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But that doesn't make it fake news. That's my point. Fake news is news stories that are deliberately fake, not simply false ideas that are widely believed. This term has gotten so far past its original meaning that even its users don't know its meaning is twisted.
Simply ignorance and fake news aren't the same thing, though. That's my point.
The problem is that the repetition of news, even "news" from fifty years ago may be due to ignorance or a desire to mislead and deceive. The former unfortunate: the latter is "fake news." Even then the end result is the same - the proliferation of ideas that are not true.
The problem is that the repetition of news, even "news" from fifty years ago may be due to ignorance or a desire to mislead and deceive. The former unfortunate: the latter is "fake news." Even then the end result is the same - the proliferation of ideas that are not true.
Everything I posted about treatment of servicemen in the mid 60's was true.
From the directives on the air station bulletin board to my personal observations.
It may not be , however, what you want to hear or believe.
Everything I posted about treatment of servicemen in the mid 60's was true.
From the directives on the air station bulletin board to my personal observations.
It may not be , however, what you want to hear or believe.
Perspective, please. There were well over five million US service people in that period. How many were attacked or abused by protestors? Dirty looks and bad attitudes from bartenders and other service people don't rise to the level a reasonable person would consider abusive.
From my experience and personal observations at three Army bases in the continental United States and two in Asia as well as being an avid user of news resources available at the time
Perspective, please. There were well over five million US service people in that period. How many were attacked or abused by protestors? Dirty looks and bad attitudes from bartenders and other service people don't rise to the level a reasonable person would consider abusive.
From my experience and personal observations at three Army bases in the continental United States and two in Asia as well as being an avid user of news resources available at the time
Again, you focus on HOW MANY were attacked or abused by protesters, this is not a very important point.
The bottom line is that Some people who opposed American involvement in the Vietnam War treated U.S. soldiers and veterans poorly. They tended to blame American troops for the tragic situation in Vietnam, instead of blaming the government leaders who had sent them there. Some protesters simply did not make a clear distinction between the war and those who fought it, and they regarded American soldiers as ready and willing killers or ignorant dupes
This is the POINT some of us are making here. It looks like you only want to focus on HOW MANY have been abused which is really not a very important point here.
Based on what I heard from older veterans at VA hospitals (also from relatives), Rather than being greeted with anger and hostility, most Vietnam veterans received very little reaction when they returned home. They mainly noticed that people seemed uncomfortable around them and did not appear interested in hearing about their wartime experiences. "Society as a whole was certainly unable and unwilling to receive these men with the support and understanding they needed.
Perspective, please. There were well over five million US service people in that period. How many were attacked or abused by protestors? Dirty looks and bad attitudes from bartenders and other service people don't rise to the level a reasonable person would consider abusive.
From my experience and personal observations at three Army bases in the continental United States and two in Asia as well as being an avid user of news resources available at the time
There is a big difference between "abuse" and "treated badly". In one of your first posts you alluded to Vietnam veterans being treated just like other veterans from other wars. That is in my opinion, not true. You then proceed to infer that the spitting and other affronts to those veterans were isolated incidents. Personally I, like most vets from that time that encountered derision and other affronts did not voice out about them. I think what motivates me to speak out about it is since that author Jerry Lempke's book saying it did not happen. I decided with the overwhelming idea that it never happened to at least spend some time to make the truth that it did happen not just become a myth.
Those two who were spit on by the way was me and my friend on our way home from Vietnam from Oakland to Chicago. We were not alone;
read here some others and their reasons why they did not "report" it. Just because it was not reported does not mean it did not happen. there is also an element in news reporting that I like to call "selective news" There were probably a lot of times just small local papers carried a story …...or it was not deemed "newsworthy"
One of my college buddies (a high school teacher in Georgia) felt the need to vent his frustration over something he witnessed the other day. According to my friend, a stranger sat down next to a Navy vet, who proceeded to ask the stranger whether he had ever served his country? The stranger "hesitated," before stating "not in the military." The vet then laughed and replied something along the lines of "don't tell me you mean that chicken-**** Peace Corps or something").
I am not saying your friend is lying, but sometimes, people tend to take things out of context. If the vet felt provoked, then it is understandable that his reaction became a little bit .. well.. defensive.
Do I believe ALL military veterans are heroes or even pleasant good people? Nope, absolutely not, Do I believe ALL Of them deserve respect because they are willing to serve in the military? Absolutely.
I do not understand why some people believe that all veterans have a certain mindset, or why that means one cannot given them basic respect as a fellow human being. I volunteer at a va hospital; insofar as I can understand your statement about the mindset you dislike, (for example, the I served, how about you crowd are annoying as hell), but many veterans do not share the same mindset. They are truly humble great human beings. Treat these people with respect. It is not a hard thing to do.
Many older veterans were drafted into the armed forces. Their choice was to go, or break the law. They chose to go. Why does that make them unworthy of respect?
Since the end of the active draft (1973), young people have chosen to join the armed forces for a variety of reasons, some of which include:
because of a genuine desire to serve their country.
as a way to earn money to fund their education.
to learn a specific skill or set of skills.
because there were few other vocational opportunities at the time they left school.
because it is a tradition in their families.
Which of those reasons is unworthy of respect?
All you have to do is to visit a local VA hospital. I volunteer at there and I have been humbled as a human being. Most importantly, I know hero worshiping is looked-down upon in the military. (Oh, wait, I don't want to sound like a military expert here because I certainly am not. lol ) NONE of the vet I personally met has this "I served, what about you?" attitude. None of them has this "If you are a civilian, you need to shut up" attitude. They know they gave up some of their constitutional rights to uphold ours. So focus on these people instead.
Last edited by lilyflower3191981; 08-12-2018 at 12:35 PM..
While I greatly respect the work of men and women serving as teachers, doctors, lawyers, etc., I find much of what my friend wrote to be troubling. Simply put, I believe that members of the AF (as a general matter) do provide a different service requiring greater sacrifice than teachers, doctors, lawyers, etc. Indeed, how many teachers, etc., have been killed in the line of duty in the last 15 years (or last however many years you want to count)? How many teachers, etc., risk their lives every day just by putting on their uniform to go do their work? How many teachers are separated from their families for up to a year (or more) on regular deployments, etc.? There's a reason why military men and women are put on a "pedestal" by society (generally). What they do is different (although not necessarily "better" or "greater") than what your regular public servant does.
.
I have said this for a long time for the reason that everyone who works, raises their children to be decent citizens, pays the taxes required, follows the laws of the country...etc is serving the society they live in. I'm not sure the danger in what they do is a factor in assessing levels of service. If that's the case, the men who install the roofs over our heads or drive trucks have a high level of danger, and not just during a deployment, but throughout their long careers - every day they work. 'Soldier' doesn't appear on the top 25 most dangerous professions.
I once posed a similar question about doctors vs sanitation workers. I have been to see a doctor (for physicals) twice in the last 20 years, but the garbage man has stopped by every week (roughly 1,000 times in that period) rain or snow or summer's heat. So, who has been more important in my life?
Bottom line - the society needs everyone, from barbers to the guy washing dishes in your favorite restaurant. They are all serving in their own capacity.
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