From: Jeff Davis (jrd1415@yahoo.com)
Date: Fri Aug 30 2002 - 18:25:44 MDT
Fellow veterans, and "those who only stand and wait",
At the start of this thread, Brian D Williams
<talon57@well.com> wrote:
It is of course both painfull and infuriating to those
of us who have paid a heavy price for our citizenship
to see this country run down by people who have paid
nothing for theirs.
We have a saying for it: "For those who have fought to
defend it, life has a flavor the protected shall never
know."
More recently Brian wrote:
> In order for a country to exist at all certain
> prices have to be paid. In this country currently a
> small portion of the population pay that price.
>
> The very extropian question is if most if not all of
> a society paid a portion of the real costs, would
> this not result in a better society.
<snip>
> My personal belief is that to have equal rights one
> should pay an equal share of the costs.
<snip>
> And you continue to be a free person thanks to the
> efforts of others.
So, what exactly was this "high price" that you paid,
Brian? Conscription? Combat experience? Wounded?
Disabled? Gulf War syndrome? Friends killed or
wounded? Separation from family, friends, wife and
kids? Mess hall chow rather than Mom's home cooking
or Pizza Hut?
When I wore the uniform (US Army '68 to '70) they
trained me, housed me, clothed me, fed me, provided
medical care, and told me what to think. I expect
they did the same for you. Except for that last item,
where is there a price paid? (Boot camp, mythology
aside, is every boy's dream: summer camp with firearms
and hand grenades (but where no one gets hurt)).
>From your history of posts I gather that you were in
the Marine Corps during the Gulf War. What EXACTLY
did you do/happened to you that you consider you paid
"a heavy price for [your] citizenship"?
And while I'm askin'--Yo! Lorrey!--you're fond of
mouthing off re your patriotic credentials--show us
YOUR scars, recount for us your heroic deeds, help
us--the unworthy bleating helots gazing up upon our
betters in awe--to appreciate the great
sacrifice/heavy price you paid, and by which you
secured your claim to first-class Heinleinian
'citizenship'?
Best, Jeff Davis
"Enjoying being insulting is a youthful corruption of
power. You lose your taste for it when you realize how
hard people try, how much they mind, and how long they
remember."
Martin Amis
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Finance - Get real-time stock quotes
http://finance.yahoo.com
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Sat Nov 02 2002 - 09:16:34 MST