Thanksgiving Turkeys and Chickenhawks

[CLARENCE 2015!]

Fellas,

Yesterday at Thanksgiving dinner my son(ofabitch)-in-law and I had a “conversation”. It ended with me screaming at him but I want to get a few things off my chest…

The kid is a pussy plain and simple.  He is a chickenhawk who 45 years ago would be making up a mental illness or driving due north to Yukon Territory but today supports every conflict that has our boys in harms way.  I talked about my sadness for the thousands of men who have died in the War on Terror and his response was “well it’s nothing compared to Vietnam”

If I was younger and in better shape I would’ve taken the turkey platter, smashed it over his head, then taken the serving spoon out of the corn pudding and jammed it up his ass. But at 69 and pushing 270 I felt it would have had a worse ending for me. Still nothing can describe my fury at his statement, trying to diminish the deaths of these young men because there isn’t a high enough body count as the war I signed up to die in….

It made me think of the core of what I really believe. I believe every man in America should serve, but I have VERY limited views on how we should go to war.  To sum it up: no American should die for anything not related to our national security. It makes me queasy and teary-eyed when I hear a boy of ours being killed by an IED as he was trying to secure a balloting location for an election over there.  Aint our God damn business whether they have democracy or not, I don’t give a rip.  Let them settle it for themselves

This isn’t to say I support pulling out from Afghanistan. No- we ought to stay there till every Taliban and Al Quayda meets the 72 virgins.  But no sirree am I going to support our men dying for another nation’s internal squabbles. And when my no-good, chickenhawk son-in-law wants to sign someone else up to die for a useless cause, it grinds my gears.

Had to get it off my chest
clarence

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Very nice. I myself, however, might end up in the CIA as opposed to the military. (long story)

[dead0man]

The current conflicts are nothing like Vietnam.  Vietnam was much worse.  It was a different time, different country, different military, different culture.  58,000 is a lot compared to 6,000.  Your son-in-law may be a pussy bitch that needs his ass kicked, I don't know, but he seems to be right about the war in Vietnam.  (unless I missed something)

[© tweed]

had some heated political discussion at our festivities.  my mom went screaming about The 1% and related issues when she got liquored up -- was tough to watch.  I got into a talk about race issues with an (openly racist) and alcoholic second cousin; suffice it to say he was not enthused when I told him about Judge Garaufis and the FDNY getting its ass kicked in federal court over their 4% black workforce.  I only had one slip up.  while 8 beers deep and grabbing a ninth from the outdoors cooler a relative approached me and asked if I was a liberal.  you know how these things can be, alcohol removes that gap that's normally there between thinking through a course of action and acting on it.  so I replied, "no, I don't like liberals, I'm a communist."  I did tell her not to spread the word.  but I fear I have been thoroughly un-circumscribed.

[© tweed]

had some heated political discussion at our festivities.  my mom went screaming about The 1% and related issues when she got liquored up -- was tough to watch.  I got into a talk about race issues with an (openly racist) and alcoholic second cousin; suffice it to say he was not enthused when I told him about Judge Garaufis and the FDNY getting its ass kicked in federal court over their 4% black workforce.  I only had one slip up.  while 8 beers deep and grabbing a ninth from the outdoors cooler a relative approached me and asked if I was a liberal.  you know how these things can be, alcohol removes that gap that's normally there between thinking through a course of action and acting on it.  so I replied, "no, I don't like liberals, I'm a communist."  I did tell her not to spread the word.  but I fear I have been thoroughly un-circumscribed.

I will add that I think I qualified 'communist' with 'small-c'.  though I would not be shocked if these distinctions elude Cousin Kimmy.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

My Thanksgiving ALWAYS has politics, because of my Uncle (a former Ron Paul 2008 supporter turned into a Obama styled Progressive), my Grandma (my moms mom, somewhat of a Neocon, but is partial to Ron Paul and wants out of the Middle East), my other Uncle (he is my dads sisters husband, and I have NO idea what his views are, but he is EXTREMELY smart on the subject of politics), and me. Its always civil, and we more often then not just commentate on the race for President, and the candidates rather then the issues. My family as a whole is Republican, though I am really the only Libertarian. I apparently am also the only one who would consider voting for a 3rd party.

[Rooney]

I have no idea why all of you decided to make Thanksgiving such a much of a downer day. You, especially the author of the thread, guys decided to poison the one real day off a year we all get with the raw anger and passion of the game of politics? Why would you do that? Why would you ever feel the anger of wanting to stick a spoon up a relative's rectum while on a holiday? Have you sought help for this rage?

My goodness some people do not know how to have a holiday. If they are not arguing they can not be happy. If this is your idea of Thanksgiving I wonder what you have in mind for Christmas! 

[patrick1]

I have no idea why all of you decided to make Thanksgiving such a much of a downer day. You, especially the author of the thread, guys decided to poison the one real day off a year we all get with the raw anger and passion of the game of politics? ! 

^You have a family that doesn't fight like cats and dogs during the holidays?  I'm not familiar with this novel concept- holidays or otherwise.

To the OPs point, I don't think someone has to serve in the military to hold positions about the proper use of US forces.  However, your sentiment is well taken that people should not be too cavalier about the application or dismissive of service.  Regardless of the scope of the conflict, those who faced combat or even deployed for long stretches inordinately have scars that I cannot fathom.  I have several friends and colleagues who have PTSD and I think it is good that the DOD has been making some strides to approach that problem.

[CLARENCE 2015!]

I have no idea why all of you decided to make Thanksgiving such a much of a downer day. You, especially the author of the thread, guys decided to poison the one real day off a year we all get with the raw anger and passion of the game of politics? Why would you do that? Why would you ever feel the anger of wanting to stick a spoon up a relative's rectum while on a holiday? Have you sought help for this rage?

My goodness some people do not know how to have a holiday. If they are not arguing they can not be happy. If this is your idea of Thanksgiving I wonder what you have in mind for Christmas! 

Well now that you put it like that.... I guess all that changes is I think you're a fairy

[CLARENCE 2015!]

The current conflicts are nothing like Vietnam.  Vietnam was much worse.  It was a different time, different country, different military, different culture.  58,000 is a lot compared to 6,000.  Your son-in-law may be a pussy bitch that needs his ass kicked, I don't know, but he seems to be right about the war in Vietnam.  (unless I missed something)

It is more because he dimished the lives of the men who serve in these conflicts to say this war is nothing compared to something else