Help me understand

[Books]

Honest to God, I really have no idea why I joined. I tell people it is hard to explain as a way out of thinking of a reason for myself. Just something in the back of my mind said that the safe, simple, comfortable route was not for me. That's about it. The need to be out on the edge of the empire with the injuns, I guess.

[PooleeHunt]

Here's a quote America seems to not understand 'if not me, who? If not now, when?' Most are too lazy to take real initiative in their own lives, so taking initiative for the country is so far beyond the scope of their minds, or their heart, that they almost get angry or bitter at people who do understand the need, and take it upon themselves to fulfill it. Not because they usually think the military, or you yourself are evil, but because they simply think it's foolish when 'someone else' could do it, or they're embittered at their own lack of courage and initiative, which Poolees and recruits for the military have started to show. Sure some are anti-war (so am I, I wish there weren't wars that needed to be fought, but reality isn't a daydream), and they blame the American military for all the fighting. But in my mind the lack of respect is best seen as jealousy or selfishness.

[SeanRyan32]

I try not to say "Because no one else will" due to the fact that it sounds like I'm doing it because I have to and not because I want to.

[Gerken]

Most of my friends just say things like, "why join the Marines, your just going to get yourself killed", and they tell me that I should've joined some other branch like the army so that I could get bonuses. And they don't seem to understand that its not about the money, that I joined to have the opportunity to become a US Marine, and to be the best, and that I'm not going to lower myself to anything other than the best.

[PooleeJacobs]

So many people today seem to measure success by the amount of money and goods they have acquired throughout life. They don't realize success is measured in the number of you reach out to and influence. They don't understand this brotherhood because they are too insecure to be close enough to someone that they would do anything for. The fact that we are poolees means we are brothers and because of that I'm sure that every poolee on here would do almost anything for another poolee. We may not know each other, we may not even know each others names, but we are still closer to each other than most people out there.

[cammedNslammed]

+1

It's weird but all of the poolees at my RSS have gotten pretty close over the last 5 months i've been there. We all help each other out, which is a lot more than i can say for some of my friends outside of the recruiting office

So many people today seem to measure success by the amount of money and goods they have acquired throughout life. They don't realize success is measured in the number of you reach out to and influence. They don't understand this brotherhood because they are too insecure to be close enough to someone that they would do anything for. The fact that we are poolees means we are brothers and because of that I'm sure that every poolee on here would do almost anything for another poolee. We may not know each other, we may not even know each others names, but we are still closer to each other than most people out there.

[PooleeHunt]

I try not to say "Because no one else will" due to the fact that it sounds like I'm doing it because I have to and not because I want to.

Well it's a patriotic duty, in my mind, like protecting your family. Has to be done sometimes.doing it yourself is taking initiative and showing love and respect for your country. You always have the choice to hope someone else will do it. So I guess what I'm saying is someone has to do it, and we're picking ourselves to be that 'someone'.
.

[Joshua Harris]

cammed...i feel where you are comming from...i live in memphis,tn...home of the "first 48"...the people here dont wanna do nothing..every one i go to and try to talk to them about the Corps...the say the same thing.."No im good."do you want to know whats in memphis?the unemployment rate here is over 10% the poverty rate here is awful...memphis is number one for crime in the U.S.if you lived in poverty and some one comes to you and talks to you about the military and all the benefits what would you guys do???join right??not in memphis..

[Joshua Harris]

[quote=futuremarine19;526315]cammed...i feel where you are comming from...i live in memphis,tn...home of the "first 48"...the people here dont wanna do nothing..every one i go to and try to talk to them about the Corps...the say the same thing.."No im good."do you want to know whats in memphis?the unemployment rate here is over 10% the poverty rate here is awful...memphis is number one for crime in the U.S.if you lived in poverty and some one comes to you and talks to you about the Marines and all the benefits what would you guys do???join right??not in memphis..and when i say benefits....i mean ALL of them!!

[Enrique2010]

Its not that Civilians are Lazy or Hate the military. Its just that nowadays, there are ALOT more options for people to make it in this world. Being in the Military isnt exactly the best choice for every American. Thats what makes this Country so great. the Ability to CHOOSE. Americans just have become used to being spoiled.

[Joshua Harris]

Its not that Civilians are Lazy or Hate the military. Its just that nowadays, there are ALOT more options for people to make it in this world. Being in the Military isnt exactly the best choice for every American. Thats what makes this Country so great. the Ability to CHOOSE. Americans just have become used to being spoiled.

that sums it up..

[cammedNslammed]

Ok most Americans dont "hate" the military, but most dont support it, which isnt much better. As for the being lazy comment, i have to disagree. Have you watched tv lately? Its like info-mercial hell. Everybody wants to get rich quick on one side of the coin, and on the other side, everybody wants things to be so much easier when everything nowadays is handed to people on a silver platter. Why do you think the army is altering there basic training to be easier and less work, because were in the nintendo/tv age (aka im a lazy fat pig who weighs 250 Ibs at 15). The statistics speak for themselves, compare 50 years ago to now, and i guarantee you the average weight of americans has gone up substantially, and yet we have more knowledge on health and food than we did back then. Being in america you dont see it, but go to a different country and guarantee you its loud and clear.

Its not that Civilians are Lazy or Hate the military. Its just that nowadays, there are ALOT more options for people to make it in this world. Being in the Military isnt exactly the best choice for every American. Thats what makes this Country so great. the Ability to CHOOSE. Americans just have become used to being spoiled.

[Books]

Its not that Civilians are Lazy

Yes, they are.

or Hate the military.

Depends where you live. One of my teachers had my class write letters to my recruiter on why I shouldn't join the military... as an extra credit assignment of course. It may not be "hatred" but it is a clear stance of animosity towards the military.

Its just that nowadays, there are ALOT more options for people to make it in this world. Being in the Military isnt exactly the best choice for every American.

True, but I don't see how one's personal decisions in life have anything to do with how they treat members of the armed services, unless it is just a personal fit of jealousy or something.

Thats what makes this Country so great. the Ability to CHOOSE. Americans just have become used to being spoiled.

You don't choose to become spoiled. It is a nation-wide trend that is resulting in (as has been said), a lazy, insular, overweight, and overmedicated generation of people. "America is at the mall", or so the saying goes. People live in their own little worlds and only act altruistic or appear to care about things outside of their zip code because it is trendy (see: celebrities), they're religious and they are guilted into charity, or there are ulterior motives, like that high school junior working a soup kitching so they can go to Yale. Call me jaded, but that's how the world works at the moment. We live in frivrulous times when people just don't take things seriously enough, and certainly not the military. It's like people live from super-bowl to super-bowl and just expect things to be the status quo, but forget that people like Marines are making their candy-coated lives possible.

[Capital M]

Yes, they are.



Depends where you live. One of my teachers had my class write letters to my recruiter on why I shouldn't join the military... as an extra credit assignment of course. It may not be "hatred" but it is a clear stance of animosity towards the military.



True, but I don't see how one's personal decisions in life have anything to do with how they treat members of the armed services, unless it is just a personal fit of jealousy or something.



You don't choose to become spoiled. It is a nation-wide trend that is resulting in (as has been said), a lazy, insular, overweight, and overmedicated generation of people. "America is at the mall", or so the saying goes. People live in their own little worlds and only act altruistic or appear to care about things outside of their zip code because it is trendy (see: celebrities), they're religious and they are guilted into charity, or there are ulterior motives, like that high school junior working a soup kitching so they can go to Yale. Call me jaded, but that's how the world works at the moment. We live in frivrulous times when people just don't take things seriously enough, and certainly not the military. It's like people live from super-bowl to super-bowl and just expect things to be the status quo, but forget that people like Marines are making their candy-coated lives possible.

Amen.