Saw a sign on a pickup truck this afternoon that really pissed me off.

[Aristus]

White pick-up truck. Pasted to the cab's rear window was a sign composed of those stick-on mailbox letters. It read:

"Hippies, next time you want to protest, thank a veteran for giving you the right to."

I mean, that really fucking pissed me off. And not because I'm a hippie. I'm not. (BTW, why is it always hippies these shitheads are railing about? Hippies as a social movement are SO last century!) It's because I'm a veteran. And I've done my share of protesting. And I don't much like the idea that if I want to exercise any or all of my Constitutionally protected rights, I have to find some veteran and see if its okay with him first. To say nothing of the fact that he claims to speak for all veterans in his insistence on being thanked. That's really embarrassing. Like I said: I'm a veteran. but I don't go around getting in people's faces and saying: "I'M A VETERAN! THANK ME! I'M A VETERAN! YOU'RE WELCOME!"

Sometimes when the issue of my veteran status comes up among strangers, someone will invariably say to me: "Thank you for your service." That's really nice; but I'm ashamed to say that sometimes it irritates me. Anyone saying that undoubtedly means well, but it seems to have been reduced by a sense of obligation to the level of a salutation or a polite nothing. Like "Have a nice day." Sometimes I wish that I could, without being considered impolite, say to the person in question: "If you want to thank me, simply live your life the way you want to, and acknowledge the rights of others to do the same."

Thank you for allowing me to rant. :rant:

While I'm on the subject: I'm a veteran. Thank you for allowing me to serve my country. Thank you for allowing me to travel to interesting parts of the world on your dime. Thank you for paying for my durable uniforms and excellent equipment. Thank you for purchasing the really cool tanks that I got to crew for four years. Thank you for funding the training that gave me discipline and a sense of mission. Thank you for the opportunities to work with admirable and highly capable people. Thank you. B-) :patriot:

[RubyDuby in GA]

1. I'd scribble underneath it -

"Next time I see a Revolutionary War vet, I will. I'll hit the Founders and Framers of the Constitution too while I'm at it".

With that being said, I thank you for your service to our great country. :)

[Rabrrrrrr]

2. "Veterans, thank a hippie for protesting illegal shit so you still have a country worth defending"

How's that?

:thumbsup:

[Kali]

6. ...

:rofl: :applause: :thumbsup:

[NewJeffCT]

10. +1

good one

[Aristus]

12. Excellent!

:thumbsup:

[Tangerine LaBamba]

3. Thanks, Mom, for the use of your womb -

that makes about as much sense.

That "Thank you for your service" tic annoys me, too - and bless your heart for bringing it up. It's nothing but a backlash to the apocryphal stories about how returning Vietnam veterans were treated during that time - all that spitting, and so forth - although the fact was that we were just relieved when any of them returned alive.

This being America, we, of course, have to go overboard with the regret, so we now have those idiotic, Made In China yellow ribbons for our cars - the ones that remind us to "Support our troops."

I don't support our troops. I'd like to see every one of them lay down his or her weapon and announce that they are not going to implement the insane orders in an insane occupation in countries where we do not belong. Yeah, time in the brig would ensure that no one's going to do it, but I can wish, can't I?

I won't thank you for your service, but I will thank you for your shining, remarkable, memorable honesty. And I'm glad you came home, too.........................

[crim son]

4. Don't be ashamed.

You're sensing the obligatory nature of the response to your being a veteran, yet I think that most of us, when we think about it, would agree that the response is sincere.

I hate bumper stickers like the one you describe because they say one thing yet imply another. What're you gonna do? Have a beer and chill, is my advice. :hug:

[Kali]

5. have you seen this?

}(

email spam from an acquaintance:

Subject: Gratitude Salute


This is pretty neat.....(30 second video)... Have you ever seen one of our military walking past you and wanted to convey to them your thanks, but weren't sure how, or it felt awkward?

Recently, a gentleman from Seattle created a gesture which could
be used to express your thanks and has started a movement to get
the word out..

Please everybody take just a moment to watch..... The Gratitude Salute

...and then forward it to your friends!



THEN START USING THE SIGN.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSfFYxSdKdo

[stewartcolbert08]

7. LOL

I saw one around election time that said "Don't bother me, I'm listening to Rush!" LOL imagine my dismay! People ACTUALLY listen to that asshole!!!! LAME! :rofl:

[hobbit709]

8. I'm a "hippie" AND a vet

And I get offended by idiot signs like that.
On more than one occasion I shut up some RWer when I pulled out my VA card and asked where's yours.

[KG]

9. what is it about constitution don't these dumbfucks understand?

i find the worship of the military in this country to quite disturbing.

[lizziegrace]

11. My father was a pilot with the 82nd Airborne Division from Ft Bragg

He served his country and now writes scathing LTE about the treatment of veterans, the insanity of current war and the stupidity of the previous administration. You can be a veteran AND a protester. These idiots only see in black and white and blame hippies for everything. :eyes:

[graywarrior]

13. I have a t-shirt that reads The Hippies Were Right and man, does that piss some people off.

[TreasonousBastard]

14. Every time I see that I want to pound their...

smug faces into the parking lot pavement. I tend to forget for a moment or two that I've become quite the pacifist over the years since I was drafted to preserve our rights by killing Vietnamese peasants.

WWII did save most, perhaps all, of the planet and maybe an argument could be made for a simplistic solecism like this to apply to those vets, but even they weren't alone-- without all those Rosies riveting, sailors delivering goods, and the entire nation united in the war effort they wouldn't have gotten too far.

On the very few occasions when someone does drop the "Thank you for your service" bomb on me, I just slink away slackjawed, not able to respond with how I really feel. I know they mean it in the best way and don't deserve to be insulted, but I have this urge to say "Thank whoever's still alive on my draft board. Thank the ghost of LBJ. And above all, thank anyone who has voluntarily sacrificed something to make this a better planet, or at least to make someone else's life better, because that is true service, whether they wear a uniform or not. Thank me for working with the American Friends Service Committee, my donations to Doctors Without Borders and and the ACLU, but don't ever thank me for being drafted."

But, I can't say that. It would be rude.

[skygazer]

15. My dad still talks about hippies

Kinda cracks me up. I wonder if he thinks of all those town hall teabaggers as hippies. Probably not since he's a Republican. He got pissed at me once when I suggested that if the Boston Tea Party occurred today, he would no doubt think of the perpetrators as "damned hippie libruls." :P

Thank you Aristus for being one of those hot men in uniform I love so much. :loveya:

[Aristus]

17. Oh my!

:blush:

Thanks, beautiful!

[old mark]

16. I'm both - I guess that's why I talk to myself so much........nt