The Scourge of Military Heroes
At the airport, one observes an “interesting” composition of human behavior. A recent trip was no exception. Walking into the airport to check in and check my bag, there was a clearly upset woman at one of the ticket kiosks. She barked at the woman behind the counter (who was assisting someone else) to come help her. When someone appeared, she started berating the airline representative. Then came the line,
“I AM MILITARY. SEE?! HERE IS MY ID. NOW, HELP ME.”
Whenever the representative told her something she apparently didn’t like, it was her default response, “I’m military. I’m military.”
This woman clearly felt her membership in the government organization known as the United States Military meant she had the right to something more than the plumber, lawyer, or photographer who walked into the airport a few minutes later.
Why should she expect such special treatment? It’s because she’s received it in the past. This mentality, this automatic laud and honor bestowed upon military personnel is not exclusive to those “in the club.” It’s everywhere. Take major sporting events, for example. Basketball, baseball, hockey, football, there is always something done to “honor our nation’s heroes.”
I’ll be blunt. Putting on a uniform and stating you stand ready to “deploy, engage, and destroy enemies of the U.S. in close combat” does not make you a hero. Deployment or combat in Iraq, Afghanistan or some other place does not make you a hero. Getting killed doesn’t make you a hero.
When making this sort of statement, I am usually met with reactions ranging from shock to outright condemnation. I’m labeled as “unpatriotic,” “un-American,” and a generally terrible, backward person.
Allow me to argue, however, that these reactions should be far more disturbing than my discomfort at labeling all servicemen heroes. These reactions are illustrative of a larger shift toward and broad acceptance of extreme nationalism. These reactions are the very definition of chauvinism—showing an excessive, prejudiced loyalty to a particular group or cause. Not only is this loyalty unfounded, it is a threat to the very values America is supposed to defend.
A hero is one who is admired for bravery, courage, or other outstanding or noble qualities. There are many members of the military who not only fail to meet these criteria, but reflect quite the opposite. Consider the well-known, and very high rates of sexual assault throughout the military. The U.S. Army reported in 2012 that the rate of violent crime had increased some 64 percent since 2006. They reported, “rape, sexual assault, and forcible sodomy were the most frequent violent sex crimes.” Other studies have found that military bases and the neighborhoods surrounding them, as opposed to being beacons of safety and “American values,” have some of the highest crime rates in the country. A 2003 study by the DOD found that one-third of women seeking employment within the VA system reported being raped or sexually assaulted. In 2013, over 5,000 sexual assault cases were reported.
It’s frequently stated that soldiers “defend our freedom.” However, when one examines how conflict has impacted our liberties, we see the opposite. I have discussed elsewhere how foreign interventions abroad lead to the erosion of freedoms at home. As opposed to strengthening our freedom, those returning from conflict instead usher in and support the very institutions that undermine our freedom. From domestic surveillance to SWAT teams, it was a member of the military who championed their foundation and expansion. Other examples abound.
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