Firstly, let me preface this by saying that I am SICK of non-troops speaking FOR the troops. We have voices of our own, are largely not afraid
to use them, and don't need political interests, armchair generals/politicians, or professional protesters to speak for us. Ever.
Don't begin to speculate about the ideals of the troops if you haven't been through what any person in the armed forces has gone through. You don't know what our ideals are, regardless of how many books you've read, or TV specials you've watched. You, therefore, cannot begin to speak as to what would "appeal" to us, since you lack the knowledge of our motivations, or the understanding of what it is to -serve our country-. What so many people fail to understand (among so many things) is that we serve our country if they tell us to go and stand outside of some Iraqi family's home as a deterrent, or if they tell us to come home and sit at a desk and file inventory reports. We go where the nation's leaders tell us to go, because no one else will, and we do it understanding that we've effectively written our country a blank check for an amount up to and including our lives. We will serve our country's order's regardless if Bush is in office, or if Clinton is in office. If they tell us to fight, we fight. If they tell us to come home, we come home. If one of us isn't there, then there'll be someone in our place, and what right do we have to say our own life is worth saving more than person that'll be standing in my place if I'm not?
Along with the above, I also find it utterly ridiculous when someone says someone else is selling out our interests. I'm not suicidal, but I'm willing to give my life. I didn't -volunteer- (it's an all volunteer service, remember) to stay at home, be back every night by 6pm, tucked into my cozy bed every evening, with weekends and holidays off. We know what we were doing when we signed that check. Sure, there are some people that are too pathetic to bear that responsibility, and I'm sure you've heard these people on various media outlets, crying about how they suddenly have to do something more than 2 weekends a month of military work, or professing one way or another about how this isn't what they signed up for. Well, it is, and if you think that those people are speaking for the "troops interests" any more than the sidelines are, then I suppose there's just no reasoning left to be done.
