I was walking through campus the other day, and I ducked into one of the lecture centers in order to escape the cold. As I had some time to kill, I perused the flyers tacked up to the corkboard, which advertised everything from laptops to apartments to that damn free ipod everyone's all up in arms about. As I was looking, this little gem caught my eye:
There had been a meeting organized on campus for people to listen to and/or voice their displeasure with the current war. Although I forget the specifics of this flyer, the cartoon on it caught my eye. It was a rather sad looking individual, somewhat disappointed, with a thought bubble that said "I only joined the army for the college money."
Hmm. Am I supposed to feel bad for this person?
If you join the army (see: the organized group that is responsible for a nation's security), there has to be some kernel of insight somewhere in your mind that tells you that, at some point, you may be asked to fight in a war. If you join the army (see: the group who's job description is fighting in wars), you have to know that whatever you go to college for, whatever you choose to do, you have enlisted in a group who's purpose, who's immediate calling and concern, is to protect the United States of America, which usually means war, since Texas Hold'em does not yet have such universal appeal as to clear up international incidents.
I am not here to debate whether or not the war was right or wrong; I think anyone that reads my articles knows where I stand on this, and either way, that matter is not an issue. The issue is thinking that "I only did it for college money" entitles you to some sort of pity from me because now you have to go and fight. IT'S AN ARMY!!! WHAT DID YOU THINK THEY DO, KNIT???
I know that a majority of soldiers don't feel this way, and that this flyer probably doesn't speak for the brave men and women of our armed forces. It sure as hell weakens the many valid arguments for opposing the war, though.