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I am SOOOOOOOO Disgusted

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Gordo:
I don't know where the blame rests with this. I live near Peterborough, where servicemen and women were banned from wearing their uniform in public after attacks on a RAF nurse's home.

At the other end of the scale you've the residents of Wooton Basset who, whatever the weather, turn out to honour the dead returning from Iraq and Afghanistan through RAF Lyneham.

We give far too much publicity to 'celebrities' and their tawdry lives, which are of no consequence to anything - except their own egos.

generation-x:
agree totally not hero's in my eyes

but we did today have our local irish regiment walk through shrewsbury after a stint in afganistan

which is nice

simon

littlepow:
It always reminds me of a poem from the Great War, unfortunately it still rings true today just as much as it did then.

Rudyard Kipling
  

Tommy
  I went into a public-'ouse to get a pint o'beer,
  The publican 'e up an' sez, "We serve no red-coats here."
  The girls be'ind the bar they laughed an' giggled fit to die,
  I outs into the street again an' to myself sez I:

O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, go away";
But it's ``Thank you, Mister Atkins,'' when the band begins to play,
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it's ``Thank you, Mr. Atkins,'' when the band begins to play.

  I went into a theatre as sober as could be,
  They gave a drunk civilian room, but 'adn't none for me;
  They sent me to the gallery or round the music-'alls,
  But when it comes to fightin', Lord! they'll shove me in the stalls!

For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, wait outside";
But it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide,
The troopship's on the tide, my boys, the troopship's on the tide,
O it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide.

  Yes, makin' mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep
  Is cheaper than them uniforms, an' they're starvation cheap;
  An' hustlin' drunken soldiers when they're goin' large a bit
  Is five times better business than paradin' in full kit.

Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy how's yer soul?"
But it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll,
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll.

  We aren't no thin red 'eroes, nor we aren't no blackguards too,
  But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
  An' if sometimes our conduck isn't all your fancy paints:
  Why, single men in barricks don't grow into plaster saints;

While it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, fall be'ind,"
But it's "Please to walk in front, sir," when there's trouble in the wind,
There's trouble in the wind, my boys, there's trouble in the wind,
O it's "Please to walk in front, sir," when there's trouble in the wind.

  You talk o' better food for us, an' schools, an' fires an' all:
  We'll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
  Don't mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
  The Widow's Uniform is not the soldier-man's disgrace.

For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck him out, the brute!"
But it's "Saviour of 'is country," when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
But Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool - you bet that Tommy sees!

merlin617:
Our Son has recently returned from his second tour in Afghanistan and I would like to state here and now that his Mum and I could not be more proud of him and his mates who have been tasked with a difficult and to a large extent unapprieciated job.

Now I enjoyed watching some of the olympics on the tv and our athletes did very well and deserve to be praised. However from what I saw of the games, I don't recall anyone shooting at them.

As for Maddona and her husband. I couldn't give a flying fig if they are getting divorced, but as for there marital problems rating above the death of another member of our armed forces on the evening news. What sort of message does that send to our young servicemen and women about their value to the public in this country.

My son laughs this sort of thing off, but it makes my blood boil to think that my boys life is considered less newsworthy than what colour nail varnish Victoria Beckham is wearing.

That's it rant over. sorry about that, but it hits a real nerve with me.

Disco Matt:
I read a comment about this a while ago which I agree with. The theory goes that the media ignoring the forces is because we no longer have conscription. During WW1 and WW2 everyone would have had a relation in the forces, and most men would have had some experience of it. Now people volunteer (which is as it should be to my mind - a volunteer is worth ten pressed men) the media types don't have any personal contact. I'd like to see a few of the writers from the celebrity industry do a tour as a war correspondent, it'd do wonders for their sense of perspective.

Plus there's the cynical/paranoid view that by loading the masses up with celebrity trash you can make them politically apathetic and easily controlled...

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