Jan Steinman wrote:
>> From: Mike Lazzari <jngrefurq@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>
>>> That's the sound of freedom.
>>>
>> Right. If you believe what the billboard says at the entrance to the
>> base.
>>
>
> ...
>
> Such sounds do not produce a happy nor proud association for me.
>
Oops! Who knew I'd have use for my "I agree with Jan" T-shirt?
There's another aspect of intimidation there, as well, of our own
citizens, as well as encroachment on their freedom.
Nowadays, there are a whole lot of folks in our armed forces serving in
ways they had never anticipated. There's a whole lot of intimidation
keeping many of them in line. Some are resorting to suicide, rather than
dealing with the possible consequences of leaving alive, but before
allowed. I admire the woman with small children and no husband who
called them on their scare tactics.
Don't get me wrong, most of what happened to many of those "citizen
soldiers" was a foreseeable risk, for which they were being paid to loll
around and eat public money. (Yeah, part of my stint was in a reserve
unit.) I saw that risk and steadfastly avoided any open ended
commitment. Still, not everybody thinks ahead with perspective and there
is a lot of suffering going on from foolish choices.*
Back in my youth, the intimidation was simple. You don't answer the
"call", guys with guns take you and put you behind bars. Hmmm. Jail vs.
mud and death, great choice.
If I hadn't found the relative haven of the Coast Guard (Which wasn't a
drug and immigration enforcement force then.), I might have ended up
living where you do, as did some guys I knew.
Moose
* The guy I knew who did the best out of the reserves was a lawyer who
got into a unit that maintained readiness to reinstuite the draft, if
that should happen. Bet you didn't know that there was a group out there
maintaining county draft boards and lists of potential draftees from the
end of the draft through at least the 80s. Way still be going on, for
all I know. He somehow managed to retire with a pension as a bird Colonel.
--
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