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Today, I read “Uncle Scram” (1/31). I can’t believe that John Judge, a grown man, still hangs on to his old feelings of hate and despair because of his time in the military. It became quite obvious that he has an ax to grind with someone. Who that someone is, is not clear to me. It’s time to get over it and move on.
Anyone, including myself, knows that the military—or any job in the government or private sector—has its share of shortcomings. The reality is that whatever a person gets out of the military depends upon what he puts into it. Some of our greatest men and women have served in the military and have been successful gaining well-paid and rewarding careers, not to mention the prestige that can come with service. On the other hand, there are some men and women who do not benefit. The bottom line is: Military life is for some and not for others.
If all Judge can bring to the table is his tired, redundant personal opinions without reasonable alternatives and hope for high-school students, then he needs to stay home and do more research. Judge puts a whole new spin on “career counseling” when he brings his personal platform against the military to a career-day program.
Everyone knows that life in the service is not a bowl of cherries, but who said any job is? There is a big difference between having a career and just having a job. On the other hand, I would rather have someone be in the service than living on the streets because of unemployment. Besides, the military may be the very last hope for instilling discipline and structure into the lives of a few troubled young men’s and women’s lives. Finally, who will defend us if we are embroiled in a war when the time comes and who will continue to fight for the freedom we currently share? Someone’s got to do the job! There is a price for freedom that can’t be discounted!
Southwest