your math is off

I just saw a really poor equation while reading comments on a social network post.  It seems that, in the minds of many who support the OWS crowd, this young man

 

is just the same as the people who sit on their tushes and expect the government to give them everything.   The statement was made that regular citizens pay into their pension programs, but, of course, our men and women in uniform have everything handed to them from top to bottom, and it all comes from the pockets of our hardworking civilians.  Apparently, our soldiers, sailors, etc., do nothing at all to earn their  gigantic paychecks and overly generous benefits....  No risk, no sacrifice, nuffin'.   At least, that's the gist I got from the few people who were willing to stick their necks out and ridicule this sojer for his personal opinion.

I mean, really!  What do we pay these people for? They get free food, free clothes, free housing, transportation, they get to see all sorts of different places in the world (all of which places are filled with adoring throngs who toss flower petals in their paths).  Why on earth should they expect us to throw actual money their way, or provide for their care when they are past the point of wearing the clothes we give them?  Once they're finished with their stints, they can go ahead and get real jobs, right?  As long as they haven't gone and become insane time bomb baby killers just waiting to snap and take out a bunch of innocents....

I used to wonder what sort of pinhead could believe this sort of claptrap, but then I moved back to a college town and listened to some of the members of the faculty and a few of their prize students.  The locals know better.  The locals have either served, or have a loved one who has worn (or is still wearing) a uniform.  The locals know how little, comparatively, our military is "given" in exchange for the "little" they do.

In contrast, we have this.



Defender of the free world ≠ welfare queen.

Not by a long shot.