How can some people be so patriotic and some people not be?

Question

I was looking at and reading posts by Airforce officers and they describe there lives on base, away from families. Flying jets which is exciting but none the less dangerous also.

But how can some people be so patriotic that they put their familes after their country?

I mean I was born and raised here, did everything every kid does, but I guess it has other things that matter.

Like you cant get a cooler job than flying fighter jets, college pay is good, and a sense of acomplishment is tremendous.

To suffer so much hardship on the grounds of being patriotic is very hard to believe.

Answer 1

Just be thankful that some are to protect your right not to be. It doesn't work the other way around.
They are people who take a stand for ideas that are larger than themselves. It is not found just in patriotism or exclusive to the military. Peace Corps types, medical volunteers, soup kitchen workers, etc. The missions differ, and so does the danger factor, but the basic motivation is the same.

Answer 2

Part of why some people are patriotic and some are not, is largely because of how, where and by whom they were raised. Those influences have a large chunk of responsibility in this matter. If a persons role models growing up didn't salute the flag when it passed, chances are that that person won't either, and won't understand why other people do so.

Some are patriotic because they pay attention, other's because they understood what they were being taught in history classes.

Folks who are so wrapped up in their daily lives that they've never looked at the bigger picture, tend to have no concept of patriotism or the reason it even exists. Worse yet, they don't see the importance of it.

It became the norm during the Vietnam War to bash the government - and I'm not saying that was entirely wrong, but many took it to extremes and brought their anger down on the heads of those boys that were actually doing the fighting.

In my opinion, those who are unpatriotic are basically uneducated - and if they ARE educated, then they just weren't paying attention.

Answer 3

The men and women that serve this country choose to do it out of pride. It is pride that takes them all over the world and it is pride that provides this country the security to sleep in peace at night. Yes it takes great sacrifice on all of our parts (the military family) but each and every one of us knows our part and while it causes pain at times we do what we can. A military members life can be dangerous, and unsettled but it can also be very exciting for all of us. A military member is not ever putting their family after their country that never happens, when we marry into the military we know full well what we are getting into. We know that it is going to be hard, that there is going to be deployments, danger and all the other things. However we also know that we are going to be a small part of something that we cannot imagine. Our children never feel that their daddy's or mommy's are running out on them they understand that they have a job to do just like every other mommy and daddy in the world. They just know that sometimes their parents job takes them away for a little longer. Our children never feel unloved or uncared for because the military community makes up for a missing parent if they are away. You may think there are cooler jobs in the world and that is fine, but to most military members there is not a better job in the world then defending this great country, nor a job that could give you a better sense of accomplishment. Yes we all suffer but without suffering there is no joy, and let me tell you when my husband gets home in a month and a half it will be great joy.

Answer 4

I think they think of it like superman. Hes not real, but he gave alot of kids high hopes. The military is the same thing, they give these kids high hopes and if they get hurt and sent back in pieces the government has a tendency to forget those. I have a friend that went to the vietnam war and was a pow and he could tell you some stories, he was a pow for 7 years. When they found him he was in a cage bamboo had been burnt into his skin for years. They had to break his back just so he could lay straight and you know what he didnt get anything but a crapy disability check. The government didnt care that he didnt have money and at times was homeless. That he came back totally nuts with nightmares of all the murders he had committed in the governments name. He was told hed get back pay and the last I knew he was still fighting for it. Id rather stay here in the states and get a education you could use and make it past the age of 25. I would like to be able to live the dream of having a family and being here to support their every need. I am amazed that these soldiers do risk their lives for so many people. But I think we need those few good men here to so they can see their families grow and live in the so called freedom they claim to be giving us.

Answer 5

Two things I keep in mind are that not everyone here is who they claim to be, and that extreme anything is almost always a bad thing. Extreme patriotism was used by Germany and Japan to start WWll and justify concentration camps.
Having said that, I defend America every chance I get because we have never done those things and have sacrificed to save many others from violent aggression. What other major power has ever done that? Flying jets is cool, but flying them for a righteous cause is even cooler.

Answer 6

I think patriotism can be a good thing: I mean it is recognizing that you have self-worth--you are part of something that is good.

People that do not feel patriotic may feel guilty about the negative things their country is doing. I only worry that they feel bad about themselves or don't acknowledge the difficult work that soldiers do by putting their lives on the line in the belief that they are helping us all.

I can see both sides. However, I only worry that someone on one side of the argument does not acknowledge the intense feelings of the other side.

Answer 7

Why do people become fire fighters, or police, or teachers when the pay sucks and society blames them for its own ills? Because they care. or because they feel a need to do it, who knows.

One thing is certain: most of the military make significant sacrifices to serve their country. We must make ABSOLUTELY SURE that our country is serving them, by honoring them regardless of how and where they serve -- it is not their choice anyway!, by providing real health care benefits and not tossing them out on the streets or into antiquated VA hospitals, and by providing them assistance in returning to the workforce when possible. We need to uphold their honor by holding them to the high standards they set, and making sure that corruption, malfeasance and incompetence in the military are not tolerated (bipartisan Senate oversight committees can help here). Finally, we should honor them by being Slow To Anger, keeping war as a LAST resort (not a FIRST one), and defending this country from real threats (for instance, Al Quaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan), not imagined ones (take your pick).

That's a tough row to hoe, and all the more reason we need to understand that while we may not understand their patriotism, it is a basic part of human nature to honor a man or woman who takes such a burden and makes such a sacrifice.

Answer 8

because some people are weak... cant fit in with the patriots so they choose whatever they can become good at.. and thats complaining

Answer 9

john walker lind
ring a bell?