17 Comments
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Paula S.'s avatar

Wise, powerful words. Thank you for saying them.

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John Slaughter's avatar

Thank you. I felt in need to be said, especially after all the hate I got on Twitter yesterday.

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Steve G's avatar

TR said it best with “The Man in the Arena”.

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Garry Dale Kelly's avatar

Love the soldier, hate the war, for he stood in the gap and now trods through the dark places in his memories and his soul.

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John Slaughter's avatar

Beautiful and true

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Bernard NoLes's avatar

Went with my son and his Boy Scout troop to place flags on graves for Memorial Day. Not having served, I used ideas like you express here to explain to my son what we are honoring.

IMO we need a better phrase than the one I heard repeated three times that weekend “they died for our freedom” which takes the emphasis off the heroism and sacrifice of these men and transmutes it into a PR statement about the wars themselves.

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John Slaughter's avatar

Thank you. I think the best thing to do is to explain that they fought and died out of a sense of duty, not to an abstract concept like "Freedom," but a duty to the people they love and others from a desire for adventure and glory which is something all young men should look up to.

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Simon Tanner's avatar

I always felt more in common with Jessup.

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John Kirsch's avatar

Did you serve in the military? If so, were you in combat?

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KingNullpointer's avatar

He served in the marines, I believe, which means he was likely deployed to combat zones during GWOT.

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John Slaughter's avatar

Yes. From 2007-2012

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John Kirsch's avatar

We're you involved in fighting?

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John Slaughter's avatar

Yes in Afghanistan but not Iraq

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DE's avatar

Thank you, but some honor their debt to those fallen in vain, you jingoistic bombast.

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John Slaughter's avatar

But why are you gay?

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DE's avatar

Why do all the mealy faggots ask me that?

No, you can't suck my cock.

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John Slaughter's avatar

But why are you gay?

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