It is fair to say at one point many school leavers did
join the army for the sole purpose of learning a trade.
This would be in the 1960s before the Irish troubles
started. I clearly remember older boys around me all
seeing joining the services as a good way of learning
building or mechanical trade & being encouraged to do so
by their parents.
The idea was that you did a few yrs in the army, came out
with a trade & walked into a good job in civvy
street. I don't think it occurred to any of them that they might have to fight a war.
You know what Bob I agree with everything you have written!
I have a 16 year old son. Kids now have to stay in some form of education until they are 18. Shockingly military recruiters were in school before GCSE.
Thank you for those words of support. I think there are many people who feel the same but tend not to speak out because they are likely to be shouted down.
However, can I make it clear that I am not trivialising or belittling soldiers. We need soldiers to defend our shores but it's a job I certainly wouldn't wish to do and as I have indicated, those young men and women who these days join the armed forces must do so with open eyes and have a certain mindset to even contemplate wanting to get involved in wars and killing. As I said, their choice.
However, it is governments that send them off to war and should be governments, using tax payers money don't forget, who pick up the bill for looking after those that come to harm. I have no problem with charities for such things...that again is personal choice but not something I would donate to.
I tend to feel that remembrance days each year (which like bonfire night and Christmas seem to get longer all the time) have become a bit of a circus. Just take a look at the photo of all the poppies...and the crowds of tourists looking on bringing revenue to London in particular. It's a big money earning show and 'remembrance' is a very small part of it.
Quote: Originally posted by Bob61 on 31/10/2014
Thank you for those words of support. I think there are many people who feel the same but tend not to speak out because they are likely to be shouted down.
However, can I make it clear that I am not trivialising or belittling soldiers. We need soldiers to defend our shores but it's a job I certainly wouldn't wish to do and as I have indicated, those young men and women who these days join the armed forces must do so with open eyes and have a certain mindset to even contemplate wanting to get involved in wars and killing. As I said, their choice.
However, it is governments that send them off to war and should be governments, using tax payers money don't forget, who pick up the bill for looking after those that come to harm. I have no problem with charities for such things...that again is personal choice but not something I would donate to.
I tend to feel that remembrance days each year (which like bonfire night and Christmas seem to get longer all the time) have become a bit of a circus. Just take a look at the photo of all the poppies...and the crowds of tourists looking on bringing revenue to London in particular. It's a big money earning show and 'remembrance' is a very small part of it.
As you say Bob we are all entitled to our opinions, largely thankfully to all the sacrifices of those before us who have allowed us to remain a largely "free thinking" country where we can freely express ourselves.
Its not what words we sometimes write, its how those words can be perceived by others with their meaning that is equally as important.
Well, maybe we were a free thinking country but we are now dictated to by a country within Europe...isn't that what all those sacrifices were meant to prevent?
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