I want YOU!

We discussed in class what it means to be patriotic. The issue of what it means to "support our troops" came up during this discussion. Is there a certain extend to which we should show support? Throwing around the phrase "support the troops" can mean different things. Do you slap on a bumper sticker and call it a day or do you participate in programs that send food and other materials overseas? Which one of these is more patriotic? Can you even put that judgement on either? A person has their own reasons for how much "support" they show. I don't think you can label someone as unpatriotic just because they don't go over and beyond for out soldiers.


The class also discussed one of the "criteria" for being patriotic as seen by some. This is the willingness to sacrifice for ones country.  By sacrifice, this mean the ultimate sacrifice of giving your life or smaller scale things like your tax dollars to fund wars. I feel that sacrificing your life is something not everyone can fathom. Some soldiers know that it might come to that and they can accept it. They are willing to die for their country. This takes a special and incredibly strong person. Not everyone is cut out for this kind of life. There is nothing wrong with that, some people are born to be soldiers because they want it and know they can do it. Others are not, they can still show support and still be a patriot. I think of the draft and I can not imagine what it was like to be that young being forced to go to war, ready or not. Throughout history there was so much propaganda to fight for your country. This makes everyone feel like they should fight, when in reality not every person can mentally and or physically handle that sort of lifestyle. Today joining the armed forces is voluntary, so we can assume our soldiers today know they are where they should be and want to be there.


(My question is in italics in the first paragraph)


Check out these pieces of military propaganda from US history, they are something..

             "If you fight women will want you"

Peer pressure, basically.

              "We are fighting gorillas?"