Before you get your lederhosen in a bunch, I want to clarify that I'm not sick of the troops. I'm grateful to them for stepping up, and that some of them put their lives on the line, and many of them lose their lives, carrying out the policies of our government. I think that whatever their motivation, they deserve a heavy dose of respect for the jobs that they do.
What I do object to is how certain politicians make every single issue about "the troops". And it's not just politicians. What got me going on this subject was a Facebook meme that I saw yesterday. It had four pictures, one of a grieving widow bent over a flag-draped coffin, a second of a paraplegic veteran in a wheelchair with the caption "This is why we stand for the anthem", the third was a military cemetary, possibly a Civil War era one, with the caption "This why we don't erase history" and fourth was an American flag with a caption stating that we are not white, black etc, we are Americans, start acting like it". What got my attention first was the "erase history" picture. This was obviously a reference to the enthusiasm for tearing down memorials to Confederate soldiers and politicians, with those opposed to it hiding their racism behind a so-called concern for preserving our history. This gave me a good idea of the mindset behind this post. But the first two pictures, with their suggestion that the "kneel for the anthem" protests were disrespectful to "the troops" was the main point.
Growing up I never associated the National Anthem with the military, despite its martial language. To me it was just a patriotic song. But those who were opposed to mostly black athletes who were attempting to bring attention to the rash of police killings of black men, many of them unarmed, made it about disrespecting "the troops". Why? Because we have come to a point in our society where members of the military are not only respected, but revered. We can't criticize the invasion of Iraq or Afghanistan because that derides the troops. We can't question the military budget because that means we don't care about the troops. A Congressman can't express doubt in the fitness of a Veterans Administration because that will deprive the troops of an advocate. Sarah Sanders claims that it inappropriate to question a retired four-star general, John Kelly. Kelly himself suggested that lawmakers "shut up and support the men and women on the front lines". He later said he felt sorry for those who haven't served and refused to take questions from anyone who didn't have a connection to a Gold Star family.
Kelly is just the highest ranking representative of the changing military culture in our country where military men and women are a warrior caste, superior to the rest of us. And think about the term "warrior". We hear it all the time in reference to soldiers. It makes me cringe. Technically it's accurate; a warrior is someone engaged or experienced in war, according to Merriam-Webster. But when I hear "warrior" I think of someone whose main purpose isn't defending the country or its interests, but a conqueror, someone whose whole life revolves around war and death, not someone who does a job and then comes home to civilian life. Our military is supposed to answerable to civilian authority. That's why the President is also the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, it's why we don't have a separate position as head of the military. And most of the time the head of the Department of Defense is a civilian, not a recently retired general like we have now, in addition to having another recently retired general as chief of staff of the White House. While military people may have a point that we civilians don't understand them, it's an equally valid point to suggest that a career "warrior" doesn't really understand what civilian life is about either.
But there is one group that can criticize the military, and that those on the right wing of American politics. You may be thinking of President Trump, and you'd be right, but it predates him. Former Secretary of State John Kerry served in Vietnam as a swift boat commander. Unlike most Naval postings in Vietnam, a swift boat wasn't anchored miles off the coast, lobbing bombs, or launching planes. A swift boat patrolled the internal rivers; rivers that were fenced in by jungle on both sides, jungle that could likely conceal the enemy. In my opinion, this had to have been the most dangerous job in the Navy, notwithstanding the many Naval pilots who were shot down and captured. Yet Kerry had his military record muddied and was called a coward by the opposition, who happened to be George W Bush, who was safe in the National Guard while Kerry was putting his life on the line.
I guess my whole point is, unless you're specifically addressing a military issue, keep the military, and respect for the troops, out of the discussion. It's nothing but an attempted guilt trip.
