FALL = AOW # 3 Back from War, but Not Really Home
Read the article titled "Back From War, but Not Really Home" and answer the following blog question by Friday, September 29 @8 am.
Remember, you have to answer the question yourself as well as respond to ONE other person in class.
1) Your post must include a solid response that includes a well-formed opinion that references the text and/or your own experiences.
2) Your "comment" to another student shouldn't repeat someone else's comment, but rather extend the thinking beyond what was already posted. Don't simply write, "I agree with so and so."
Here's the question: Do we as a society do enough to commemorate "the living veteran"?
As a society, I believe we do enough to commemorate “the living veteran”. We have millions of programs for the war veterans and we even have a couple holidays a year to celebrate the ones that have come back from war and to celebrate the ones that died bravely during war. We also have foundations for the living veterans that donate money. We even have support groups for the ones that have been permanently injured in war. The things we do to support the living veterans show that we do commemorate “the living veteran”.
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of your reasons, Kailey. Our society greatly appreciate the veterans, living and nonliving and shows it by parades, holidays, donations, support groups, etc.
DeleteI do not agree with you Kiley. Even though we have "millions" of programs for war veterans, we only have one holiday. Yes, after war they need money, but i feel that people should give more thanks. Not only on holidays and for that reason I disagree with you comment.
DeleteJust because we have programs that are supposed to help veterans doesn't't mean we are giving them the respect they deserve for putting their life at risk just to keep everyone else safe. Most veterans become homeless and broke and when we see them asking for help we pretty much just ignore them like they aren't important. Our society should be more thankful and kind to all those who fight for us.
DeleteOur society does do enough to commemorate "the living veteran". For example, we have created many holidays like veterans day to celebrate those who fought. We also have parades that day where, "the ever-diminishing number of spectators applaud them" (13). Our society also donates to help those veterans who were injured while fighting. As you can see, we, as a society, do deeply commemorate "the living veteran".
ReplyDeleteI agree with Hannah and her statement. She is absolutely right about how many holidays and parades we have to honor those who have fought for our country
DeleteI agree with hannah and Ava. Their statements really mean a lot and what should be done in celebration of our veterans, and who are still alive fighting for our country
DeleteAs a society I do believe we do enough to commemorate in celebration and in parades. Those of us with hearts and good morals honor our veterans by making sure that what they have done for our country in war and in terrorist attacks aren't forgotten. We build statues and huge gravesite to honor the brave men and women that fight for our safety. We have foundations that help those veterans who are sick and aren't able to sustain good health or home.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Ava, our society shows respect and many celebrations and parades to commemorate those. I also really like how you said those with good morals honor because many people don't really understand and honestly don't try to and don't have a lot of respect towards it but those who do definitely show it.
DeleteWhile I disagree with you Ava I think that you bring up a fair point, while I believe that as a society can always do more I think that your right that those with good morals do enough for Veterans and you are right that they are provided with a lot.
DeleteI agree with your statement, Ava. We make sure we celebrate them while they are still alive, and we still make sure to celebrate them even after they die. We make sure the sick or wounded live good lives after the wars and we donate to them and build them statues in honor of the work they’ve done for our country.
DeleteAs a society, I believe that we do enough to commemorate the living veteran. To demonstrate, there are national holidays, organizations, and walls of honor to recognize those who fought for our country. In addition, we donate to veterans in need, hold celebrations, and partake in community service events to honor them. The same acts of acknowledgement are done for those who have died fighting, but overall there is enough society does, to make sure the the veterans get the recognition they deserve.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with you Reagan because even though there are support programs and parades it is not really enough to show our appreciation because there are still veterans who feel misplaced and cant get jobs or are homeless
DeleteI disagree with you Reagan, because most veterans do not have enough money for a shelter and barely enough money to feed themselves. Veterans have risked a lot for our country and deserves our respect and help because not many people have the bravery to fight for our country.
DeleteAs a society I believe we do not commemorate veterans enough. We do have veterans day and parades and prayers, but it does not have a clear and true sense of meaning that honors and celebrates veterans and what they have done for our country. If we did truly appreciate them then why do so many veterans become homeless once they return home from risking their lives and well being for our freedom.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. Returning soldiers are don't always have a place to call home. We should make sure that we really take time our of our veterans day, or other supportive holiday to do something for our veterans. We should make sure that everyone really has a sense of what our solders have done for us and our country.
DeleteI agree with you because it is true that there are many veterans that are homeless after serving our country for such a long time. They are treated with the respect they deserve. We should honor them more frequently than we do now. Veterans should respected and treated better than they are now.
DeleteI agree with you, because while we do have these minimal holidays and parades, some of the returning vets can end up without homes or jobs when they get back home. We shouldn't have to have a day off from school to act as a reminder of the ones who risk their lives for us-we should be honoring them every day.
DeleteAs a society, we do not do enough to commemorate the living veteran. We have holidays, and support groups, and donation funds, but those things are not a priority for Americans. On those holidays, we are just happy to have the day off work or school. We don't really take time in that holiday to be truly thankful for the work our soldiers have done for us. And donation funds are always having commercials because they need people to ACTUALLY donate! The support groups are great, but are they really notable? There are support groups for everything. We could do a lot better to make sure our veterans come back to a safe home, provided for and cared for. It is much easier to honor someone who has died, but it is important for the survivors to feel appreciated also.
ReplyDeleteI agree with taylor because as she says when have holidays like veterans day we are just happy to get the day off work or school, nut the bigger cause isn't what we are focused on its more that we get to sleep in and do nothing when really we should be doing something to show our admiration for our soldiers.
DeleteOur society as a whole does show enough to commemorate the living veteran. Many holidays and celebrations are held for those who are honored and we try to respect everyone and thank them. It makes it easier to even have a day dedicated to those so they do feel commemorated and honored. Our community even donates to veterans and toys to help with what they can.
ReplyDeleteI don't agree with Megan because we can do more. Two days out of the whole year is not enough to celebrate our veterans, we have a holiday for dressing up and eating candy and it gets way more attention than Veterans Day. I love what our country is doing, but more can be done for the worlds strongest military.
DeleteAmerica as a society does not do all that great at remember the living veteran, we barely do a good job of remembering the fallen veterans. America has holidays that we do to remember our veterans alive and dead. We have donations made to support our soldiers but we don't always know if that money is going towards the cause we are paying for. The fact that our society has to second guess ourselves when we donate shows how much our society cares about our troops/veterans.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ellie because the only time we actually care about our veterans and all that they do for us is when it is too late. We need take action and do what we can to help them and appreciate what they do for us before they are gone. And celebrating our veterans two whole days isn't enough. We need to trust them and hope that they come home alive while they are still around.
DeleteI agree with your statement about not giving a hundred percent to our veterans. So much, that I believe soldiers should be paid even more than usual due to their sacrifices to our country and the effort they show for the protection and safety of citizens.
DeleteAs a society, we not do enough to commemorate "the living veteran". Although there are programs for veterans to get back into their new daily routine, they should be better. Veterans don't get good jobs because of their college education for the military. Soldiers don't have a good income in the military for putting their lives on the line and most of their new jobs aren't much better. Parades aren't that special, high schools have parades and they probably get the same attendance. The holidays are great, but there should still be more.
ReplyDeleteToday's society does not do enough to commemorate "the living veterans". When a veteran returns home we do not really acknowledge the fact that they survived IED's , thousands and thousands of bullets aimed directly at them and much, much more. For example Chris Kyle, the sniper that holds the record for most recorded kills, was never really acknowledge for all that he did for our country. People were more look ing at the guilt card they could play. Aren't you ashamed for taking that many lives? He was never recognized for all he did until he died. Most people only recognize those who died because they think that it is sad how they lost their lives fighting for this country, but anyone of the men and women who came back could have had the same fate as those who didn't make it back. Every veteran should be more recognized and thanked before it is to late to thank them.
ReplyDeleteAs a society I believe we do not commemorate our veterans enough. Although we have many things to celebrate our veterans such as Veteran's Day, and parades, this is still not enough to commemorate them. Most people hear Veteran's Day and they think of a longer weekend and not of what they did to serve the country. Also when veterans come back the are most likely traumatized from what they saw or did while they served. We can not fully understand what they went through because we did not experience it. In the Odyssey, when Odysseus he doesn't remember his home. For veterans this is the same because they can't remember what there home looked like after so many years of war. We need to make sure we honors those that served us that are still living as well as those that died.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your comment Ethan, because veterans are always getting celebrations and recognition. I liked your comparison to the Odyssey, since it truly describes what happens today with veterans. Great post.
DeleteAs a society, I feel we do commemorate veterans enough. Our society is always praising and giving thanks to those who served, and there's even a holiday you could say, for the veterans. At sports events, they are sometimes present and given awards or are recognized. Veterans also earn awards, and have parades given to them for thanks. Veterans served our country for the "greater good" and whether or not they were on the battlefield, or at a computer, they deserve all the thanks in the world, no matter what.
ReplyDeleteAs a society I believe we do not commemorate veterans enough. Although we celebrate our veterans as a whole on holidays and together once in a while, I believe this is not enough. Parades and big celebrations make us feel good inside while in the moment, but when we get back to our normal lives, we don't take it in all the lives lost to save mine. Take Thursday as an example, on Thursday I went to a yearly "Old Glory Rely" Race at the mall and not many people showed up. Not because they don't care, it's because they simply don't take it as seriously as they, including myself, should. Honoring the lives that saved our lives aren't meant to be celebrated a couple months a year, there supposed to be honored, and celebrated on the daily.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you because as a society we only have one holiday celebrating the veterans. These people risk their lives to help keep our country safe so we should praise them more for what they do.
DeleteAs a society, I believe we do not commemorate "the living veterans". We may be celebrating their devotion to our country by parades, donations, prayers, and holidays, but we don't give them one hundred percent of our appreciation to their service. To provide a better welcoming and home for our soldiers, I believe we should pay our current veterans more than usual due to their sacrifices to our country, and the effort of safety and protection they express to the citizens of the United States.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Billie, because most veterans do not have enough money for a house and barely enough money to feed their whole family. Veterans have risked a lot for our country and deserves a well paid amount because not many people have the bravery or courage to fight for our country and to risk it all.
DeleteAs a society I feel like we don't do enough to commemorate a living veteran. These people are risking their lives to protect us and our country. The best we give them is one lousy holiday. Most kids view the holiday as a way to get out of school rather than celebrating the life of a veteran who fought for our county. I feel that as a society we can do more. We can pay for their gas, or pay for their meals if we see them in public. Or we can just respect them. Thank them for their service instead of looking over them and deciding to say nothing. We don't know what war is like. We have all heard awful things about war, but we have no idea what it is like to stand in the middle of the battlefield. These are people who could have died trying to give you the rights that you know today. The least that we can do is a give a little back.
ReplyDeleteThat’s a good point Madison. And it’s not even that we have to pay for their meal, we can just simply walk up to them and shake their hand and say, “Thank you for protecting our country.” Veterans appreciate that and it makes them feel that serving the country is worth it.
DeleteAs a society, I feel that we do not commemorate veterans enough. This is because, yes, we have holidays and fundraisers and even parades. However, I feel that most people take Veterans and Memorial Day more of a day of relaxing and just think of it as a day off. We should be celebrating more as a congregation like we do with Independence Day or any holiday and take a few moments to really realize what these men had to go through. Additionally, its hard to compensate something that has already been lost, most veterans have lost their memory or become terrified with the sound of fireworks. These men and women are risking their lives for greater good and should deserve more then just a few holidays and parades. For, these men and women have risked it all and didn't have a proper goodbye to the world ( and families ) around them.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you in the idea that people think of it as just a day off instead of really thinking what that day is about. Memorial Day is way more than just a day off and if more people took this time to realize this more and more veterans would feel commemorated for what the sacrificed for this country.
DeleteAs a society we do not commemorate our veterans enough. Although we have holidays such as Veteran's Day, this does not honor them enough. On Veteran's Day most people only have a long weekend and do not give veterans the respect they deserve. When soldiers return from battle most are traumatized from what they saw while they served. When Odysseus remembered all the men he lost he "veiled his fine features /shamed for the tears running down his face" (Alexander 32-33). Even Odysseus the mighty hero suffered from grief over the war when a court poet sung the actions of his men. Many Veterans today resort to begging on the streets for money and food because our society ignores there problems and gives them a holiday instead. The article brings out that " The commemoration of the veteran- the survivor... is less starkly defined then [of the dead] " (Alexander 51-52).We need to make sure we honor those that served us that are still living as well as those that died.
ReplyDeleteThese are great points on the holidays and "honor of those that served us that are still living as well as those that died". It's really interesting to see how this theme has been known for ages, especially to be written about and seen in The Odyssey. I also have to fully agree with the trauma of soldiers returning from war. Most of the time, they are neglected by society and no one reaches out to help like they should, or like said veterans deserve from the people they have sacrificed to protect.
DeleteAs a society, I do not believe that we do enough to honor "the living veterans" nor do we do a fantastic job at remembering the fallen ones. While we do have a few days commemorating them, I feel that as a whole, we miss the bigger picture. When Labor Day comes, most of us do not think of it as a day to honor their service, but that it is just another day that we get off from work or school. When and if these heroes do come back, they might not have a job or even a place to call their own. If we were truly grateful, how do some end up homeless and jobless after risking their lives for us and our freedom?
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you because when we hear the words Labor Day or Veteran's Day, we automatically think that it is a day off from school, no responsibilities whatsoever that we have to do. Little do we know the whole reason why we got these days off is because we need to honor these veterans and soldiers who have fought for our country . But what do we do? We just sit and pretend as if it's a normal day off from school, without even realizing the importance and symbolism of those day.
DeleteI disagree with you because I feel that as a society we do commemorate the "living veteran" with days such as Memorial Day and Labor Day. On these days we thank the veterans who fought and are fighting for our country.
DeleteI definitely believe that veterans don’t get the respect they deserve. Yes. we have celebrations and holidays dedicated to them, but most people see these times as a day off or a day to go to the beach, or a day to sleep inc, instead of realizing how grateful they are for the people who serve. For example, in the Odyssey, when Odysseus reveals his identity to the suitors, they don’t apologize and give Odysseus his rightful throne back. They refuse to surrender and try to fight him after he’s gone to war and served for them. This is a prime example as to why veterans don’t get enough praise, and it’s disappointing.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. These men and women risked their live to protect us and our country, and they deserve the utmost respect for what they have done. Also the fact that people are sitting around doing nothing when they could watch the Veterans Day parade and support them is extremely disappointing, but it's also embarrassing. I mean what have we done but be carless when families have been worrying about there family members over seas?
DeleteI agree with you, because the men and women do a lot of our country, but we take the day off and have fun, while they are working to save our country. We could be doing a lot more to help the families that have someone over seas. It's especially hard when they are gone over a holiday, like Christmas.
DeleteAs a society I believe that we can never do enough for a person who risked their lives for others. While we do many things for them including holidays and financial help, there is always more that could be done. Labor Day has also become a holiday that is often thought of as just a day for people to get out of school instead of a day to celebrate a person who risked their lives. Truly there is no way to repay a veteran but we as a society can certainly do more
ReplyDeleteI believe that we don't do enough to commemorate veterans. I mean yes we have different programs to help them get back to the normal program, but we also need to respect them because they served our country well and could have died, FOR US. Also we have Veterans Day, but in the article by Alexander, Caroline it states,"this question remains relevant to the those marching in parades this week for Veterans Day in the United States and Armistince Day in Europe, as well as the to the ever-diminishing number of spectators who applaud them" (Alexander 3). The veterans who served in these wars are most likely feeling unappreciated by the people that they were working so hard to protect. If the number of people watching and supporting these veterans continues to drop to zero then there won't be any Veterans Day, that would make veterans probably feel like they've been completely forgotten. I believe that we as a people should do more for these war vets. because they have already risked it all for us.
ReplyDeletePersonally, as a society I do not believe veteran's always get the commemoration that they have earned or deserve. Yes, many people are very respectful to said veterans and show support, but not enough for their valor and sacrifice. We see a lot more people against war, but instead of targeting or protesting leaders it's common to see disrespect towards the soldiers. We can see this greatly from the Vietnam War. Soldiers were put on missions in this war and probably came home with not only most likely PTSD or other disorders from war, but also the harassment from civilians, most commonly being disrespected as "Baby Killers". Not even mentioning war-related holidays yet, most of them seem to be seen as days off of work or school rather than commemorations of veterans. And why throw celebrations for them and their service rather than reach out and support or help them? Truly, I do not think veterans as a whole have ever gotten the respect they deserve from society.
ReplyDeleteAs a society, we don't commemorate "the living veteran" enough. However, in some ways we do show our appreciation for them, such as donating necessities. Memorial day is a day set aside to remember and pay respect to those who have died while serving their country. It's as if the ones who fought and are still alive aren't as important as the ones who died during the war. For Veteran's day, just a simple thank you isn't enough. We don't necessarily honor the veterans in any way just by thanking them. We don't know what they've been through to get where they are now; they want to feel as if they did something achievable in life, but they don't feel that way when we tell them "thank you." This isn't the same as honoring them; we have to do more.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Riley. Even though we have a holiday, most people just look at it as a break from school or work. People don't really take the time to think about and appreciate what these people went through in order to protect us. There were not many people at the Relay and it was very sad.
ReplyDeleteAs one in today's society I do not believe we have never and will never be able to commemorate what these veterans have sacrificed for us. There is many ways and places where veterans get a lot of commemoration but not enough for them risked their own lives for us. Also at these events we go crazy over some hand selected to go to certain events there is no way we can do this for each one of our veterans. In each war we could never understand what you feel, when you feel it, and just the thought of physically being in a war. All you can do is understand that these people who you might not know or even ever know are risking their own life for you and this country. Today in our society we show quite a bit of respect but not nearly enough if you put in perspective what they did for you.
ReplyDeleteAs a society, I believe that we do not do enough to commemorate "the living veteran." Even though we have a holiday to recognize the veterans, most people don't take the holiday seriously and just think of it as a day off of school or work. If we care so much for veterans then why do so many veterans become homeless after returning home? Society doesn't take the time to actually realize and take in all that these people did/do for us. They willingly went and risked their own lives so that we could live, and we don't appreciate them enough.
ReplyDeleteWe don't take the holiday seriously, but rather we often overlook the fact that veterans risked their lives in an attempt to protect our country. If it weren't for the brave soldiers, the world could be very different from the way it is today. Rarely do we recognize the living veterans, and we especially fail to recognize their state and care for them as needed.
DeleteLiving in our society, I can see that we do not appreciate the living veterans enough. Our society think that the living can be harder to honor than the dead: “It’s far easier to honor the dead that the living,” (Alexander 2). We see the living veterans back with their families, and think, oh they are happy, while the families that lost someone is sad. We want to cheer the sad people up. Sure, we have one holiday and people donate money towards the veterans, but how do we know if this money actually goes to them? What stops people from saying the money got sent to them, but in reality, they took the money for selfish reasons. Our society needs to have better ways of honoring all the veterans, not just the dead.
ReplyDeleteWe, as a society, fail to properly glorify the veterans returning home from war. Veterans Day and Memorial Day don't bring enough attention to the many obstacles that the veterans face. They go through pain and loss of colleagues as well as knowing they are taking the lives of others. For example, the text says "Throughout his long voyage back, he has reacted to each stranger with elaborate canines, concocting stories about who he is and what he has seen and done - the real war he keeps to himself" (Alexander, par. 6). Odysseus went through many difficult times which is why he struggles to share his experiences. Because veterans tend to keep the details of war to themselves, it is difficult as a society to give them the credit they deserve.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Lauren because the men and women who serve our country have to live with the fact that they have killed someone else who was part of a family who could have had a new family at home or a family waiting for them to return just the same as theirs was. When trying to tell their stories they remember all the awful horrific moments they went through while at war.
DeleteAs a society, I do not feel that we do enough to honor the men and women who sacrificed their lives so we can live ours safely. They leave to fight for a long time not knowing when they could be back or even if they will come back. These veterans could come back many years later and could have missed their child being born, funerals for loved ones, their children growing and so much more just so that we as a country can be free. Many of these men and women may also come home traumatized from what they have seen or gone through while they were gone. Every time they close their eyes they see someone the knew getting shot or they hear bombs going off. We do not appreciate them enough, they go through so much for us and are willing to risk their lives and live with PTSD that could last a lifetime. The country only has a few holidays to recognize the veterans and many people on the streets could see someone who went to war and be disrespectful to them when people could and should kindly thank them for their service.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Madison, a lot of people seem to forget that PTSD and other mental issues associated with war and things like that exist. When some veterans come home, it never really feels the same because they have missed out on so much on their families lives.
DeleteI feel like we do not do enough to honor and salute the brave people who have fought for our freedom and for our nation. Not many people seem to remember that some of these veterans could have come home with PTSD and could never be the same again. Some veterans suffering from PTSD live on the streets, and us as a nation, needs to develop more programs to help those who are not okay. There are many memorials and other ways to remember soldiers that have passed, but there needs to be more holidays honoring those who have passed, and those who are still living.
ReplyDeleteSociety will never be able to celebrate or value veterans the way they should. There is many ways and places where veterans get a lot of commemoration but it is still not enough for those that were unfortunate enough to lose their lives. War is so intense that one could never understand what the veterans are going through or what they remember. All people can do is hear what people have to say when they decide to open up about what happened. Risking your own life to people you do not know is a very brave and not everyone has that characteristic. Today in our society we show quite a bit of respect but not nearly enough if you put in perspective what they did for you.
ReplyDeleteThe government does as best as they can to acknowledge the"living veteran". But as a society, when we think of Labor Day and Memorial Day we immediately think of the three-four day weekend we get and we don't think of the veterans who fault for our country. Most people give respect and thanks to veterans they see walking down the street or at a restaurant by for the most part it is never enough. We try to commemorate the "living veterans" but most of the time we fail to do so as a society.
ReplyDeleteOur society today simply just does not show enough respect for war veterans at all. There's a holiday that was made in honor of all the veterans. The government tries their best to show respect for them and that they matter but it's not enough. Going into war and keeping your country safe is risking our life for your country, it's very dangerous, intense, and it lasts a long time and once they're done and retire they have no money which is really unfair and most veterans become homeless and when we see them asking for money or something no one really ever helps but we should be helping them because they put their lives at risk so we would be safe. Today in our society veterans do not get nearly as much respect as they should be getting.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, veterans live a hard life and when they retire, they become homeless. They live a hard life that we take for granted.
DeleteAs a society, I feel we do not show enough respect for our Veterans. Veterans are risking their lives everyday to keep us safe, and we take it for granted. Imagine if you were a veteran and risking your life for others, wouldn't you want lots of respect too? We only honor veterans when they die, but not when they are alive. Why not do both? Even when veterans retire they get little money and most become homeless. They base their life on helping others, and we don't do the same.
ReplyDelete