Comments on: Memorial Day http://www.captainsjournal.com/2008/05/24/memorial-day/ News & Commentary on Warfare, Policy and Counterterrorism Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:02:46 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Breakerjump http://www.captainsjournal.com/2008/05/24/memorial-day/comment-page-1/#comment-25715 Breakerjump Sun, 25 May 2008 05:27:26 +0000 http://www.captainsjournal.com/?p=1109#comment-25715 “A lot of people would like to relate to the individuals who’ve served in the military, and they tell them, ‘We understand; we know what you’ve been through,’ ” said MacDonald, 22. “I think that if you could refrain from telling people you understand, you would pay us a great service.” MacDonald has the wrong attitude about this, a product of either ignorance, youth or military-elitism which does exist. It's simple, really - when people tell our returning soldiers they understand what they've been through, they do. Everyone experiences loss, grief, and pain - and these feelings are perfectly applicable to any unfortunate situation or experience. I think that if some of these soldiers would allow themselves to swallow the fact that others DO understand, they'd do themselves a far greater service than anyone else could, and certainly a far greater service than the bottom of the bottles some of them turn to. “A lot of people would like to relate to the individuals who’ve served in the military, and they tell them, ‘We understand; we know what you’ve been through,’ ” said MacDonald, 22. “I think that if you could refrain from telling people you understand, you would pay us a great service.”

MacDonald has the wrong attitude about this, a product of either ignorance, youth or military-elitism which does exist.

It’s simple, really – when people tell our returning soldiers they understand what they’ve been through, they do. Everyone experiences loss, grief, and pain – and these feelings are perfectly applicable to any unfortunate situation or experience.

I think that if some of these soldiers would allow themselves to swallow the fact that others DO understand, they’d do themselves a far greater service than anyone else could, and certainly a far greater service than the bottom of the bottles some of them turn to.

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