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ORIGINAL: rulemylife

Oh for fuck's sake!

Can you possibly overreact more?

You didn't say ALL, I didn't say ALL, and I never accused you of saying ALL.

What you did say was this:

But I have yet to talk to a soldier that was in it for blood sport.

And I disputed that based on personal experience.

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It seems that while Sgt. 1st class Sean Gittens was good enough to risk his life, to ultimately lose his power of speech and use of his legs, for America; he still isn't good enough to live in the Lilly-white subdivision known as Knob Hill. Or should that be "snob hill"?

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Why should the troops be supported at all? They're paid to kill, destroy, and torture.... that's even worse than doing it for free.

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ORIGINAL: DarkSteven

The news source is left-slanted, but they have a point.  It's illegal to discriminates because of the guy's skin color or veterans' status, or his disability.  Pick any one.  He could have a slam dunk lawsuit if he chose.  But he'd have to live among the defendants.

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ORIGINAL: Arpig

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It seems that while Sgt. 1st class Sean Gittens was good enough to risk his life, to ultimately lose his power of speech and use of his legs, for America; he still isn't good enough to live in the Lilly-white subdivision known as Knob Hill. Or should that be "snob hill"?

I find myself wondering how much anybody would care if he wasn't injured in Iraq, if he was just some guy who'd been paralyzed in a car accident?

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ORIGINAL: Arpig

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Why should the troops be supported at all? They're paid to kill, destroy, and torture.... that's even worse than doing it for free.

Well a lot of people have replied in a heated manner, I'm not going to. You asked a question, and based it on an erroneous assumption.

The troops are NOT paid to kill, destroy, and torture. They are paid to do what they are told. They keep the peace in times of domestic disturbance (Oka), they assist in times of natural disaster (Winnipeg floods, Katrina). They defend our interests over seas, they defend key installations such as embassies and oil fields. They build roads, schools, houses, and bridges. They help restore peace in places like Cyprus, Kosovo, and Macedonia, giving the diplomats a chance to try work things out without bloodshed. They build and maintain essential infrastructure (Corps of Engineers and the locks, dikes and levees along the Mississippi). They do all those things and many more. They do what they are told to do, and yes sometimes they are told to go somewhere and fight. And then they will kill and destroy if it's required, but really it is a very small part of what they do.

That's why the troops should be supported, they are the ones risking their bodies, minds, and lives, but they aren't the ones responsible for the killing and destroying. The politicians who sent them there are.

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ORIGINAL: rulemylife

Don't be naive enough to believe there are not those that do.

I've met my share of them.

And I would hope you have read enough of my posts here to know I'm not prone to exaggeration.

Most recently I had the displeasure of meeting a friend's nephew on leave from Iraq who spent the night telling us in graphic detail how much he enjoyed killing Hajis.

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That's why the troops should be supported, they are the ones risking their bodies, minds, and lives, but they aren't the ones responsible for the killing and destroying. The politicians who sent them there are.

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ORIGINAL: wittynamehere

FR

Why should the troops be supported at all? They're paid to kill, destroy, and torture.... that's even worse than doing it for free.

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* I don't know if it's the same in the US but here 'knob' is used to refer contemptuously to people who behave like 'pricks' or 'total morons'

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Third, I've no doubt that there are a few soldiers in uniform that may be "blood-thirsty killers" who revel in violence, but - in my experience - such people do not fit in well in a structured, disciplined military environment and are either quickly relieved of their military status, or end up in a military jail or prison.

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I was in the USAF and this was my experience - those who reveled in violence were kicked out or ended up in jail.

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ORIGINAL: GreedyTop

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ORIGINAL: Arpig

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Why should the troops be supported at all? They're paid to kill, destroy, and torture.... that's even worse than doing it for free.

Well a lot of people have replied in a heated manner, I'm not going to. You asked a question, and based it on an erroneous assumption.

The troops are NOT paid to kill, destroy, and torture. They are paid to do what they are told. They keep the peace in times of domestic disturbance (Oka), they assist in times of natural disaster (Winnipeg floods, Katrina). They defend our interests over seas, they defend key installations such as embassies and oil fields. They build roads, schools, houses, and bridges. They help restore peace in places like Cyprus, Kosovo, and Macedonia, giving the diplomats a chance to try work things out without bloodshed. They build and maintain essential infrastructure (Corps of Engineers and the locks, dikes and levees along the Mississippi). They do all those things and many more. They do what they are told to do, and yes sometimes they are told to go somewhere and fight. And then they will kill and destroy if it's required, but really it is a very small part of what they do.

That's why the troops should be supported, they are the ones risking their bodies, minds, and lives, but they aren't the ones responsible for the killing and destroying. The politicians who sent them there are.

just.. brilliant.  thank you, Arpig.. thank you.