this makes me sad

[Hooahguy]

last night i was thinking about veterans day, as i was listening to the radio. then came up a few commercials that made me shameful of what this society, at least in America, has become. these commercials were having sales and the like for veterans day.
what have we become? on memorial day we also have sales and picnics and have fun, even get a day off of school, but not much about our brave soldiers who gave up their lives to keep us free.
its really sad.
what is going on? why is our society almost completely throw away any military significance to these days?
does it have to do with the "wussification" of america?

[Proletariat]

The US Military is a national source of pride. I don't think there's a free country that recognizes those who serve in a higher regard.

The holiday season is gearing up, hoohaguy. If we had a national holiday commemorating Mother Goose's Nursery Rhymes there would be huge sales for it. No big deal

[seireikhaan]

The US Military is a national source of pride. I don't think there's a free country that recognizes those who serve in a higher regard.

The holiday season is gearing up, hoohaguy. If we had a national holiday commemorating Mother Goose's Nursery Rhymes there would be huge sales for it. No big deal

Aww... I'm disappointed...

I was hoping to see The Proletariat rage against blind consumerism, greed, and excess.

[LittleGrizzly]

I don't think there's a free country that recognizes those who serve in a higher regard.

Possibly Israel, maybe other threatened countries also... like taiwan....

on memorial day we also have sales and picnics and have fun, even get a day off of school, but not much about our brave soldiers who gave up their lives to keep us free.

I think to some people... the idea is to enjoy the day in honour of those that made it possible through thier sacrifices

[CountArach]

I hate blind consumerism, greed and excess.

You happy now khaan?

[seireikhaan]

I hate blind consumerism, greed and excess.

You happy now khaan?

Yes, but you're not Proletariat. You're just a corporate prostitute.

Feel dirty yet?

[CountArach]

Yes, but you're not Proletariat. You're just a corporate prostitute.

Feel dirty yet?

[Hooahguy]

The US Military is a national source of pride. I don't think there's a free country that recognizes those who serve in a higher regard.

The holiday season is gearing up, hoohaguy. If we had a national holiday commemorating Mother Goose's Nursery Rhymes there would be huge sales for it. No big deal

israel, as littlegrizzly said, does.
for a minute, life stops as air-raid sirens go off. everyone, no matter where they are, even on the highway, stop, get out of thier cars (if on the road), and stand at attention.
why cant we do something similar here? i bet you of all the times the prez calls for a moment of silence, only a small percentage actually do it.

[Gregoshi]

Unless I missed something, network television went on like any other night - Dancing with the Stars, etc. etc.

[ajaxfetish]

It's not a military thing. It's a holiday-in-general thing these days. How much thought at Christmas is given to Christ? Most of the Christmas music in stores and on the radio is secular, and Santa and shopping get the majority of the attention. How much of Halloween is gearing up for All Saints' Day or warding off witchcraft and how much is trying to maximize candy consumption? Thanksgiving doesn't really lend itself to consumerism and so is mostly forgotten, the big holiday being the day afterward when all the Christmas sales kick into higher gear. The purpose of holidays in America now is consumption and materialism. Whatever meaning they may previously have had is mostly forgotten, and they're just an excuse for more commerce.

Ajax

[ELITEofWARMANGINGERYBREADMEN88]

Unless I missed something, network television went on like any other night - Dancing with the Stars, etc. etc.

Sad... no body cares really. I mean, after 9/11, people cared... for awhile. It seems now people just treat that like another tragedy and walk away like nothing happens.

Plus, you show respect for the people who defened your country... If you don't, maybe you should go and fight then?

[Fragony]

israel, as littlegrizzly said, does.
for a minute, life stops as air-raid sirens go off. everyone, no matter where they are, even on the highway, stop, get out of thier cars (if on the road), and stand at attention.
why cant we do something similar here? i bet you of all the times the prez calls for a moment of silence, only a small percentage actually do it.

Same here, 3 minutes of silence a year it's taken very seriously.

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=mkUYZ628_Hs

[HoreTore]

israel, as littlegrizzly said, does.
for a minute, life stops as air-raid sirens go off. everyone, no matter where they are, even on the highway, stop, get out of thier cars (if on the road), and stand at attention.
why cant we do something similar here? i bet you of all the times the prez calls for a moment of silence, only a small percentage actually do it.

Because.... It would be stupid?

[Banquo's Ghost]

Because.... It would be stupid?

Why stupid?

Encouraging everyone to take time and reflect on the terrible cost of war, however justifiable - to think of the faces and lives of those men and women lost to us in the flower of their youth - to imagine the real, painful, destructive cost of death on the battlefield, as if it were us lying beneath those serried ranks of uniform crosses, interred along with our own hopes and dreams - might be a reflection that helps more people appreciate how awful war is - an enterprise not to be undertaken lightly.

Particularly in regard to the Great War, so characterised by grainy film of young men grinning with joy as they march off to fight for country, flag and nonsense - stirred by false patriotism and driven by the views of their peers and leaders that suffocating to death in a blood-soaked mud-hole is somehow a glorious sacrifice - such an annual reflection might just stop the same fatuous patriotism and false demons being used to send more young people to die uselessly in foreign fields.

Two minutes a year when the cash tills, petty whingings and rat races suspend? I would argue it is stupid not to do so.

[Hosakawa Tito]

Because.... It would be stupid?

Distasteful as this attitude is to me personally; many brave young men have paid the ultimate sacrifice in defense of the freedom to publicly express one's feelings/opinions/protests without government sanction. I vehemently disagree that taking a moment of National silence to honor this is stupid, however I defend your right to express it.

Imo, the biggest downside of the elimination of the US military draft in 1973 and the institution of the All-Volunteer armed forces is being demonstrated on these military remembrance holidays today. Most American families are not directly affected, and have no loved one in the military putting their life on the line. Those that do bear the lion's share of sacrifice. Dad or Mom is away from home for extended periods of time, the spouse at home has to fill dual parenting roles and make up/get by on the lost income, the children are without Dad/Mom, the soldier misses some of the most special events in his children's lives and can never get them back etc... And this they voluntarily sacrifice for us along with the possibility of death/serious injury/psychological scarring that the violence of war can bring.

What do we voluntarily sacrifice in comparison to that? Hardly, if anything, at all. The very least we can do is take a few minutes from our busy little world and acknowledge them.

[pevergreen]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYlrrAWCTRg

On November 11, 1999 Terry Kelly was in a Shoppers Drug Mart store in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. At 10:55 AM an announcement came over the store's PA asking customers who would still be on the premises at 11:00 AM to give two minutes of silence in respect to the veterans who have sacrificed so much for us.

Terry was impressed with the store's leadership role in adopting the Legion's "two minutes of silence" initiative. He felt that the store's contribution of educating the public to the importance of remembering was commendable.

When eleven o'clock arrived on that day, an announcement was again made asking for the "two minutes of silence" to commence. All customers, with the exception of a man who was accompanied by his young child, showed their respect.

Terry's anger towards the father for trying to engage the store's clerk in conversation and for setting a bad example for his child was later channeled into a beautiful piece of work called, "A Pittance of Time". Terry later recorded "A Pittance of Time" and included it on his full-length music CD, "The Power of the Dream".

We watched that just before the minute of silence we observe in our special chapel at school. If someone had of talked, I would have hit them in the face.

But yes, holidays have lost their true meaning, I recognised that many a year ago.

[Spino]

last night i was thinking about veterans day, as i was listening to the radio. then came up a few commercials that made me shameful of what this society, at least in America, has become. these commercials were having sales and the like for veterans day.
what have we become? on memorial day we also have sales and picnics and have fun, even get a day off of school, but not much about our brave soldiers who gave up their lives to keep us free.
its really sad.
what is going on? why is our society almost completely throw away any military significance to these days?
does it have to do with the "wussification" of america?

Little late for this sentiment. I dunno if you've noticed but Christmas is a commercialized joke in the States compared to elsewhere. I'd be curious to know what percentage of Americans more readily associate Christmas with Santa Claus than Baby Jesus...

[El Diablo]

We have ANZAC day here (New Zealand) as our day to remember those who have made the untimate sacrifice.

As I recall this year we had anti-war protestors at the dawn service in Wellington (where I live).
This is despite the fact that we are not at war with anyone (we have some troops in Afganistan and East Timor).

Anti-war protests at a rememberance service - that I find far more offensive than advertising.

But as was stated above the utimate sacrifice paid was so that people like that could have their say.

[Hooahguy]

We have ANZAC day here (New Zealand) as our day to remember those who have made the untimate sacrifice.

As I recall this year we had anti-war protestors at the dawn service in Wellington (where I live).
This is despite the fact that we are not at war with anyone (we have some troops in Afganistan and East Timor).

Anti-war protests at a rememberance service - that I find far more offensive than advertising.

But as was stated above the utimate sacrifice paid was so that people like that could have their say.

indeed.
did you hear about the supreme court overturning a ban on the navy using sonar for their exercises off the coast of California, because the animals may get hurt? its madness, i tell you! madness that the lower courts would do that! thank god for the supreme court!

[seireikhaan]

indeed.
did you hear about the supreme court overturning a ban on the navy using sonar for their exercises off the coast of California, because the animals may get hurt? its madness, i tell you! madness that the lower courts would do that! thank god for the supreme court!

Madness? THIS IS SPARTA CALI!

[Hooahguy]

i prefer our national security over the security of our marine friends (regarding fish, not the Marines)

[drone]

did you hear about the supreme court overturning a ban on the navy using sonar for their exercises off the coast of California, because the animals may get hurt? its madness, i tell you! madness that the lower courts would do that! thank god for the supreme court!

The animal rights people are under the control of the octo-squids. Sonar is our first line of defense when the attack finally comes. The Supremes are to be commended, but Breyer, Ginsburg, and Souter are compromised and must be eliminated.

[HoreTore]

Anti-war protests at a rememberance service - that I find far more offensive than advertising.

An anti-war protest at such a day, now that's something I can support. What better way can you pay respect to someone than to work against that which killed them?

But standing at attention? Oh please, unless Norway decides to send a UN contingent somewhere within the end of 2009, I won't stand at attention anymore for the rest of my life. No way. And certainly not in civilian clothing, that's just plain wrong.

[Hooahguy]

An anti-war protest at such a day, now that's something I can support. What better way can you pay respect to someone than to work against that which killed them?

But standing at attention? Oh please, unless Norway decides to send a UN contingent somewhere within the end of 2009, I won't stand at attention anymore for the rest of my life. No way. And certainly not in civilian clothing, that's just plain wrong.

i cant tell if you're joking or being serious......

[CountArach]

i cant tell if you're joking or being serious......

He's serious and he's not the only one who feels that way. I personally don't sing our national anthem for the same reason - I don't like what it represents. If something is a symbol and you don't like what that symbol represents, why would you continue to support that symbol?

At least I am fairly sure that is what HoreTore is on about.

[Jolt]

i cant tell if you're joking or being serious......

There is an ideology called Pacifism. Many people support it, and many people can't understand what that concept means. Ghandi did. I like him more because of that.