BIGUN 1,111 #26 April 27, 2006 QuoteHe was babbling on about something about what is sacrifice. He was basically saying that my sacrifice was not my leg, but my freedom when I enlisted (As an active duty soldier, I don't have the same rights as a civilian). I see the point, but still think it misses the target. You sacrificed a leg. But, even more importantly, you were willing to sacrifice your life when you enlisted. While you may have surrendered certain freedoms by enlisting; a soldier preserves or secures freedoms for others. If one is not willing to sacrifice certain freedoms by becoming a soldier; then don't put on the pickle suit. It is a volunteer Army. Babblers babble. Soldiers take action. I'd rather be around one soldier than a thousand babblers.Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #27 April 27, 2006 QuoteBabblers babble. Soldiers take action. I'd rather be around one soldier than a thousand babblers. Excellent! Here is a sampling of jumpingjimmy's recent kind-hearted and thoughtful babbling: "i wish smoking killed everbody who smoked, that way people wouldn't have they "it won't be me" attitude to smoking... it was raining. i laughed my cock off at the sad fucks all standing outside getting soaked having a fag... fuck their rights..." "just another sign of how fucked up it is with guns and people arguing that they should be allowed to own them... keep your guns, and keep killing yourselves... at least you're providing millions of other people around the world with a good laugh at every new massacre..." "Americans do seem to have a liking for killing their own presidents..."That's about all I can stomach right now. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jumpingjimmy 0 #28 April 27, 2006 do you want me to waste my time trawling through your posts for stuff i don't like? whats up matey? don't like somebody telling it how it is occasionally? am i not allowed to be anti-smoking and voice it in any terms i like? am i not allowed to laugh and mock America for being fucked up by guns? you argue for your right to carry guns, and yet you get so many foreigners coming on here laughing at how fucked your country is when we hear of every new high school massacre... tell you what, why not get mad at the people doing the killing and not at people from around the world laughing at your country for appearing to be so fucked up by guns. all i'm doing is having a reaction to YOUR country and what we see coming out of it, is that our fault for having the reaction, or your countries for providing us with the ammunition to mock? how many American presidents have either been killed, or have had an attempt on their lives? whats the proportion of that number to how many presidents there has been? and how about i now do the same for English Prime Ministers? whats up again... not liking the truth once more? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NtheSeaOrSky 0 #29 April 27, 2006 QuoteQuoteMissing 6 months (or more) of your young child's life to be overseas, missing out on opportunites to watch your relationship with your spouse (or other loved ones) grow, missing the chance to teach your teenager to drive, see them go to the prom, or go out on their first date. . . all while indulging yourself by doing what you want to do in life If your family mean that much to you, you'd not do something that keeps you away from them. Doing a trade that keeps you away from them is your choice, nobody makes you do that... you choose to do something in life that you want to do, knowing full well that you'll miss out on all the things you've said, but those things are secondry to your desire to do what you want to do, if they were more important than being in the military, you'd not be in the military and you'd do something that enables you to be with your family i don't have much sympathy for anybody who indulges themself in life by following their chosen career path and then moans that they are missing out on things by following their choses career path its like hitting yourself on the head and then complaining that your getting hurt... stop hitting yourself on the head then !!! While I might not agree with the delivery of your opinion, jimmy, I can see both sides of the issue. Yes, soldiers for the most part do make a choice to do what they do. It has been my personal experience, they do not always *know* what all it involves. Yes we all know the inherent risks and dangers, but there are things they will encounter they can never imagine when they join. That being said, any injury, physical or psychological is a tragedy. What differentiates sacrifice for me is that regardless of their chosen career path, their job still provides a service to others. In my eyes-at its very basic core- is the difference from someone losing a limb while surfing (person serving themself) versus being at war, fighting a fire, or being shot at by an armed robber (person serving others). .Life is not fair and there are no guarantees... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
opurt 0 #30 April 28, 2006 From Merriam-Webster online, a sacrifice includes giving up something you value or enjoy (definition 3). Losing a limb or a life is by definition a sacrifice. Since most people value and enjoy their limbs and lives. The soldier may or may not have known this was a credible possibility. That doesn't matter. In the line of duty, he gave up something he values. Thus, by definition, he has made a sacrifice. And frequently, for many soldiers, they are giving up civilian freedom, ease and flexibility for the purpose of being a soldier. Thus they sacrifice merely to be soldiers. The severity of this sacrifice varies for different people. The thoughtful society values people like this. As it is people like this who are ultimately called on to defend and preserve that society. Here is an interesting article on Sheep, Sheepdogs, and Wolves to support that point. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gawain 0 #31 April 28, 2006 QuoteI'm not even American and I can still acknowledge your fine service. I certainly do not mean to trivialize your loss or injury, but... Is sacrifice only considered sacrifice after a person has endured a particular degree of harm or misfortune? Actually, one of my later posts says not necessarily so. Now, on another angle here, I didn't post this as a way to vindicate my situation. I see plenty of that when I'm walking around during physical therapy, watching all the other hard work going on. There's always a reason here or there...So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright 'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life Make light! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
