But Do They Really…..

Support the military. Over the past year, I have read and listened to people express their undying support of the military. I’ve listened to people profess they will no longer watch football if players don’t stand. They will no longer support certain business, see watch certain television shows, films, and on and on because of their support of the military. I read a post on my newsfeed where people profess their love and support of the military and how they always stand and raising their children to stand. But after taking all this in I have to wonder do these people really support the military or do they just support the news shows, click-bait articles or podcast that tells them to support the military, be upset at anyone who doesn’t. Are they just in support of these media shows and not the actual military because these media outlets give them an instant I’m right you’re wrong fix?

I am the wife of a retired Sergeant. I at one point was also a widow of an Army Veteran. I am the granddaughter of a Navy Veteran, the great-niece of a WWII veteran. I also have family members who are currently serving. But that said the players choosing to take a knee or put their fist in the air do not offend me. I’m not offended when I see people sitting during the National Anthem to be quite honest I’m usually standing in the drink line when it’s being played or on my way to the restroom. Along with so many others who are walking around, talking on their phones, etc. Or if I’m at a bar or restaurant watching a sporting event I’m sitting like everyone else. I have never seen anyone stand at a bar or in a restaurant. When it’s played at home no one in the house stands.

But what does offend me is when people who claim to support the military can so casually tell me to go back to Africa as if I’m not American. Like I said I am the wife of a retired Sergeant and the granddaughter of a Navy Vet. How is that not disrespecting the military? When someone tells the wife of a retiree who gave 24 years of his life in service to the military to get out of her country of birth. How is it not disrespectful to tell the granddaughter of a Navy Vet this is not her country as well? All the while these same people are professing their undying support and love for the military. And by the way, Africa is a continent, not a country. What offends me is people who claim to support the military but are against marriage equality and openly discriminate against same-sex couples. When online media outlets covered the first gay couple to be married at West Point it was quite surreal to read all of these comment from so-called military loving patriots who were in some cases downright venous in their comments of this active duty couple. Especially considering gay men and women get up every day and put on a military uniform and serve this country with honor.

What offends me is people who claim to support the military but they are anti-Muslim or pro Muslim ban when Muslims serve in the military along with Atheists, Pagans, Nonbelievers, Agonist hell even Satanist serve and yet people who claim to support the military will discriminate against all of these different sects of people. There is nothing that says you have to believe in a Christian god to serve in the Armed Forces. People who claim to support the military but are against gender equality offend me. Women get up every day and put on the military uniform of all branches of the military. They work just as hard as men and take their job just as seriously. They claim to support the military but not a woman’s right to chose when some military women have had to make that choice for whatever their reason. And it is their reason and theirs alone. And not something they need to explain or justify. I have an issue with people who are anti-transgender but claim to support the military when transgender serve every day in the military. When it’s time to deploy they pack up and ship out like everyone else. I’m offended by people who have an issue with interracial marriages, single parents, immigrants both documents and undocumented when all of these groups have people within them who serve every day in the United States Military. People who claim to support the military but have an issue with people of color when people of all ethnicities and races can be found serving in the United States Military offend me. You don’t have to be US born to serve in the US military. It’s not uncommon to see active duty military wearing the patch of their home country in place of the US flag on their uniform.

The military is not straight white Christian men married to straight white Christian women. The military is made up of all races, genders, sexual preferences, religions, ethnic groups, believers, and nonbelievers. They may all put on the same uniform to serve but they are as individual as the people who chose not to serve. But there is something disheartening when I hear people say they support the military but they also have animosity towards a particular group of people. It’s as if they don’t actually support the military. At least not the military that is a vast array of people that comes together to serve in a common objective. They seem to only support the military that they see through very narrow lenses, one that only reflects their beliefs and values and not the one that actually exists.