For our Veterans and current armed forces members....

[jackhammer91406]

Many who have been here for a while know of my longstanding support for our troops. It goes back many years ago when I had two homeless Vietnam vets sleeping in my living room while we tried to help them get their lives back. I close every post on this MC with a shout out to them. This was sent to me a few days ago.... the timing was too late for a Veteran's Day message. The content is never too late.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=KTb6qdPu8JE

 

[jgoo]

Very powerful and moving...thanks jackhammer for posting that link. And thanks to those that have served us so well with honor.

[Guest greatness]

Thanks Jackhammer for your post. Let's not forget these men and women who have served the county. Kisses and hugs~~

[+ imagooddog]

This brought tears to my eyes.....thank you for posting it.

[leigh.bess.toad]

Jackhammer -- your commitment to our veteran's is always a great reminder to all of us the debt we owe to each and every one of them who risk everything to protect us. And that is one reason why I am so proud of one of my favorite vets for how well he is now doing out here as an escort. So Dane Michaels, thank you for your service to your country. I appreciate it very much.

[Steven_Draker]

Xerox is doing something cool

 

I know that Jackhammer and probably Rapaz would like this:

 

"XEROX IS DOING SOMETHING COOL

 

If you go to this web site, http://www.LetsSayThanks.com you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq. You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to a member of the armed services.

 

How AMAZING it would be if we could get everyone we know to send one!!! It is FREE and it only takes a second.

 

Wouldn't it be wonderful if the soldiers received a bunch of these? Whether you are for or against the war, our soldiers over there need to know we are behind them.

 

This takes just 10 seconds and it's a wonderful way to say thank you. Please take the time and please take the time to pass it on for others to do. We can never say enough thank you's.

 

Thanks for taking to time to support our military!"

 

Testimonials: http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/letssaythanks.asp

[Guest greatness]

Steven, you are so thoughtful for posting this. I have submitted one too. They are doing wonderful things for the USA. Thank you all for what you have done to make the world a better place. Big kisses and hugs~~~

[seeker630]

Thanks for sharing this - as well as the link confirming it is legitimate. I've sent a card & forwarded the link to friends & familiy.

[Guest alanm]

It seems that I am the first combat vet, Vietnam in my case, to post in this thread. I know that I very much appreciated everything, however large or small.

 

Thanks for the information, Steven.

 

I urge people to please send a card!

[josephga]

I did the christmas gift to a soldier thing again this year

[Michael Vincenzo]

I come from a military family, have siblings in the military who have served in the current war, and have a brother-in-law and one nephew currently deployed. I don't wish anyone harm and that is why I do not support the military. If you choose a job where you kill people, under the cloak of "protecting our country and it's freedom" you are still killing people.

 

I really don't care how controversial my point of view is. I chose a career where I can love people and be kind to them and I am viewed with utter distaste by society for my career choice. People who join the military are trained to kill, and when they do, they are applauded.

 

I believe that everyone is so fucking programmed by society & government that they don't take time to think about these things. I do!

[leigh.bess.toad]

Thank you Steven. Although this has obviously been going on for several years, I had never heard about it. I think it is great for Xerox to still be doing this. Snopes says they will keep doing it as long as it is needed and boy is it still needed. The Give2theTroops organization is still going strong too. I have already sent my card. However, I have also sent a note and address to my building's coordinator for our company's Support the Troops organization. And I have no doubt that in turn, she will spread it around not only our building but among the coordinators at every other building site around the company. By tomorrow night, I would not be surprised if an email showed up in over 10k mailboxes across the company. I work for a large company which takes justifiable pride in being one of the nation's top supporters of the guard and reserves. Employees who are called up are guaranteed job return, the pay differential is made up during deployment, all benefits are continued for they and their families, and support from around the company goes with each and every deployment. So far we have been fortunate -- we have had only 1 full-time employee lost during deployment, but it did affect the company very hard. And it is always great news when one of our own returns safely. They also support the relatives of employees who are deployed (sons, daughters, wives, husbands, cousins, nieces, nephews, whatever) as well as many of the units in which they serve as well as units which have no ties to the company whatsover. Care packages are sent throughout the year, along with simple little thank you notes. And we get a weekly update from our building's coordinator for recent past and upcoming events.

 

It is always fashionable to complain about who you work for. I can bitch with the best of them. But I also realize I'm fortunate to work for who I do. Not only do they do a great job with supporting our troops, they are generous with the community, provide each employee with 1 paid day a year for community service and financial incentives for the employees to actually use that time (by tying part of our bonuses to what percentage of employees use that paid leave). They have a big volunteer of the year program. They also quietly have a very strong anti-discrimination policy based on sexual orientation and they provide full partner benefits for the partners of unmarried couples, including members of the LGBT community.

 

There are some employers out here who get it. Even in the south. And I'm fortunate to work for one. Very fortunate indeed.

[Rick Munroe]

If you choose a job where you kill people, under the cloak of "protecting our country and it's freedom" you are still killing people.

 

I haven't been able to figure out how killing thousands of innocent civilian men, women and children in Iraq, Afghanistan and now Yemen is keeping us "free."

 

I chose a career where I can love people and be kind to them and I am viewed with utter distaste by society for my career choice. People who join the military are trained to kill, and when they do, they are applauded.

 

Very well-put, Michael. It's just like how violence in TV/movies is considered OK for kids to see but two men kissing is "obscene."

 

(Btw, shouldn't this thread be in the Politics and War section?)

[Guest alanm]

I come from a military family, have siblings in the military who have served in the current war, and have a brother-in-law and one nephew currently deployed. I don't wish anyone harm and that is why I do not support the military. If you choose a job where you kill people, under the cloak of "protecting our country and it's freedom" you are still killing people.

 

I really don't care how controversial my point of view is. I chose a career where I can love people and be kind to them and I am viewed with utter distaste by society for my career choice. People who join the military are trained to kill, and when they do, they are applauded.

 

I believe that everyone is so fucking programmed by society & government that they don't take time to think about these things. I do!

 

I was drafted in 1967, so I do not have a dog in today's hunt. But, the people I know we are enlisting now often come from poor families where the military is one of their few options. While I agree with almost everything you say, my experience in Vietnam tells me that your military-friendly family is the exception now. I do not remember one person (below the rank of general, colonel and Lt. colonel) who actually wanted to be in Vietnam in 1968-69. And the top brass wanted to be there to command troops in battle to punch their ticket for future promotions.

[Rick Munroe]

But, the people I know we are enlisting now often come from poor families where the military is one of their few options.

 

It makes you wonder if that's why our "leaders" keep making sure the rich get richer and the middle class slip into poverty. They need more soldiers to feed their insatiable appetite for endless wars.

[Guest alanm]

It makes you wonder if that's why our "leaders" keep making sure the rich get richer and the middle class slip into poverty. They need more soldiers to feed their insatiable appetite for endless wars.

 

What was it Barbara Bush said about the poor people in New Orleans who waited for years to be relocated to decent housing, something along the lines of "It worked out quite well for them." Getting rid of the draft (as unfair as it was), and relying on a mercenary army, navy, air force worked out quite well for Nixon and all subsequent presidents who go to war or inherit a war. At least in Vietnam, officers had to deal with dissent every day because they were surrounded by men and women who opposed the war despite being in the military (against their own wishes). Now the men and women in the military are largely unknown to most Americans, especially those in Congress and probably the White House.