From a Navy Soldier ("They Need To Be Bombed")

[Knightly_Knews]

I own a construction business. And yes, I actually work. I do not hire illegals, only "local" Americans. And I am totally against this war. So my story begins.

I was leaving a hardwood flooring job this past Tuesday, when we pulled up to a store to get a drink. This truck pulls up next to us, a drunken man gets out of the truck and walks into the store. At that time, his drunken wife approaches my van. She asks, in a slurring voice, "Do you jack up houses, our floor is sinking against one wall." I said, "Yes, we also install hardwood flooring." "Great, do you have a business card?" She said. So I handed her two. She wrote her number on it and said, "Call us this evening and let us know when you can stop by." At that time her husband came out, gave us a strange drunken look and said "I don't know who you are bu, Hi".

OK so I call and tell them I would stop by their house the following day, which I did. I walk into the house, we introduce ourselves formally, and this man says "I am being deployed to Baghdad Iraq at the end of this month and I need to fix the house before I leave". I said, what will you be doing over there?. He said, "We're just giving the Marines a ride over, and going back to pick them up". Without even thinking I said, "Man, someone needs to put a stop to this bullshit war, I just know Bush is going to attack Iran before he is taken out of office." The man looked at me and said, "Good, they need to be bombed!!!". Well, I almost fucking lost it right there in a clients house. I was so pissed off that this man could possibly think this way. I couldn't believe my ears, I wanted to grab him and shake his head back and forth, to somehow shake loose the constant brainwashing that makes these men think this way. Quickly, His wife saw my face and she said, "OK, let's change this subject now!".

So, I controlled my anger, finished the meeting and gave them a good estimate. After the meeting the couple approached me and said, "We have a lot respect for you, not just because you showed up, but because you treated us with respect." I thought to myself , "Umm OK".
Then they hired me to fix their house.

Yesterday I delivered the contract to this client, and later this morning I will be starting the job. I am trying to figure out how the hell I am going to finish this job without discussing Iraq with this gentleman and his wife. Not only Iraq, but Iran. How can this man possibly think what we are doing over there is the right thing to do? What can I say to him to change his mind about what our Military is doing? Or maybe I should just shut the hell up and do my job. I don't know, but I do know that I hope this man and the rest of our men and women return home soon and safe.

I am so pissed off lately, it's quite difficult to do my job and run my business. It just seems like it's all for nothing. Watching the economy slowly recede. Gas prices rising, AGAIN. Our children's futures being destroyed quickly under this corrupt, criminal regime of Dictatorship. The attitude of the 27% of our population that actually think what we are doing is a good thing. Only to add the inability of Congress and Senate to see that the Majority of us want Bush and Cheney gone and this war to stop NOW!!

So, with that said, wish me luck in completing my contract. I hope I can change this man's attitude. I commend him for serving our Country, but he actually believes he is serving the Majority of this Country right now. I have to tell him he is wrong.

[Cronus Protagonist]

1. It's not about what the military is doing, it's what the politicians are doing

You can support this soldier, tell him you want him to be home safe with his family and point out that he's not been following politics quite as much as you and you could educate him about it.

[aquart]

2. This country has been thru the Great Depression.

Two world wars. Futures are always being destroyed.

We got so complacent after winning World War II, seems we raised a generation that thought peace and eternal progress upward was a given. It's not.

There is a curse, "May you live in interesting times." We do.

But you know what? WE ARE SO DAMNED LUCKY ANYWAY.

Nobody cut off my arms for a diamond. Nobody sold me as a child to weave rugs, or service tourists, or make Nikes. Nobody marched me off to war at the age of 8. Nobody murdered my family in front of me. Nobody threw me away to beg on the streets and survive as best I could. I haven't walked across a continent because I had no home.

I don't take anything I have for granted. Not my eyes, not my hands and feet. I'm here. I'm safe. No matter what else is wrong. I have my family still.

Frustrated? Poor? Unsure of the future? Oh, yeah. But still lucky. So are you.

[bananas]

3. Welcome to DU

Only advice I can give - when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
For this client, that means heavy drinking.
Good luck!

edit to add: no, I'm not serious, it could be dangerous.

[KT2000]

4. Just do the job

and only talk about Iraq and Iran if he brings it up. And then only state your case and leave it at that.
I have a neighbor who is like that and I can see that the brainwashing is pretty substantial. You are not going to change his mind - he will do that himself when something clicks for him.
Arguing against an adversary only seems to reinforce the brainwashing. They have demonized everyone who does not agree with the agenda anyway.

[BadGimp]

8. AMEN: Just do the job

Make your time there about YOU, YOUR goals and your OBJECTIVES in your life.

Stay clear of allowing yourself to focus on THEM or their views.

FOCUS and EXECUTE, then get the hell outta there, but cash the check before going home.

Never mix it up with a knuckle dragger. Nothing to be gained.

[Recursion]

5. A soldier or sailor chomping at the bit isn't the problem

That's what we're paid to do. It's like a game face or war paint; just what you have to do to survive. Don't hold it too much against him. The problem is chickenhawk civilians who think talking it is walking it.

[poverlay]

6. Please be careful. Try and document your work. I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to screw you

over in the end. Yes, I'm paranoid, but I've lost friends and jobs because I thought we could: "all just get along".
Just please, please be careful.

[mariema]

7. Do NOT try to argue with a client.

I have been on the opposite side of this scenario.

Someone we hired to do home repairs kept trying to start political discussions with us. He assumed we were Repubs just because my husband is retired military. So he figured we would agree with his very right wing opinions. At first we just politely tried to steer the conversation away from politics but after a while it got to be too much, so we told him didn't discuss religion or politics.
He kind of got the hint and stuck to doing the job with out the rhetoric.

The problem as we saw it was that we knew no amount of arguing would change his mind about anything and we didn't want this guy screwing up anything in our house because he didn't like our politics. I tend to get very heated in my arguments so I find it is often better to just avoid situations that could lead to big blow ups.

He did good work and we were able to recommend him to friends based on the jobs he did for us. But we added the caveat: "Don't discuss politics with him!"

So my advice is just do the job, avoid political discussions and wish him well on his deployment.

Marie

PS: As a military spouse, can I encourage you to offer support to the guys' family while he is deployed? It doesn't have to be anything elaborate. When my husband was deployed during the Gulf War I really appreciated it when a friend took my car in for service while I was at work. They just came in and asked for my keys, saying that they were going to run the car thru the car wash and get the oil changed. And a neighbor would call whenever she was going grocery shopping to ask if she could pick up anything for me. Just simple things are appreciated.