Posted on 03/13/2010 6:56:17 AM PST by Sarah-bot
I want to approach this delicately because it is a delicate issue. Throughout our discussions we commonly encounter individuals referring to their military service as a form of reference. I must admit that I have done this my self. The point is that there is no way to know if someone is stealing valor by claiming military service on this forum. I am willing to submit my DD -214 to Jim Robinson or his surrogates. My suggestion is that anyone having prior military service (validated by DD-214 gets a star or some such indicator by their screen name), and those people can reference their military service. I am not saying this because I want to brag, I just resent the idea of people using pretentious military service as a form of reference. If I am out of line on this I apologize and I will accept the rebuke graciously.
Interesting. Thanks for your service.
Did you inquire of Jim as to whether he’s interested/willing to implement this?
I think “valorous until proven cravenly dishonest” is good enough for our purposes. If such a thing were instituted, I would decline to participate.
(Just to clarify: I have a DD214, and can show it to anyone...who is willing to come here and see it.)
Does my slacking six in the AR during Vietnam (E-4, E-2; E-4, E-2) count? George W. Bush had a better attendance record.
More work for the mods/JimRob
I’m willing to believe those here, until given reason not to.
No. My word is my bond.
If your “system” is needed, why not one for every “status” one may want to use in a post etc. Race, Sex, marital status, voting record, etc.
If I doubt someone, I ask privately or vett via common open source information.
I am not willing to post my service record so someone can “approve” of my service. Too much personal information, unredacted.
Mine is framed and on the wall at the office. I did tape over the SS# though. LOL
No but I have been struggling with the problem of rebuking fellow service members.
Do you know this to be happening?
Why bother? Also, at a certain point military service isn't a free pass for behavior. I think a moments contemplation of Murtha would prove that.
DeepInTheHurtgenForest, is that you?
(This came up in 2003.)
Besides, the rare poster who uses their service record to diminish another's opinion generally ends up discrediting themselves.
I don’t know id this is necessary. I know we end up with some braggarts who are faking it, but almost inevitably the real veterans on the bards smoke the faker out in minutes.
Asking JR to track credentials and validate military (or any other) status opens a door that I think is both unreasonable and potentially dangerous.
I said that I wanted to approach this issue delicately, because do not desire to accuse anyone. I am just saying that it is hard to rebuke some who claims service. I rarely acknowledge service in a post. I don’t know, I wish people wouldn’t reference in an argument at all, but I have in order to defend my right to have an opinion, and it most often happens with fellow service members.
People claim to be lots of things on the internet. We’ve had freepers claiming to be a priest (or was it a deacon) and claiming to be lost deep in a forest in Germany. Wasn’t there also someone claiming to be a long-legged, green-eyed blonde? You have to take all those claims with a grain of salt. Hopefully most people are honest - but does it really make a difference in our lives if they’re not?
I kind of agree with you but I have encountered people who have and I resist doubting them. I had an argument with one person who I now respect, and I actually regretted some of the things I said to him. My problem is that it is too easy to invent a past on the internet.
Plus, anyone who wants to lie about their service can forge a DD214.
Perhaps we should just resolve to interact with the poster based upon the strength of their argument/comment alone.
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