What are you doing here?

[margotb822]

That is probably the second most common question I'm asked. People come to my cubicle, see my Obama buttons (two, I'm tasteful) and my picture of Obama and Biden from the convention (not as tasteful, but cool to me), and they immediately forget what they came to talk about, instead asking me "You're a liberal? What are you doing here?"

See, I'm in the Navy and apparently, being a liberal in the military makes me a total freak. I usually just let it slide, but with the new year, and the impending inauguration, I've decided to change my attitude. No more shrugging it off. No. From now on, I'm going to take on these douchebags (nicely,if they out-rank me). As far as I can tell, the only people that have actually defended the Constitution in the past eight years have been liberal. Torture? Conservatives. Wiretapping? Conservatives again. I mean, Bush was the one who said the Constitution is "just a piece of paper." So, fuck conservatives. They suck at defending the Constitution.

I'd like to say that I have no idea why conservatives have felt that they own the military, but that's not exactly true, and this article does a pretty good job of explaining what drives the conservative mind ("fear and aggression, dogmatism and the intolerance of ambiguity"). Well, I'd say that pretty much sums up the military. That, and they can be protected from "the gays." I guess it makes sense that conservatives would be attracted to the military environment. And there's guns, so many guns!!!

The past eight years have been a Bush love-fest. It's gross. He can do no wrong and I've endured way too many "discussions" about how going into Iraq was the right thing to do. But, I can feel the pendulum swinging back in the other direction. For people that have taken the "support the president or fuck off" attitude, they're surprisingly ready to shed that mentality. Ok, it's not surprising, but it's so hypocritical, it makes my head spin!

Well, I've been supporting the Constitution all along. It's not about the President, and it never should have been. So, you want to know what I'm doing here? The same thing I've always been doing here: exercising my right to serve my country and defend the Constitution. If you don't like that, well, fuck off.

check out my website for more!

[Speck Tater]

1. Which party was at the helm when we won WW I and WWII?

Democrats in both cases. Historically, Dems have a better national security record that Repugs.

[margotb822]

2. I know! That's what's so frustrating

Republicans suck at running the military (the country), yet somehow they've taken over.

[roguevalley]

9. tell them military donated to obama 5 out of six times. they are so

last year. :)

[Odin2005]

16. Because the Naive-Pacifist types have let the Pukes spew "Dems are soft on defense" BS.

I bet there are a lot of DUers who'll start scolding the OP for being a "patsy for American Fascism" or similar nonsense.

[margotb822]

18. Well, I suppose, in my own defense

I joined before 9/11 and before W was even president. I definitely don't agree with the course our military has taken in the past 8 years, but the military can be a great opportunity for many people. I advocate making it better, not bigger.

[Odin2005]

19. I think we can cut the defense budget just by getting rid of useless defense contractor pork that...

...goes into things that will be never used anyway.

[margotb822]

23. How many millions have been "lost"?

yes, it's a bad, bad system.

[ipfilter]

3. I'm an IT contractor for the Air Force

We had someone submit a complaint this week that another office worker had a picture of Obama as his wallpaper. They wanted us to find a reg that would prohibit such a thing. Apparently this idiot forgot that Obama was elected as the 44th POTUS and his picture will soon hang on a lot of walls around here at the top of the chain of command.

[margotb822]

7. Must be a freeper!

They're so dumb...

[ipfilter]

11. Believe me, I am in the land of freepers.

[margotb822]

12. I've heard that the AF has had some problems

with religious conservatives, especially at the Academy (which is really sad news for the Officer Corps). I completely believe you!

[ipfilter]

13. Not only that, but I'm also in the Great Red State of Oklahoma.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. Times have certainly changed in the military.

When I was wasting my time in the glorious marine Crotch, talking to anybody about politics of any kind was usually met with a blank stare. Nobody gave a rip about who, or what party, was running the show. All we knew was that you'd damned sure better follow orders and kill people the bosses didn't like or it was going to be your ass.

I knew that I was going to be in for a rough ride when some moronic captain told us we should be prepared to kill Cubans because Castro had a "dirty, stinking, beard".

[Laelth]

5. You rock!

And thank you for your service to our country.

The United States is a LIBERAL Country.

:dem:

-Laelth

[BOSSHOG]

6. Navy Retiree here Shipmate

My disdain for those with conservative values grows on a daily basis. I read some posts earlier today that a gay man might be appointed SECNAV. Would that not be a fucking hoot!!

Hang in there Mate, Fair winds to you.

[margotb822]

8. They're trying to get rid of the term

Shipmate.

Apparently, it's become too condescending, so they want people to stop using it. What are we supposed to call shipmates then?

[BOSSHOG]

10. Its a term of endearment to me

and always will be. I'm proud to be called shipmate or to call someone else shipmate. And what could epitomize Navy Tradition more then the term:

SHIPMATE!!

[MarkInCA]

14. Reply that you can't tell, so don't ask. n/t

[margotb822]

15. Haha, nice.

[slackmaster]

17. I'm just trying to get people to turn off their damned TV sets and think outside of the box

For a change.

[mmonk]

20. Excellent. To serve is to protect. That includes the Constitution.

[Catherine Vincent]

21. I thank you for your service.

Keep up the good work! :thumbsup:

[Cetacea]

22. Great post and thank you n/t

[HillWilliam]

24. Margot -- Good to see you here and still rockin'

I've really missed reading you since the demise of KA on DNC. You don't need to apologize to a damn soul about being liberal or a damn fine naval officer. You've served well and continue to serve well. Keep holding your head up, we've got your back.

--Rev

[margotb822]

25. Hi!!!

I know, I haven't been able to get on since the "upgrade." It has definitely been a great election season though.

How are you doing?

[HillWilliam]

27. Much better here, Dear One!

There are good friends, committed moderators (no more Sally*!), lots of threads, good forums, great amount of thinking going on. Yeah, some bickering and bitching, too, but that's how we know we're still Democrats and workin' it all out. Glad to see you here! You keep kickin' butt and takin' names. You make me proud, you know that.

[UTUSN]

26. Yip, incredibly frustrating how wingnut (some/most?) vets are.

I had made contact with a shipmate from my Vietnam days, and for a couple of years we were e-mailing, with him running something of a webring of other vets. Then Campaign '04 happened, and for the whole year he and I were trading arguments, but he was bombarding me with wingnut crap, with copies to the others, who were all on his side.

I finally broke it off. In the beginning we had traded some great memories. But fuck them.

The byword at the VFW, especially among military retirees ("lifers"), has been, INCREDIBLY, "We tend to DO BETTER (benefits wise) under (Rethugs)."

But there was a bright spot today on the local radio. They have a loudmouth wingnut, a "colonel," who said, "This (mal-)administration has NOT been veterans-friendly"!1 This after they backed Shrub-CHEENEE against TWO military veterans, after CHEENEE said, "Help is on the way." Fuck them.

[margotb822]

28. It's sad to me

when it only comes down to dollars. Especially being active duty, I see people who judge administrations by their pay. And, really, Clinton did a lot to close the pay gap between military and civilian in the 90's. I just don't get how people can so vehemently deny reality...

[chemenger]

29. You say that you feel the pendulum swinging back in the other direction

Could it be because the new CoC is a liberal and black?

[margotb822]

30. Exactly

But, of course, that way of thinking puts more emphasis on the President than the Constitution, which is what we need to move away from.