Everyday there are countless people posting “thanks to the veterans for their service”. Thanking them for putting their lives on the line to protect our country. To express their endless gratitude.

I’m overly sick if it. It’s usually the same people that post it repeatedly throughout the year on the Facebook. Some do it daily. With the high volume of the same message, I wonder if any of them actually appreciate it.

I just don’t get it. They made a choice to be a part of the grand war machine for who-knows-why. They have their own selfish reasons. It’s not like there’s really any demand for soldiers; there’s no great war to be fought. Many soldiers come from a lineage of war hardened families. They are born into the pressure to put in their civic duty or have been traveling with their dad from base to base like a nomad. Or another majority are those who are dirt poor and feel there’s no other viable options.

They chose a career path, an avenue to free school, or to gain pride among their family. I think that’s great. People should have a goal to pursue and it’s wonderful that they get educated through the process. But it was their own choice and they knew the risks.

Personally, I avoided military due to the understanding that you cannot control your life after signing that paper. All rights are removed and you are given the specific rights of your unit. There’s no choice remaining but to finish. That’s insane to me; anyone that volunteers to that life is a little bit crazy in my opinion. No push from parents or the like could ever have made me join, because I knew that there’s no way out from living under that dictatorship without serious injury or jail time. With that being said, perhaps I would have joined if I grew up as a pauper and I wanted the benefits.

But why do folks feel the need to cheer that on so much? There are so many under appreciated careers that have low pay and should bring you pride. They are doing a job that you would never dream to be a part of but you can’t live your normal life without.

It gets under my skin. I’m sick of it.

If it was not a career that was chosen by the individual, my opinion would be different. But it is purely optional at this time and not worthy of constant praise.