Military Families
By Callimachus | Related entries in Blogging, Military, The War On TerrorismI somehow get the feeling a lot of the regulars here don’t read milblogs. That’s a shame, if it’s true. Americans need to pay attention to the lives of the folks in the military, because the decisions we make every time we vote, or even open our mouths about war and defense have a butterfly effect on their lives.
One of my favorites is Dadmanly, who’s been kind enough to comment on some of my threads. He’s a good antidote to a lot of thoughtless stereotypes about military people.
This entry was posted on Monday, September 12th, 2005 and is filed under Blogging, Military, The War On Terrorism. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.I wish I could say family and friends have worked hard to make up the difference, and while some have, and many want to, the results just don’t compare. Sometimes their good intentions backfire, such as when they say things like, “You must be pretty excited, he’ll be home soon,” yet react with surprise and shock when she’s not okay, not excited, and “soon” isn’t soon enough (and certainly not now.)
Some have let their own ambivalence or even negative feelings about the war color their interactions and poison their good intentions. “This really is a stupid war, there’s no reason he should be over there,” or “I get so mad he even has to be over there.” Each time these misguided editorials zing past her ears, it really doesn’t matter what else was said, offered, or given. “Why don’t you just shut up and go away,” is the thought that blackens any good intent.
By the way, that is why one cannot be against the war but support the troops, because every one of your negative comments hurts, depresses, angers, and weakens the resolve of both the troops and their loved ones, whether they personally agree with the war or not. Such talk, when publicized, boosts an enemy’s propaganda effort, and whittles away public resolve, which of course is the real intent of the criticism anyway, isn’t it? But more dangerously, such talk, when incessant and without real substance, contributes to poor morale. And poor morale and ebbing public support will eventually weaken families, embolden failing enemies, and kill Soldiers.
September 12th, 2005 at 5:52 pm
This guy needs a parade in his honor.
September 15th, 2005 at 4:00 pm
[...] Then there are the milblogs. I have emphasized before how necessary it is to read them from time to time. I don’t know the background of the other posters here, but I suspect none of us has a military background. But that’s no excuse for overlooking the men and women in uniform. Especially in this war, where the big media seems increasingly hotel-bound and caught up in preconceptions, and where the Internet allows every private to be his own Ernie Pyle. [...]