How do you deal with Anti-War people....

[D-n-A]

A few days ago, I was in uniform, waiting for my bus(I showed up at my armourie in uniform, because I was gonna work dragon boat, but I showed up late, cause I got the wrong time, an my ride was gone, so I had to take the bus back home, when the bus came an I got on, as soon as I was going to a seat, some anti-war girl, asked if I was in the army, an I said yes, then she came to the seat next to me, an started asking me things like why I joined up(was I forced to enlist), an then she started saying that war‘s bad, I‘m brainwashd, if I enjoy fighting/ murdering blah blah blah

I just said, I‘m not brainwashed, an I wasnt forced to join up. an that I wasn‘t a murderer, an I dont know what fighting‘s like since I‘v never seen combat, just things like that

an I also had "no comment" on the war in Iraq


anyways, I‘m just wondering if any of you have had this happen, an how you handle it


also, I have nothing against the protesters or anti-war people, I just dont like when they come up an start talkin crap about me for enlisting or about the military

 

[Fader]

I think the best thing you can do is just come across as a real person.

Alot of those anti-war people you described are what I like to call "idiots." Don‘t get me wrong, I‘m an anti-war person myself, and I guess I‘m an idiot sometimes too, but with my limited military experience, I at least have reasonable justifications for being opposed to war.

Most people like that are opposed to war and act like idiots towards military personal because they have the belief that we‘re all barbaric warmongers without feeling and emotion. I think the best way to deal with those people is let them realize through your actions that you‘re not a barbaric warmonger, and that you‘re a human being, just like they are, with real feelings and convictions. Make them see that you‘re not just some puppet trained to fight and die.

 

[meni0n]

I would have said that she‘s pretty ignorant and that she should do some research before preaching.

 

[Pikache]

Never lose your temper, even if you had too many to drink or you get comments like ‘babykiller‘.

Be friendly and open to discussion. Be confident in your discussion. Helps if you‘re knowledgeable about current events revolving around war.

Heck, I could have picked up really hot chick with discussions like this.

 

[sgtdixon]

Hey RHF a Word of advice
she may be hot but if she is a die hard anti war protester she may be quite the hirsute honey under her clothes
Just a little heads up :dontpanic:

 

[Gunnar]

How do you handle people who come up to you on the bus and try to sell you a new religion? Did you ask to have a discussion of your personal belief system? I‘d tell her to bugger off. ;-)

However, if they are genuinely curious because the beliefs that made you want to join up are so *alien* to them that they can‘t see your reasons, and they are *curious*, not condemnatory, you may wish to explain...sometimes people really don‘t see the forest for the trees and you really *can* broaden their horizons. He||, maybe you‘ll get her to convince more taxpayers of the necessity of our Armed Forces.

Dixon: Thank God there‘s someone out there who concentrates on the essentials! ;P

 

[WINDWOLF]

That,s a tough one D-n-a.
The suggestions you have got are good,but i
have run into these types before & tried the
civil discussion. Don,t work with diehards.

The best i could come up with is that no
soldier wants to see war,but we are at least
willing to fight if we have to, are they?

Tends to shut them up long enought to escape & evade.But keep your back to the wall.They may
not want war,but have no problem taking a swing
at you when your backs turned.

:warstory:

 

[rolandstrong]

I see you are from BC, so that explains a lot. I live on the Sunshine Coast (Gibsons), and deal with these issues a great deal. Many parts of our region were settled by Vietnam draft dodgers, and the community is evenly split between anti-establishment and nationalistic Canadians. I am proud to be in the Canadian Army reserves, and when somebody up here sees me in uniform or finds out I am involved, 10 to 1 I am hit with some kinda heavy rhetoric. I have been called everything from a war monger to a Nazi by at least 5 people. As Lui said, being true to yourself is the best place to be. They have the issues, they are the aggressor.

Remember it is a trendy culture to look and act like a "hippie". It is retro-sixties time, and 99% of these people have no clue what they are discussing. I mostly tell these people to bug off, as respectfully as possible, sometimes not so respectfully at all (depending on what their approach is).

One thing I do believe...you can‘t be a soldier, reg force or reserve, without pride. Why should we have to hide the fact that we serve Canada‘s best interests? It is the public that starts wars, not soldiers. Their vote sends us to conflict...we have been hired by them (through the government they elect) to do what they want. I will certainly wear my uniform with pride, even though some people don‘t understand its meaning.

 

[WINDWOLF]

Centre of mass & well said Roland.

 

[Danjanou]

Nice to see some things in Lotus Land haven‘t changed in oh 25 yrs. I remember riding the bus home from parade nights at the Burrard Street Armouries in the late 1970‘s in uniform and getting the "look" usually followed by the almost requisite "baby burner" and/or "facist" comment.

Back then you even got it in civvies too as long hair was in style, and anyone with short hair had to be a ......

Got ragged on the flower children types at Capilano College on occasion.

The **** with them, we know better.

 

[D-n-A]

thanks for the advice guys, I‘ll keep it mind next time one of these anti-war *trendy* people start saying things to me


when I told my dad about it, he just laughed an said some things never change(he had to deal with a lot of anti-war people, since he served in the US Army an fought in Vietnam)

 

[Jarnhamar]

A lot of people don‘t like cops. They enforce rules, some unpopular so they are made to look like the bad guy. If someone is ever robbed or assaulted though all of a sudden that cop is their best friend. They love the police. Their uncle wanted to be a cop bla bla. Same with the army.
Same with the army. Stupid people see someone in the army and they know that, just like the police, they can call you names and be morons and you still have to defend them. They are the ultimate cowards.

Watch out when you try and enlighten someone. Say the wrong thing and you can get in big ****.

 

[Wolfe117]

I woulda said "Well it‘s nice to hear your opinion considering brainwashed idiots like me are the only reason you have the right to opinion."
Or "Opinions are like *******s, everyone seems to have one" :mg:

 

[deathwing5]

Those anti-war people who say things like you‘re a nazi and fascist, literaly sicken me, I think my only response to them would be my lunch in their face.

 

[portcullisguy]

I think I would probably tell them that I support their right to voice their opinion freely, since it was the armed services that guaranteed that right at various times throughout the history of this great nation.

They don‘t have to like the army, and they don‘t have to agree with it, but the fact that they can vocalize their opinions is proof that we have one of the best armed services in one of the best countries in the world.

At the end of the day, my opinion in support of the army, and their opinion against the army, are both irrelevant. Canada will always have an armed force ready to defend our values and interests, and it will always wear green.

 

[deathwing5]

Sometimes I really want to know where people get their opinins and facts from. I‘m not saying they shouldnt say their opinions cuz that‘s just bad. But there were some people who really pissed me off at school with their anti everything talk. This one guy I really hate just complains about everything in this country, he‘s rich, he‘s depressed, and he‘s lazy and he‘s disrespecting soldiers who fought for and died for this country. I was gonna knock him out, but he was a dumbass so I tried to keep a little self-discipline. I just want to know what runs through his head sometimes.

 

[Spr.Earl]

Ignore them,

I have been spat on in full dress with gong‘s and still marched past with my head held high just to show disciplin and bearing of the C.F.

Around the corner I swore my F‘n head off and had civies come up to me and ask why I didn‘t drop them,I told them it would have just proved their point.

I‘m a soldier for the defence of my country,
I‘m not here to beat on long haired,dope smokin,commie,pinko faggot‘s.

I was taken to the nearest pub by a couple of elderly gent‘s and was stood around of the best and was thanked for what I did and told we hope all our soldier‘s are like you.
I said no worry.

Just ignore the eediot‘s,Ignoranus‘.

If in combat‘s beat the crap out of the @#%6#$%
LOL!
DOH! did I just say that?

 

[deathwing5]

Wow what a massive prick. What reason could he have to spit on you. He‘s lucky it‘s not like Turkey entire freaking army would beat the **** out of him if they saw it happen.

 

[PilotGal]

I‘m not here to beat on long haired,dope smokin,commie,pinko faggot‘s.

Spr.Earl, it‘s good that you didn‘t beat on them and what not, but, uhhhh, are you saying that all long-haired, dope-smoking, "commies", and "faggots" are bad people? I highly doubt that. I have long haired friends, dope-smoking friends, communist friends, and gay, lesbian, and trans friends, and all the above combos as well, and uhmmm, not all of them are like that, and not all of them are anti-war, and not all of them spit on soldiers.

By the way, I‘m assuming you think that being gay is wrong, and hence the word "faggot", but may I urge you to think about it twice? They‘re not hurting you in any way, are they?

But, I must say, you did the right, respectable thing, and I am glad that there are people out there who don‘t return the like with the like in situations like these - it gives a wrong/bad picture of the CF.

D.

 

[deathwing5]

The man was spit on i‘m sure he said all that because it pisses him off to think about it. It‘s exactly what i would‘ve said to let the steam off if i was spit on. Except without the commies, I dont have much experience with them. or should I?