It’s more in response to how a lot of people are using the military as a prop to win an argument that I’m annoyed with. It wasn’t really directed at anyone in particular but ever since the parade there has been alot of MAGA has been going this route lately. Granted the left has been going “everything Trump does is breaking the law” route too. I have issues with both. But as a veteran I just hate being told how I should feel or else I’m not patriotic. So it rubs me a little harder than the whiners on the left do
I'm glad somebody said it.
Very few people know I was in the Air Force unless they've either known me all my life or served with me. It's not something I boast about, it's something I was essentially raised around. And I get VERY ANGRY when I see stuff (particularly from those who would never serve if their lives depended on it) saying stuff like "I'd rather my taxes go to a homeless veteran than a welfare cheat." That's because these folks aren't down at the VA or the American Legion, they make no donations to any veteran's groups, they don't go into nursing homes to visit vets on their last legs (or missing their legs), it's just the old "I'm gonna substitute this Unfortunate Group in place of this Unfortunate Group and glory be to me!" (The people who are REALLY involved with veterans groups - generally speaking - don't draw any attention to themselves at all).
What's funny is that I enlisted in 1992 and let me tell ya something: Jesse Helms's observation that Clinton is about as popular as AIDS in N Carolina was true in the military of that time, too. And the biggest issue was his devious (to be charitable) way of making sure he didn't wind up going to Vietnam but not having the stones to register as a conscientious objector. (Gays in the military wasn't "really" as big an issue as folks like to pretend it was; my Dad served with people he knew were gay in Vietnam, and so long as you didn't oppress morale, nobody cared). And it was an issue of principle.
But some of the same people I recall saying Clinton was unacceptable because of his draft history give a FREE PASS to Corporal Bone Spurs, who got out of service because he was rich. (Look - Quayle and Dubya PROBABLY did, too, but I'm hesitant to cast aspersions at someone's service even if it was in the Guard; someone who wants to be over the top with the military but ran like a coward when it was his time to go, he can go get bent).
As I told someone trying this:
I'M NOT YOUR MASCOT FOR YOUR CAUSE!!!