Armed Condescension

Lately, I have felt like we are being barraged by Army recruitment commercials. I don't know if it is similar nation-wide, or if it's just that the Army sees Central MO as their personal breeding ground. Either way, I am becoming sick of seeing them. My distaste for our country's use of our armed forces and for violence in general definitely plays a role in my weariness for these commercials. However, most of it is the commercials themselves and the messages within.

One such commercial shows a group of friends hanging out and talking at someone's home. As they talk and laugh, an old friend walks in wearing army attire and makes some comment about how they're doing the same old thing to get their attention. After quick happy greetings, they talk with him about what the armed forces have him doing, asking things like, "so, they got you jumping out of planes?". He replies that no, he's working with computers. The friends look surprised and ask "couldn't you do that here?" The next scene is a mental flashback showing some moment in time when he is working with computers in a rushed atmosphere that is made to feel important, like he has the fate of the world in his hands. Then things flash back to the scene with the friends and he replies that he couldn't do it here. However, his reply is filled with such condescension and sarcasm that I cannot even begin to illustrate it with words. What is the message I get from this commercial? What you do is only important if you do it for the army, and you are less of a person, a deadbeat perhaps, if you choose not to join the army.

Another commercial that bothers me portrays a black family. In it a son comes to his mother quite excited, telling her that he has found a way to pay for college. The mother looks quite concerned at this moment. The son goes on to explain that he has fully researched this opportunity, and describes it as though it is the best, most exciting, and apparently safest thing around(this is how I interpret the commercial, though it isn't actually said). And the message from this commercial is...? Basically, this one says the only way poor minorities can pay for school is to join the army. I have a response to this commercial. I believe MoveOn.org or some other organization willing to should create a commercial of their own. This commercial should portray a rich family with Bush and "support our troops" signs, magnets, and stickers everywhere. Their son walks in, excited, talking about a new opportunity. It may be difficult to believe he's doing it to pay for school, so maybe he thinks of it as a fraternity or something. In response his parents are adamant that their people (those with money) do not do such things; that's for the poor and minorities. The ending message would be something like "support the war? Join the army." Hopefully, the organization that would choose to do this commercial hopefully has skilled writers for such things who could work with this premise to create a commercial that gets the message across before causing blinding fury, as I'm sure my initial description would if turned into a commercial.

Now, before I end this, I want to make one thing clear. I support and respect the troops. I know it was not their fault they are being used to kill innocent people for a unknown objective. I also believe it is the army's right to advertise, as can any other organization. However, I ask that they be more respectful of those of us who have chosen a life of non-violence as civilians. We are important, too. I also ask that the army work toward being an equal opportunity recruiter. Sure, your hook works better with those who cannot pay for college, but shouldn't the family with the big house draped in American flags be an easy sell, too?

It's Vacation Time, Baby; Vacation!

I would like to take a minute to say a couple of things to "President" Bush (who, I am sure, checks my blog daily looking for new entries, because I am, after all, an American Citizen who deserves my leader's attention, right?):

I am quite confused (not to mention bothered, infuriated, etc.) by the things going on right now. At this moment, the one most prominent on my mind is vacation. You see, a lot has been said lately about your current 5-week vacation, Mr. Bush. I believe that, before the current leave, the report was that you had taken off about a year for vacation out of the last four. If we were to add on to that the time spent away from work to campaign to keep the job for a few more years, you've been away for awhile. Not to mention the fact that you are on vacation while thousands of Americans are fighting and dying in a war. I have a couple of points of view on this subject I would like to share.

#1: You have taken a lot of vacation time from your duties as President. The duty of the President is to answer to the American Citizens, to work in out interest. In the work place known by the rest of us, our duty is to answer to our boss, to work in the interest of our boss and their company. You see, Mr. President, you work for us. As made clear by the polls, we disapprove of you and frankly, are quite bothered by the amount of time you spend away from work. Therefore, we no longer have a need for your services, as we can find a much more qualified person to fill your shoes. Yes, Mr. Bush, you are being fired. If HR (the Senate) does not complete the firing process, they too will be fired.

Since it's not that easy, here's the other point of view.

#2: President Bush, you have taken quite a bit of vacation time during your time in office. I have been told that you have taken the equivalent of one year's vacation over the last four years. Mr. President, I just want you to know that I am in support of your decision to take so much time for yourself. However, I feel that you are being a bit of a hypocrite. To resolve this, I ask you to do one favor for me. Please, push our government to pass a law giving us, no, guaranteeing us, the ability to take vacation for the equivalent of three months out of the year. You see, sir, here in the working world, we are working 50 or more hours per week. On top of that, the compassionate conservative individuals leading our companies tell us that we are not working enough hours. We do get vacation, but it ranges from 2 to 4 weeks out of the year and can only be taken within small windows or else it is lost forever. Therefore, one of two things must happen. Either we are guaranteed time off as taken by our President, or our President starts working like the people he represents. It's your decision (since you don't want to let us decide how things work).