Hell, Matt, homophobia is accepted in our society at large, so why should the military be an exception? I also was angry at that photo, but I know enough about the military to know that that there are a lot more tolerant than intolerant folks in it. And Bluepony is no dunce.
I suspect that Bluepony feels the same exasperation with **Otto]/b] that I do. I agree with him on both the “fag” issue and patriotic coercion of school students. The difference is that I love america, and am disappointed whne she stumbles on preserving tolerance and freedom. From Otto’s many posts, it seems he hates America and sees it as a despicable country. It’s getting old.
Rick, I think I get what you’re saying. However, I also think that as roles change, so will tolerance levels.
As far as I know, in the military, it’s still illegal to be gay. Not so with being black. The law is, unfortunately creating an intolerance that won’t go away until the law is first repealed, and then the change accepted.
IOW, if you’re perpetuating a standard in a subset of society that legally shuns another subset, it is whimsical, at best, to assume that tolerance and acceptance is near to bear.
Do I think the rules chould be changed? Absolutely. Do I think it’s folly to expect a change in culture when the books perpetuate that culture? You betcha.
And I would still knock anyone’s block off for insinuating that we target civilians.
The irony of this thread is that Bluepony, having been a cop and a serviceman, has put his life on the line for people like Otto and matt, and probably would again given the proper circumstances; while they would probably do no such thing for Bluepony or anyone else. Matt might, actually, but Otto sure wouldn’t.
News flash, retard, the military is not a grand social welfare “feel good”, Kum-ba-Ya, encounter group. It’s job is to efficiently kill people, period. We didn’t exist to compete for the Nobel Peace Prize or the Betty Crocker Freakin’ Cook-Off. I was good at it, the pay wasn’t bad, and the travel perks were awesome. I wasn’t a model of political correctness or decorum, but I could shoot straight, kill without weapons and blow things up. I was accepted for that, not because I knew how to get in touch with my “inner self”.
I don’t really give a rat fuck if you’re flamin’ queer, wear a Rebel flag tattoo over your right tit, or pray to the almighty Thor every second full freakin’ moon. All I care about is if that dipshit brain donor who wrote that on that bomb attached it to that fighter properly, allowing the crew of that plane to drop that bomb in a proper trajectory and circular error of probability that results in dead terrorists. End of story.
As an Asian-American, I don’t go off the deep end or go crying to social services everytime I hear “Gook”, “Slant”,
“Zipperhead”, “Lizardeyes”, “Flip”, or other choice, cool words for us Mongolian types. In certain circumstances, I would either avoid conflict, or I would offer to take your fuckin’ head off, depending on tactical situation.
In short, the world’s a fuckin’ evil place sometimes, Matt, if you can’t handle it, then roll into a ball and turn off the lights. Life goes on.
Ah, shit Otto, I’d love to have enscribed some of the toys.
Maybe with “Die You Carpet Munchin’ Camel Buggers” or, “Death To Sand Monkees!”, “Osama Been Who?!?”
BTW Otto: F.O. If ya wanna dance with AOs over this issue, I’d be happy to introduce you to a few of my buddies. You would NOT like the way they’d lead you around the dance floor.
The mission of the military, in an operating location, is to GET THE JOB DONE. In an active bombing campaign, that means KILL THE ENEMY, SPARE AS MANY INNOCENTS AS POSSIBLE. Your mission might differ, if your assignment is Dorm Guard or something. However, the people who are delivering the product, which is heavy death and destruction raining from above…their job is to make the right shit explode.
You know, just because the world is evil doesn’t mean you have to revel in it. You could always try to make the world a better place. Matt ran for Congress, did you know that? He’s gotten beaten up and gassed fighting for his beliefs.
Hey, did you guys know Monty’s in the military, too? So maybe he knows what the fuck he’s talking about. And I’ll take his word on what the military’s job is over “My Asian ancestry means I must kill innocent people to revenge myself”* Bluepony.
Homophobia is assholish behavior. It shouldn’t be tolerated, at all. There’s not really anything you can do about it, but that doesn’t mean you should watch it happen and not be bothered by it.
Of course, Manservant has said in the past that my opinions are ‘moot’ because I am not in the military and/or advocating the murder of innocent people, so YMMV.
–John
*a paraphrase, but something he really said.
MH, Bluepony, & Demise (in no specific order of their inanity or stupidity):
I was addressing this incredibly stupid fucking juvenile view of the military:
Now, the actual mission of the military includes, but is not limited to, killing people. It certainly is not the mission of the military to just go in and kill damn near everyone in sight. In addition to killing the right people, the military also exists to save people from killing. And the military exists to do a whole bunch of other things.
Thanks. Actually, I’m in the Fleet Reserve, which is what the Navy calls the first approximately 10 years of an Enlisted Member’s retirement. I am, however, still subject to recall in the event of war or national emergency.
At the request of a Very Good Friend, I am not going to flame you for this. However, I will still point out that I did not say that your opinions were moot, rather that YOU were moot. And, my reasoning behind it stands the same. You’re an unyielding single-minded oaf. I don’t think that you can possibly begin to understand any opinion other than your own.
And, that’s all I have to say about that.
MONTY:
Did you read what I posted? If you did, do you have like, an ironing board stuck in your skull? Before you tell a sensor troop about who we’re trying to bomb, check yourself, or you will wreck yourself.
Hold up a fucking second. Bluepony’s stated opinion is that we need to kill innocent people on purpose to get revenge for the 9/11 events. After the heat of the moment had had time to pass he continued to hold this position and claimed that his Asian ancestry would not allow him to be satisfied without this revenge. And you, while not veering into the Land of Psychosis, have defended him repeatedly. And I’m the one who won’t yield and can’t understand any one else’s opinion??
Fuck that. Single-minded makes no fucking sense either. There’s no single topic that draws most of my posts. I have more than once worked to try and find an accord with people I disagreed with, and taken a lot more shit before giving up on them than most people would.
I’m pretty sure calling me
is violating the request of your friend, so let’s have the whole fucking thing out, either here, or in a new thread. What the fuck is your problem with me?
Unless you’re referring to a post in another thread that I haven’t seen as yet, there’s nothing in either of Bluepony’s posts about killing innocent people, on purpose or by accident. He stated (with a bit of hyperbole, in my opinion) that the mission of armed forces was to kill people. Even Monty, who disagreed with much (if not all of Bluepony’s posts, said it was certainly part of their mission. His reference to his own ethnicity dealt with the use of the epithet on the bomb, not on killing people.
You may emphatically disagree with his point of view, his priorities and his idea of what the mission of the military may be, but you should make sure that you’re disagreeing with him for the right reasons and not one that you’ve commingled with some slant-foreheaded drooling mouthbreather who runs around screaming “Nuke Afghanistan” everytime the four remaining neurons in his brain fire at the same time.
Get your shit straight or your going to end up looking like a centerfold in the Century of Bukkake Retrospective Special Edition.
(For the record, I ran for Parliament, being Canadian.)