down.

Oh yeah, Matt comes from a very wealthy family and Matt scored extremely high on his ACT. Isn't that interesting? He also has a degree in accounting and working on another in economics and then will begin to pursue a graduate degree. All these big pieces of paper to amaze people with and he is still "just one of those people in the army." BTW none of his family with their attitudes were invited to graduation nor to any of his welcome home parties.

I am extremely proud of your Matt and the thousands and thousands of men and women serving in our military! God Bless them one and all and my sincerest thanks to all of them (including the several generations of both my family and my DH's who have served!).

Hmm, so what about all those accountants, doctors and other college graduates who are in the military? Dh has an engineering degree and is an officer, but started out as an enlistee.

Our family doctor received his education while serving in the Air Force!

My dh went to college. He has his Masters Degree! He serves in the Air Force and his family is very proud of him.

I'm proud of him, too, Briarmom!

We're so glad you're 'grateful to all who serve' even if they're people you look down on.

Ignore them for they know not what they speak of.....

 

[JennyMominRI]

Same here! He has had two tours to the middle east and expects a third. He has lead troops to El Salvador on a humanitarian mission where the village elder drew the first clean water from a well that the Army dug. The old man cried. One of the biggest contributions to that village was an outhouse and a well. Before, there was no outhouse and the water was gathered from streams that had the run off of where outhouses should have been.

I think that a lot of people are very unaware of just how much humanitarian work the military actually does

 

[GJM]

Originally Posted by TinkerbellMama
Let me clarify: I don't think YOU were nasty to me (yet! lol, j/k!), but I expect others WILL BE. I know it's very hard for people who support the military to understand why others of us don't. No amount of explanation seems to do the trick. They just can't wrap their minds around it. Anyway, I do think the men and women in the military are largely honorable folks who are very brave and honestly feel they are defending my (and your, and their) freedom. I don't feel the same way, but I can respect them for wanting to help. !

I just don't understand this quote - how can you not support the military, you may not agree with the war. I normally don't post on topics like this but I just don't understand how someone can feel this way. It gets me so mad and is truly sad. The military is there for all of us - and they will defend you even with you not supporting them.

If you don't think they are defending your freedom, what do you think they are there for? Say the National Guard had to come to your area because of something that happen - would you accept the help?

And for the poster who things most people in the military are uneducated - do you think the military would let these people use the billions of dollars worth of equipment?

 

[sha_lyn]

The talk of care packages reminds me of something that happened a couple of months ago

a little background: right after 9/11 a friend's son told his uncle that he was afraid to go into Atlanta because of the 9/11 attacks. Soon after the uncle enlisted

fast forward: several of the mothers in my home school group started a mothers group. We decided to start making care packages and send them to the friend's brother. We have also done things for his wife, while PG with their first child.

Someone in the group went off on us on the yahoo group. Said she thought we were a group of loving mothers, but a group of loving mothers couldn't support baby killers etc. She really went off on us. A few weeks later we all got together and the subject came up again. She said that we were glorifying the murder that our soldiers commit. That she can just imagine the soldiers opening up the packages and thinking oh goody here's my reward.

It makes me sick. I now have a hard time even facing this person IRL. My friend now has a very hard time opening up about her brother in our group.

 

[mickeyfan2]

I think that a lot of people are very unaware of just how much humanitarian work the military actually does

Or that the military doing humanitarian works helps to protect our country. It is hard to take up arms against somebody who helped you out in your time of need.

 

[happygirl]

Of course I would

 

[bananiem]

I just don't understand this quote - how can you not support the military, you may not agree with the war. I normally don't post on topics like this but I just don't understand how someone can feel this way. It gets me so mad and is truly sad. The military is there for all of us - and they will defend you even with you not supporting them.

If you don't think they are defending your freedom, what do you think they are there for? Say the National Guard had to come to your area because of something that happen - would you accept the help?

And for the poster who things most people in the military are uneducated - do you think the military would let these people use the billions of dollars worth of equipment?

Thank you. I was trying to find the words. You put it very well.

 

[smartestnumber5]

Never ever let your kids drive a car or go in a car with any other driver than you!!! Cars are more dangerous than the military. As a matter of fact don't lwt them out of your sight.

I'm confused.

When the question of why military careers are more deserving of respect than most other professions, the answer given by many posters was that unlike almost all other professions, military members risk their lives to protect us.

But when the fact of the military being a dangerous profession, you and a few other posters have tried to deemphasize any danger. You make it sound like members of the military are safer than our taxi drivers.

So which is it?

 

[mickeyfan2]

I'm confused.

When the question of why military careers are more deserving of respect than most other professions, the answer given by many posters was that unlike almost all other professions, military members risk their lives to protect us.

But when the fact of the military being a dangerous profession, you and a few other posters have tried to deemphasize any danger. You make it sound like members of the military are safer than our taxi drivers.

So which is it?

A person in the military stationed in the US is not in any danger. A person deployed is in danger but not a death sentence, as you an others seem to think. It is far more likely that the person would die in a car accident driving to their base than being on their base.

A taxi driver is a dangerous job, but I would be proud of anybody who does it. It is a legal way to earn a living. Same for the military.

 

[bananiem]

I'm confused.

When the question of why military careers are more deserving of respect than most other professions, the answer given by many posters was that unlike almost all other professions, military members risk their lives to protect us.

But when the fact of the military being a dangerous profession, you and a few other posters have tried to deemphasize any danger. You make it sound like members of the military are safer than our taxi drivers.

So which is it?

There are many positions within the military that are not any more dangerous than everyday life. People die every day in job related accidents. Being in the military doesn't automatically put you in harms way any more than working for the power company assures you'll get electrocuted.

 

[meandtheguys2]

Not answering for Mickeyfan, but there is a difference in motivation.

I can get into a vehicle to run my personal errands, and be killed on the way home.

Or I can be in the military, having volunteered to help others, and be killed pulling my buddy out of a burning vehicle (as was a friend 3 years ago.)

Statistically less of a chance of happening, but of a different caliber.

It is like the difference of visiting New Orleans for Mardi Gras, or visiting for habitat for humanity. Same destination far different motvivation.

 

[Galahad]

A person in the military stationed in the US is not in any danger.

To be fair, this is not entirely true. Members of the military are killed and injured each year in training. During some periods, more people were killed during training than in actual combat. DW did serve in Haiti, but other than that she saw no "action" while she was in the Army but she was still seriously injured and medically retired due to what happened in a training exercise in Texas.

 

[DisneyGirl4188]

I'm confused.

When the question of why military careers are more deserving of respect than most other professions, the answer given by many posters was that unlike almost all other professions, military members risk their lives to protect us.

But when the fact of the military being a dangerous profession, you and a few other posters have tried to deemphasize any danger. You make it sound like members of the military are safer than our taxi drivers.

So which is it?

I think the issue isn't whether the military is more deserving of respect, but they are certainly not less deserving. People have stated they would look down on those in the military and wouldn't be proud. I can't understand that thought at all.

Why would someone hold an actor in higher regard than someone who protects them?

No, the military isn't a death sentence, but soldiers are willing to give their life for all of us. That does deserve a HUGE amount of respect.

 

[smartestnumber5]

Maybe you should ask whether or not we would be disappointed, rather than proud. Like another poster said, whats to not be proud of? Its an honorable profession.

I personally would not choose it for my sons. Especially if they were to volunteer to serve in this war. But I can't see how I would be "appalled" or "ashamed". Just disappointed they didn't choose the path I had in mind for them. I'd get over it, though, because they are my children and I love them and support them no matter what they do. I just think asking the question, "would you be proud?" really is a little silly. Again, whats not to be proud of?

I think you make a good point. Many posters have seemed totally unable to understand how one could not be proud of any (legal) choice a child makes. (Personally there are plenty of illegal things I'd be proud of my kid for.) Some have also seemed to equate being proud of one's children with unconditional love for one's child. (Though JunieJay you're the only one who answered, I'm guessing by the incredulousness of most other patients about pride for one's children that ALL of them would indeed be quite proud if their child became an abortionist.)

Since I'm sure lots of posters think abortion is dispicable and murder, I suspect I must be using a different definition of "pride" than those posters are. So maybe you're right that a change in terms would help.

 

[smartestnumber5]

This begs the question of why don't you support the military?

Also, if you believe one of the things the military does is not defend your freedom then what do you believe they do?

I've been having trouble understanding what many posters mean when they say that veterans (apparently ALL of them) have paid for/protected/fought for my freedom of speech. I come from a family of veterans--grandfather has a purple heart in WWII, uncle was in the Korean conflict, dad served during Vietnam but luckily was in Germany. I've never heard any of them ever refer to their service as protecting our freedom of anything. I admit, I don't totally understand what that would mean in any literal sense.

My grandfather would say that he was trying to stop Germany from taking over all of Europe and furthering their genocide. Not sure about my uncle. During my father's service he came to see that the Vietnam war was pointless and unjust and a waste of lives and money. So if asked, I'm pretty sure he'd say he was doing nothing useful at all though he does credit his time in the military with teaching him to make the bed well (not that he has ever done so since).

The message I've always gotten from those who've served in the military in my family has been that the military is ideally there to protect our security and often the security of our allies (but of course it is misused like in the current war). They've never given me the message that the military protects our free speech in any literal sense. Perhaps you could say in a roundabout way our security involves our free speech? Like if Japan had taken over the U.S. during WWII they would have taken away our constitution, so in a sense, the people fighting during WWII were protecting our freedom of speech? Is this what everyone means? So then really military members are protecting every right and freedom in the constitution--say, for example, my right to abortion covered under the right to privacy? That would seem a very odd thing to say since the process by which the constitutional right to privacy which includes reproductive decisions was recognized had nothing to do with the military and has never been (and probably never will be) an issue in any conflict with another nation; I'd think the same is true of freedom of speech. Maybe you mean it more metaphorically? As in, if ever there were a threat to freedom of speech from another nation, the military would be our line of defense against that nation? Kind of like even if you've never personally had a fire, the fire dept is still protecting you just by being there in case you ever do?

If I asked my father about this he'd probably laugh and make a crack about how the military violated his freedom of speech when he was in it (I hear the same from a friend of my brother's currently serving in Iraq). He'd probably say the biggest threat to freedom of speech is our own government, and it's groups like the ACLU who are really protecting our constitutional rights from the government. Maybe it's because I've been influenced by him and his (obviously quite negative based on his experience) view of the military that I don't really understand this very well.

 

[DisneyGirl4188]

I've been having trouble understanding what many posters mean when they say that veterans (apparently ALL of them) have paid for/protected/fought for my freedom of speech. I come from a family of veterans--grandfather has a purple heart in WWII, uncle was in the Korean conflict, dad served during Vietnam but luckily was in Germany. I've never heard any of them ever refer to their service as protecting our freedom of anything. I admit, I don't totally understand what that would mean in any literal sense.

Look at it this way: If it weren't for the military, other countries could invade us and overthrow our government. They could make laws forbiding us to speak our minds, woman would not be allowed to walk out of the house unescorted, media would be what they wanted. We wouldn't have the freedom we take for granted now.