:: Pedantic Platitudes ::

:: Tuesday, July 12, 2005 ::

I was furious when this online pop-up ad sprung up on my computer after I loaded some news site. The pop-up ad leads to a U.S. Army recruitment site.

War and death are not "fun." Having to shoot someone at a moment's notice when you don't know whether they're innocent or an enemy, tensing up every time you hear a loud bang, fearing that any moment you could die are not "fun." Thousands of U.S. soldiers have died overseas in recent years, and even more innocent civilians have fallen victim to accidents caused by U.S. military presence overseas. Saying that our soldiers are just having "some fun" as they risk their lives daily - many soldiers becoming injured or paralyzed forever if they are not killed - is a major disservice and trivializes the difficult job they have to do.

Also, the part about seeing your name in headlines... it should be noted that yes, your name will be in headlines.... when you die in battle. Sad but true - as much as we support our soldiers, they really don't get a mention in the paper unless it's on obituary after dying while serving for their country.

I know that the Army is not meeting recruitment goals, what with the exhaustion of our military due to an ongoing war that doesn't seem to have an end in sight. Things are so bad that they are even recruiting in high schools and using, according to some accounts, high pressure, psychological techniques to get more people to join right after graduation. This is tragic, and the misleading advertisement (on a pop-up, no less!) is no help to the cause.

Support our troops. Bring them home now.

:: SL 7:50 PM [+] ::
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