Apathy-The death of America?

[Punisher84]

OK I'm pissed and I'm gonna rant.

I have tried (unsuccessfully) for the past year to get my friends and my department at work to participate in our corporate troop care package drive. We do 2 a year, Christmas and Independence Day.

Guess how much help I got? Zip, zero, zilch, nada. I post it on Facebook I get some comments and some "likes", I post it at work and put a note on the box and I got 2 boxes of stuff in there right now.

So I want someone to tell me why are people so apathetic? Why doesn't anyone care? It's easy to slap a bumper sticker on a car I guess saying you support the troops, but it's so hard to go to the dollar store and spend 10-20 bucks to get some stuff for our guys and gals overseas?

This is the crap that is wrong with our country, people talk, but they won't DO.

You know I never went to Iraq or Afghanistan, but I watched my friends go and I watched some of them not come back, I buried a guy from my old unit not 2 months ago. Rode a Patriot Guard mission in his honor. Maybe it's me trying to make up for not being able to go overseas because I got hurt, but I don't think it's all that much to ask to help out the troops and truly support them.

Anyway, rant over. I'm just hurt by it and had to vent.

[MacGyver]

I feel your anger. I think this is one of the most dangerous things about this war. The average member of the public is not connected to it in any way, shape or form. We haven't been called to sacrifice anything. Unless you have a personal connection with someone who is there, then you wouldn't even know it's happening.

I was in Cool Springs Mall the other evening with the wife and kids. I saw a poster that said "Ask not what your country can do for you, Ask "Do you have these in a size 5." In other words - prop up this artificial illusion we have of a functioning economy by continuing to spend like there is no tomorrow. I wanted to rip it off the wall.

As someone who was in 1WTC the morning of September 11 and spent almost a year at Ground Zero afterwards, it really depresses me to see the unity and purpose of mission following that event thorougly squandered.

[Guest tlondon]

Punisher, Thank You. I have family fighting over there right now. I keep saying "We need to send them something" and then something comes up and we dont. There is no excuse for this. These young men and women are fighting for us. I have made it a priority now to make sure that we go and put a box together for them. Thanks again for the reminder

[Guest Astra900]

Some REALLY don't care. It's difficult for others to bend their head around it. It's not necessarily a love/hate toward what they won't support, it's a genuine feeling of not wanting to be a part of it OR be bothered by it. The fact that they may or may not be affected by it is irrelevant.

I'm guilty of a small bit of it myself, and I think there are certain subjects to which we are all that way.

people talk, but they won't DO.

Very true. No one in this country is willing to organize and do anything that will actually CHANGE anything. Talk and vote, talk and vote. Nothing ever changes for the better; Time marches on.

[Guest Astra900]

As far as sending the soldiers a little something, I think it is a nice sentiment. I'm sure they appreciate knowing a stranger actually cares.

[Punisher84]

As far as sending the soldiers a little something, I think it is a nice sentiment. I'm sure they appreciate knowing a stranger actually cares.

One of the conversations I had with a good friend of mine who did 2 tours was about the care packages they got when he was over there. He said they'd get a ton of soap and shampoo, toothbrushes, etc. He was always saying that he appreciated the thought, but he bought a bottle of shampoo at the PX that lasted him a whole tour.

The big stuff he and his guys liked to get was sunflower seeds, jerky, hard candy, crap they could take on patrol. So I guess some people, even the ones that send stuff, may not always get it. The guys aren't at summer camp, they want comfort stuff, pieces of home.

[Guest db99wj]

One of the conversations I had with a good friend of mine who did 2 tours was about the care packages they got when he was over there. He said they'd get a ton of soap and shampoo, toothbrushes, etc. He was always saying that he appreciated the thought, but he bought a bottle of shampoo at the PX that lasted him a whole tour.

The big stuff he and his guys liked to get was sunflower seeds, jerky, hard candy, crap they could take on patrol. So I guess some people, even the ones that send stuff, may not always get it. The guys aren't at summer camp, they want comfort stuff, pieces of home.

I said I would grab something and haven't yet. Been crazy at work for the last three weeks and will continue until Friday (hopefully). Might be able to get away Thursday to drop something off. When you work?

[Punisher84]

I said I would grab something and haven't yet. Been crazy at work for the last three weeks and will continue until Friday (hopefully). Might be able to get away Thursday to drop something off. When you work?

I'm here 9-530 tomorrow. Gotta have the stuff in by about noonish. If you can't I understand. Believe me I understand people are busy, I was just venting about the generalities.

[Guest db99wj]

I'm here 9-530 tomorrow. Gotta have the stuff in by about noonish. If you can't I understand. Believe me I understand people are busy, I was just venting about the generalities.

See what I can do.

[Guest coldblackwind]

My best friend is over there at present, in Mosul. In fact, you may have heard of him, that big truck bomb that killed 5 soldiers about a month or two ago, he was leading the patrol that got hit. We try to send over something as often as possible. What he keeps telling us to send is Magazines, newspapers, and movies. He tells me they have plenty of toiletries, but nothing to do. The bonus with those is that he watches them, or reads them, and then passes them on to the rest of his unit. Also sent him about $30 worth of surefire batteries, apparently a lot of the guys have surefires, but they can't get any batteries for them.

[Guest Astra900]

I guess sending them a few packs of Marlboros is politically incorrect???

[Guest mustangdave]

Punisher...if I may be so bold as to suggest something. Have you thought of contacting any of the local GUARD UNITS or even Ft. Campbells Public Affairs? I know from many years in the service that units have ombudsman as well as non deployable staff that stay behind to coordinate stuff like this...perhaps..if you got involved with something like this throught the Moral, Welfare and Recreation Dept on base you might feel more "useful"

[Punisher84]

Punisher...if I may be so bold as to suggest something. Have you thought of contacting any of the local GUARD UNITS or even Ft. Campbells Public Affairs? I know from many years in the service that units have ombudsman as well as non deployable staff that stay behind to coordinate stuff like this...perhaps..if you got involved with something like this throught the Moral, Welfare and Recreation Dept on base you might feel more "useful"

The point isn't to feel useful. I like the idea, but my point was that I posted this on my Myspace and Facebook which I have about 100 friends/acquaintances on and I've been coordinating through my department at work. I work for a major hospital system in the Mid-South and very few people participate in this.

I like your idea, but between doing stuff with PGR, donating to different Veteran's cause, Toys for Tots, and these drives my time is kinda filled. I was just complaining over people's reluctance to participate in these type of events.

[G27]

Punisher - if you can't get more folks to help, we'd love to have more volunteers at TroopCare.org, a non-profit group I set up to send treats to the troops.

I'll be heading out to Costco and Target in the next week or so to blow a ton of cash for goodies if you want to tag along...

[Punisher84]

Punisher - if you can't get more folks to help, we'd love to have more volunteers at TroopCare.org, a non-profit group I set up to send treats to the troops.

I'll be heading out to Costco and Target in the next week or so to blow a ton of cash for goodies if you want to tag along...

Just give me a call! I kinda blew through my folding money this trip, but I'll still have some scrillas to spend!

BTW I want to give a big shout out and thanks to Truthsayer. He went out of his way to get people involved and dropped off 3 full bags of stuff at my house this evening. That mean alot to me and I'm sure it will mean alot more to the guys and gals he and his friends helped out.

[Guest SUNTZU]

I've pitched in with sending Skoal and Copenhagen to Iraq. I'll check out TroopCare.org, as well.

[Guest truthsayer]

BTW I want to give a big shout out and thanks to Truthsayer. He went out of his way to get people involved and dropped off 3 full bags of stuff at my house this evening. That mean alot to me and I'm sure it will mean alot more to the guys and gals he and his friends helped out.

I really just wanted to hang with your wife and dog. Sry.