Off Topic Reflection on Priorities

[Brigadier]

I received this via e-mail. I thought since there are a lot of LEO and Military among the Usual Suspects, you might enjoy this. I think it brings some perspective on how skewed our priorities have become.

"Subject: NASCAR and Perspective

19 February 2001

On 18 February 2001, while racing for fame and fortune, Dale Earnhardt died in the last lap of the Daytona 500. It was surely a tragedy for his family, friends and fans. He was 49 years old with grown children, one, which was in the race. I am new to the NASCAR culture so much of what I know has come from the newspaper and TV. He was a winner and earned everything he had. This included more than "$41 million in winnings and ten times that from endorsements and souvenir sales". He had a beautiful home and a private jet. He drove the most sophisticated cars allowed and every part was inspected and replaced as soon as there was any evidence of wear. This is normally fully funded by the car and team sponsors. Today, there is no TV station that does not constantly remind us of his tragic end and the radio already has a song of tribute to this winning driver. Nothing should be taken away from this man, he was a professional and the best in his profession. He was in a very dangerous business but the rewards were great.

Two weeks ago seven U.S. Army soldiers died in a training accident when two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters collided during night maneuvers in Hawaii. The soldiers were all in their twenties, pilots, crewchiefs and infantrymen. Most of them lived in sub-standard housing. If you add their actual duty hours (in the field, deployed) they probably earn something close to minimum wage. The aircraft they were in were between 15 and 20 years old. Many times parts were not available to keep them in good shape due to funding. They were involved in the extremely dangerous business of flying in the Kuhuku mountains at night. It only gets worse when the weather moves in as it did that night. Most times no one is there with a yellow or red flag to slow things down when it gets critical. Their children where mostly toddlers who will lose all memory of who "Daddy" was as they grow up. They died training to defend our freedom.


I take nothing away from Dale Earnhardt but ask you to perform this simple test. Ask any of your friends if they know who was the NASCAR driver killed on 18 February 2001. Then ask them if they can name one of the seven soldiers who died in Hawaii two weeks ago. 18 February 2001, Dale Earnhardt died driving for fame and glory at the Daytona 500. The nation mourns. Seven soldiers died training to protect our freedom. No one can remember their names.


James V. Torney
CW4, US Army, Retired"


I got nothing against Dale Earnhardt, he was a great racecar driver, but I don't believe that's as important as protecting our nation's freedom.



------------------
Brigadier
Beretta 92 FS nut and Wave-aholic
"And for this cause God shall send them stong delusion,that they should believe a lie;" 2 Thessalonians 2:11
"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove[expose] them." Ephesians 5:11

 

[Don Rearic]

I agree with the basic sentiment of the article, that of how we perceive who are "Heroes" are in this Society.

However, the Author in his attempt to illuminate that, nearly delved into Class Warfare while doing so. I don't know how anyone can compare having Private Sector Endorsements which lead to millions in wealth to the terrible ordeal Military Families have to endure at times. Further, the equipment angle, parts not replaced on time, etc.

On Bladeforums in general, and Tactical Areas like this Forum in particular, we often debate the lunacy of weapons laws, and the various political factions what drive these laws...

You see, the problem has nothing to do with the Private Sector at all. I understand the sentiments of the Author.

The problem lies with Politicians, squarely in their lap.

In Maryland, for example, we have Vehicle Testing for Harmful Emissions. With all of the congestion in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. Corridor, it seems a necessity. Yet, it is a money game for the State of Maryland because alot of vehicles that are related to Government are exempted. And even if they had to comply, the tax dollars that I pay would go to fix them, so either way, the Taxpayer gets pillaged.

How this reflects on this issue is proper examination of priorities.

Vehicle Emissions are a consideration.

How about "Bovine Flatulence?" That's correct, "Cow Farts."

At the urging of Albert Gore Jr., millions of dollars was poured into a "study" of Bovine Flatulence and how it effects the environment, as if you could place a Regulator on a Cow's ass to stop it or limit it.

If you think this is crazy, you are correct. If you think I am making it up, you are wrong.

Since we are not going to slaughter all of the cattle, and there is no way to regulate said Cow's ass, what point was there in it?

Someone who performed the study got alot of money. That is the point. Where could that money have went?

It could have went into the Private Sector to make replacement parts for Military Equipment, which in turn makes our Military Personnel safer and our country stronger, and it makes our country stronger by not only preserving jobs in that Private Sector, but the creation of new jobs.

I think if you looked at alot of the absolutely disgusting expenditures of Government in their various fundings of Academia to study how insects mate when it has no direct bearing on any of us, or the environment, and then you see how Military Families live, and the sacrifices they make, you would see a picture where a Private in the U.S. Army or Marine Corps, and Airman or Sailor, at entry level, could make over $20,000.00 per year. That is not alot, that is a $10.00 an hour job based on a 40 hour week. Military Personnel work more hours than that.

We have our priorities all screwed up.

No one loves a Soldier till the enemy is at the Gate. Then we ask them to lay down their very lives to defend the very same Country that has basically turned their backs on them.

------------------
"You are no more armed because you are wearing a pistol than you are a musician because you own a guitar." ~Jeff Cooper
And the same goes for a knife...
And, I'm a Usual Suspect.

 

[Brigadier]

I'm right there with you, Don.

My biggest point is that Earnhardt wouldn't make all this $$$ if the people of the US didn't spend the money to go to the races, buy the shirts, hats..... We Americans will freely spend billions of $$ on frivoluos things like NASCAR, while we don't give a damn about how our tax dollars are spent on cow farts and not on supplying our military personell with the proper training, equipment, and at least a decent living for doing a job that may require the ultimate sacrifice. I think the American people are so screwed up, that we will let a president like Klinton gut the military for eight years to the point where our GI's have to use food stamps and the Army is almost out of 9mm and .223 ammo, yet we will spend it on NASCAR, NFL, MLB, NBA.....bulls**t. In essence, we are spitting on our soldiers just like during 'Nam.

Here in the Seattle area, they built the most expensive baseball stadium in America for the Mariners, most of it funded by tax payers, while our schools are crumbling, our roads are breaking up, we don't have enough dams to generate enough electricity, etc......

I think USA stand for the United States of APATHY.

------------------
Brigadier
Beretta 92 FS nut and Wave-aholic
"And for this cause God shall send them stong delusion,that they should believe a lie;" 2 Thessalonians 2:11
"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove[expose] them." Ephesians 5:11

[This message has been edited by Brigadier (edited 02-26-2001).]

 

[K Robinson]

I'm with you 100%
It's like when Mother Teresa passed away shortly after Princess Diana,The Saint was lost in the shuffel.It's a sad day when the Heros of our world take a backseat to Midea made giants.
No offence to the famous just a thanks to all of the hidden Heros of the world.

Kevin

------------------
Member--Texas Knife Makers and Collectors Association

 

[Dirk]

I agree, our priorities are screwed up in many areas. We all show signs of apathy, some more than others. Even the leaders of the military who are suppossed to be looking out for their people.

Why do athletes become heroes of this magnitude? Because we see them everyday doing something we wish we had the ability to do. We don't recognize our soldiers because we don't see them everyday. When we do see them, it's usually an accident and it's hard for us to get emotional over someone we haven't seen before. It's not right, but that is the way we are. Also, as a "polite" society, we don't like to think about what happens during war. It offends most of us in one way or another. A soldier reminds us of things we don't like.

Dale Earnhart was a great racing hero. You would be hard pressed to find someone who didn't know the name. He did something dangerous because he enjoyed that danger (adrenlin). He would have kept doing even if he didn't make millions. However, he did make millions and was a success. He accomplished what almost all of us aspire to become, a success. For that, he should be considered a hero.

Everytime I hear of someone in the military dying while "in uniform", I feel a great loss. I think of what that persons family has lost. I look upon them as a hero for giving their life while working to defend our country. For that, they too should be recognized by us all as heroes. They should be placed a notch above some of our other heroes, becuase they did a job that few others were willing to do and they did it with the knowledge they most likely would never be known fo their actions.

The e-mail had many good points, but Don was right. It is trying to divide. The military comes from the private sector, we are them and they are us. Don was right again in that it is the fault of the law makers and the heads of the militray for not being more responsible. However, eventually that blame rests on all of out shoulders. All of us to some degree are apathetic and that keeps us from doing what we can to force our elected leaders into doing things that need to be done.

 

[See2]

"You want me on that wall. you NEED me on that wall." a quote from a movie, but it nonetheless states a fact - most Americans treat the military like a watchdog - put it out at night, to keep the bad guys away, and then in the morning light, hide it away so no one "good" will be hurt or scared off. Dirk makes an excellent point that athletes get the fame and the money (nothing like a 24-year-old making $25 million a year - hello Alex Rodriguez - to make most of us cringe and wonder "WTF") because of their public lifestyle. Soldiers won't ever get that kind of praise and "favored" status because most Americans don't want to know what they do - it's "dirty". As long as they're in some other country, and all we have to do is read about what they did, fine. Bring it to the forefront, and you get things like protests, and all that "baby killer" sh*t. We want them to protect us, we just don't want to know HOW they do it.

I come from a military family, and an elite forces military family at that - talk about non-recognition! My dad didn't even tecnically exist at one point in his Navy career! In my mind, even if I don't think about 'em every day, soldiers in this country's military are heroes, because they put their lives on the line for the safety of the rest of us. We should all have that kind of courage and selflessness.

 

[Brigadier]

Quote:
Dirk said:
"However, eventually that blame rests on all of out shoulders. All of us to some degree are apathetic and that keeps us from doing what we can to force our elected leaders into doing things that need to be done."

Hence the United States of Apathy. We should not see the state our military is in and point fingers. We need to look in the mirror. We vote in the same SOB's like Teddy "Crash" Kennedy for 40 years instead of booting his but out of office when he doesn't deliver. Those that voted for Klinton need to hang their head in shame.

One of these days, it is all going to catch up to us. If W doesn't rebuild our military, then when it hits the fan, there's gonna be a whole of of stupid sheeple looking around and scratching their heads wondering what happened and why. They will have no one but themselves to blame, but they will be too blind and/or stupid to recognize it.

Keep an eye on Israel and the Middle East. It's gonna explode real soon.

Thanks for the responses to this thread. Now I know why I'm a "Suspect".

------------------
Brigadier
Beretta 92 FS nut and Wave-aholic
"And for this cause God shall send them stong delusion,that they should believe a lie;" 2 Thessalonians 2:11
"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove[expose] them." Ephesians 5:11

[This message has been edited by Brigadier (edited 02-26-2001).]

 

[jbravo]

I read the message quite differently, and assign no blame to politicians and the government. To me, it's just another version of Rudyard Kipling's perceptive poem entitled "Tommy" (in Britain, they call their soldiers 'Tommy' the way we call ours 'GI'). Written back in the 19th century, it tells you that this syndrome is a human constant and the fault lays with each of us, not the big, bad government.

Its a short poem, but too long for me to type in. The telling lines run like this, though:

"For its Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' 'Chuck him out, the brute!'
But its 'Savior of 'is country' when the guns begin to shoot;"

Read the whole thing at
http://lockstockandbarrel.org/Poems/Kipling/tommy.html

 

[Ken Cook]

Not that I could hope to compare to Kipling, but I was moved to my own poor attempt...

T'was Always Thus
by K. Cook, 2 Feb 2001

T’was ever thus and shall always be,
The Gladiator dines with King and Queen
while the nameless soldier sups on his beans.
Their eyes would not rest on such opulent scenes
But not for yon soldier to keep them free.


The Republic rests safe behind his sword.
So he’ll stand his watch and hold his ground.
He’ll keep his eye to the line, be alert all around
Though his duty may lead to the unmarked mound,
he’ll stand tall and be proud, it’s his greatest reward.


------------------
Tráceme no sin la razón, envoltura mi no sin honor
Usual Suspect

[This message has been edited by Ken Cook (edited 02-27-2001).]

 

[Rugger]

Thanx Jbravo- I was on my way to the bookcase to pull out the Kipling to quote from that very poem...
That's a good one among many.
BTW, a National Guard plane just went down in GA.
Pretty damn sad.

------------------
"Never give a sword to a man who can't dance" (Celtic Proverb)
AKTI# A000107

 

[Lone Hunter]

I was a little hesitant in posting this because I don't want to sound like a whiner.First I agree with what has been said on this post.However I'd like to add that as a firefighter it is beginning to wear on me to always be left out.Sure we don't get shot as much as leo and military(although I know a few guys who have had guns pulled on them)but we get hurt and killed just the same.Heres one example of what I mean.One of our LT.'s suffered a disabling injury at a second alarm fire, he can no longer work (or shoot his bow,or do a lot of other things that he used to).The same night a leo got hit by a thrown bottle and never even had to go to the hospital.Guess which one made the paper?
I didn't take this job to get pats on the back or to seek any type of glory,but after awhile this type of thing begins to get under your skin.
I write this mainly because of my friend Ron,He spent 6 months in a body cast and has 2 steel rods in his back from injuries received while saving a womans life in a house fire.Rant over thank you.

[This message has been edited by Lone Hunter (edited 03-05-2001).]

 

[Rugger]

I'm with you on that one too Lone Hunter. We have several Firefighters & LEO's here who certainly deserve respect & recognition. As a former Volunteer (for a short while when I was living in VA) I can understand somewhat what you guys do for all of us every day. For anybody out there who hasn't tried it, try walking INTO a fire & then you'll get an idea what these folks do for a living. Did it only once on a big fire & that changed the way I look at a lot of things. Takes a big ol' set of Galvanized Jungle Coconut Ball$. Take a bow folks.

------------------
"Never give a sword to a man who can't dance" (Celtic Proverb)
AKTI# A000107

 

[Tamishigiri]

Personally,
I embrace ALL men. I give respect and expect it in return. I 'm suppotive of ANY man's sucess and efforts. Thanks to ALL of you in the URBAN battlefield and all of you who follow your higher purpose in life. Whether it be family, God, serving others, Country,
Humanity etc. et al...

------------------
"Though a man should conquer a thousand times a thousand men in battle,
He who conquers himself is the greatest warrior."

"This is the law:
There is no possible victory in defense, The Sword is more important than the shield, And skill is more important than either, The final weapon is the brain. All else is supplemental."

 

[CCM]

Well Said!!

 

[See2]

Lone Hunter - no disrespect intended! I believe ANYONE who puts their life ahead of or to benefit others is a hero. I used the military as an example because that's where I'm from... I still remember the Worcester 6. Brave men, all.

 

[Lone Hunter]

Thanks guys!Your responces show why I was hesitant in bringing this up in the first place,that is its just an oversite most of the time and some people do care

.Keep this up and I might even buy my first Emerson

.