A Question of Patriotism

“They had also brought in a piece of human scrap so monstrous that everyone recoiled at the sight, that it shocked men who were no longer shockable. I shut my eyes; I had already seen far too much and I wanted to be able to forget eventually. This thing, this being, screamed in a corner like a maniac. The revulsion that turned our stomachs told us that it would be an act of generosity, a fraternal act, to finish him off.”

-- Gabriel Chevallier(1895-1969), Fear: A Novel of World War I

If you were a soldier who got killed in action, would Trump saying to your crying widow wife "this is what he signed for" upset you from the grave? He did so to one or many of your fellow soldiers and calls soldiers "Losers and Suckers".

Context is a big issue. In context, as a retired veteran of almost 23 years, nothing he said was wrong. I feel his frustration that so many people die in wars we shouldn’t be involved in. If we lose our lives, we are losers. We’re suckered, or drafted, into a job that pays nothing in order to protect those who won’t or can’t. We feel a sense of loyalty to those who would call us “baby killers.” How sad is that? Why would any of this upset me? I’m an American fighting man.  I cheated the draft by volunteering, and all of this is what I signed up for.

I’m not sure I could tour multiple graveyards of those brave who sacrificed all to “protect others” at the whim of some politician. We are the losers and suckers who are willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of freedom, not for some insignificant paycheck. 

Other Presidents, like Obama, had little use for us. Other presidents took from us, what little we had. Our ability to survive was jeopardized. This President said nothing that any soldier hasn’t said at one time or another, and him chewing out the Generals made my heart sing. This President is giving us back what others have taken. This President is surrounded by traitors, and yet he soldiers on.

Now retired for some 25 years, I have to sit back and watch anarchist cowards, hiding behind masks, who would not even think of dying for their country, trying to burn the country to the ground. These hypocrites, who have no concept that all lives matter, worship signs declaring that only one race of people is worth dying for. And yet, they won't volunteer to fight and die for them. These are hypocrites who follow the same political party that kept slaves in chains for over 200 years and are willing to call this political party master for another 200 years, and all they have to offer are promises, free stuff, they have never delivered. Does my President upset me? No.

But, I feel his pain.

“Every miserable fool who has nothing at all of which he can be proud, adopts as a last resource pride in the nation to which he belongs; he is ready and happy to defend all its faults and follies tooth and nail, thus reimbursing himself for his own inferiority.”

-- Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), philosopher, writer

Should we turn a blind eye in life?
If you don’t wish to participate, sure. Bury your head in the sand, turn a blind eye, don’t get involved… until it’s all about you, and everyone turns a blind eye. Think about this:

First, they came for the communists, and I did not speak out – because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out – because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out – because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out – because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me – and there was no one left to speak out for me.

-- Martin Niemöller (Martin Niemöller: Biography)

Please take a moment to read his biography, and then think again about your question.

What are some usual aphorisms thrown around by people, and what do they actually mean when they use them?

Never get into a braying contest with a jackass (Never argue politics or religion). You sound like two jackasses braying at each other (Neither one of you is making any sense). You’re like a pig staring at a wristwatch (You really don’t have a clue).

How does one and not yet? But why?

Wha… what?  What?

“There are naive questions, tedious questions, ill-phrased questions, questions put after inadequate self-criticism. But every question is a cry to understand the world. There is no such thing as a dumb question.”

-- Carl Sagan (1934-1996), astronomer, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist, author

What do you think are the joys in life that we should never give up, and why?

Selfless, internal, happiness. The joys that make life worth living. Not the hot car or other material ownership of “things.” Money can’t purchase real happiness. I like sunsets and sunrises. The smell of a rose garden and a real tomato, not that hothouse substitute. The smell of hand-tossed pizza roasting in a stone oven. The look of joy and discovery in the eyes of a child. The ability to make a choice. The feel of another person.  The joy in sharing.  To choose which direction my life will go, and the ability to rise above those who would hold me back gives me joy. To hold someone and have emotions, good or bad, gives me joy.

I feel joy each and every morning when I wake up on this side of the dirt. I feel the joy to be able to thank God for this gift of another day in paradise and another chance to excel in this life.

This feeling of joy is a choice each of us must make, to be happy every day, regardless of the life-lessons thrown at us. No one can take this from us. It is our choice, not theirs. No one else is responsible for our happiness, and we are responsible for no one else’s.

What did you do that for?

Because.  Knowing the context of this question would sure help.

How does one differentiate someone who loves genuinely from someone who is just using one to pass time?

Using someone to pass the time is simply wrong, unless you're both onboard with it.  My first blush as an answer to this question was, “Ask them to marry you.”  But, my wife used me for 20 years, so that answer just sucks. Asking them to give up their life and move to the ends of the earth with you, might be a way to separate the wheat from the chaff, though my own relationship is evidence that this exercise has it's own issues. 

Truth be known, there is a "separation by degrees."  One will give up everything to follow you but, would you be as willing to give up everything to stay? And, if it's genuine love, does separation by distance really matter?  Well, if you want is constant companionship of the one you love, it might.  I can genuinely love you until our love isn't enough.  It is what it is until it isn't, and just because we must choose different paths, it doesn't necessarily mean the love you feel changes.  It means your path lies elsewhere.  Your "genuine" love has morphed into "I love you enough to let you go."  This is not necessarily a bad thing.  Regardless of what romantics say, the only true constant in the universe is change.  Sometimes, if we're truly in love, we have to deal with this.  

“Genuine love is ever constant, unchanging. There is no separation by degrees, levels, or kinds. There is no comparison or judgment since there is just one kind and it is inside everyone. Ego and the world around would have us believe otherwise.”

-- Nanette Mathews, global thought leader, Web content writer

I smoke weed to combat depression, but when I stop smoking I'm so vulnerable and depressed. What could I do to improve this situation?

This seems like drinking to forget. The alcohol makes it worse, then you forget (because you pass out or go to sleep), then you wake up hungover and feeling worse about things. I’ve found life works so much better when you confront the problems, deal with them, or, better yet, get rid of them. Support groups, if they’re any good, can help. Clinical depression is another issue; they have real medication for this, and at least you’re functional on all levels.

Harlan Ellison has stated "You are not entitled to your opinion. You are entitled to your informed opinion. No one is entitled to be ignorant". What do you think of this statement?

Freedom of speech is guaranteed to all. No specification for your opinion to be “informed” is made. As much as I agree with Ellison, I think a majority of this country disagrees with him, and probably because they think they’re informed. Of course, this is only because they believe what they’re spoonfed. If everyone took the time to be truly informed almost no one would show up to riot and burn except the criminal anarchists. It would be much easier to separate the wheat from the chaff, the uninformed from the criminal element. This is only my opinion, though. I could be wrong.

What is something that actually works as intended/marketed?

Uh… I’m thinking. Can I get back to you on this? 

(15 minutes later...) Okay. Got it. Any basic tool. A hammer, knife, screwdriver, wrench, etc. If you start screwing around with basic perfection, it all goes in the toilet, which, by the way, also works sporadically.

“We are stuck with technology when what we really want is just stuff that works.”

-- Douglas Adams (1952-2001), author, screenwriter, humorist, satirist

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with the United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world-renowned, Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, and wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as a chaplain at the regional medical center.