Free to one group of people and jail another person, is that fair?
By ch88ss
@ch88ss (2271)
United States
August 9, 2008 1:57am CST
Why punish the ones that have good intentions?
is it fair to punish and give jail time to someone who backout and does not want to go to war?
A friend, I shall call him Tom . Tom signed up and joined the army or navy reserve as a computer technician. However, after 8 months of it, Tom was told he will be transferred and will be deployed to Afghanistan in January 2009. Tom signed up for computer technician but now he has to go to the war ground. Tom supervisor told him that he is not fit for computer work, so they will transfer him.
I have friends that are former marines and they get great monthly checks for serving their terms. Which I totally agree it is what they deserve, they fought for the USA citizens. So they earned it.
But if someone wants to back out and understand they will lose all benefits, why not give them that option. America spends billions every year to pay for non documented residents who cross the border illegally, get free schooling for too many children, get free medical and some even free milk etc. They have not paid the dues to the US citizens but why do we continue to use our tax dollars to pay for that? But choose to punish the future of USA citizens who can be successful in other fields as well.
What do you think? Is jail time too harsh for a young man who has a change of heart? I don’t know if when he signed up he was asked to also agree to go to war…. But do you think he should be given the chance to back out and forfeit the benefits?
4 people like this
8 responses
@CinderInMySoul (4717)
• United States
9 Aug 08
anybody who signs up for any of our armed forces (including national guard) know that there is a chance they will be sent to war (especially in these times). i know the reserves are generally used in the states..but quite a lot of them have been sent to Iraq and other hotspots since 9/11. and those papers dont give options of what you will and wont be willing to do.
and from what ive been told..once you sign those papers you are pretty much property of our gov. i was told that from a former army man, who was court marshaled for getting a pretty bad sunburn..it was deemed "damaging government property" (can you believe that?!) by agreeing to whatever is in those papers you are also agreeing to follow orders, go where they send/need you, even if you dont like what your supposed to do.
im sorry to say it but, if your friend never wanted to see war..or take the chance of being sent to war..then he should not have enlisted. somethings in life just cannot be undone. harsh way to have to learn the lesson of "think things thru before you act" but thats an important one to learn.
i agree with you on all the money and resources that are going towards illegals is horrendous and needs to be fixed.
4 people like this
@shooie (4984)
• United States
10 Aug 08
Very very well written I couldn't of said it any better. Sounds like the paperwork wasn't read and re-read before he signed on the dotted line. Like so many other things in life even here in mylot people that sign up don't read and ask a lot of questions that could of been answered if they would of READ.
@ch88ss (2271)
• United States
11 Aug 08
Hi Cinderyinmysoul,
You are absolutley right. I never looked it that way but it makes sense how you explained it.
yes "some things in life cannot be undone", gee if it can be undone, I have a long list of things to undo.... Where can I sign up. he~ he~ :)
@Barb42 (4214)
• United States
9 Aug 08
Going into the military, they know what they are getting into. When there is a war going on, and someone signs up, he/she has to know that they may have to serve. Not everybody has to go. My husband got called to the Army and turned that in for 4 years with the Air Force. He went in as a mechanic on helicopters. Well, his unit, which was Air Rescue, got sent to Thailand and then to Vietnam. You go wherever you are sent when you sign up. There is no quitting the military until your time is up or unless you get kicked out for medical reasons or noncompliance (guess that is a term you could use).
I know it is wrong for our government to hand out freebies to the illegals. And I wish they'd get their act straight. But, still, when you sign up, don't expect to do exactly what you sign up for. Perhaps this person wasn't really a computer person and they recognized that, but that doesn't give him the choice of opting out of his commitment. Otherwise, you might have half of them backing out.
My beautician's son-in-law is leaving a family behind in about 2 weeks, going to Afghanistan for a whole year. His son is only 3 years old. But this is the line of work he has chosen and so he has to go wherever they send him.
@ch88ss (2271)
• United States
11 Aug 08
Hi Barb,
Wow, so it looks like Tom must have known of this all along and he is not sharing the whole facts with his friends.
It helps when other explain to me how it works. You are right, if an option was given half oteh army be gone.
I guess I can only wish him luck and a safe return. It is very scary to see your loved ones go to war.
Some things in life are just unfixable and some are just plain unfair. But I guess Tom's biggest lesson of his life, read before signing!~
Thanks for sharing in your experience, it sure helps it when I read about other members opinion so I can understand this better.
@cyntrow (8523)
• United States
10 Aug 08
If "tom" joined the army or the navy, he joined a branch of the armed services. This means that he is subject to be deployed to military service at any time without notice. It's in the contract. If "tom" is stupid, that's his problem. If he doesn't serve, he will imprisoned as a deserter or stripped of everything. I personally think he's just behaving as a coward.
1 person likes this
@sunshinelady (7609)
• United States
10 Aug 08
When he signed the contract and that is what he did it is binding as any contract is. When a person signs up in the service they know the possibility of being sent into war is there. The service never guarentees that a person will not be sent to war. Think about all the guys that have enlisted before him. The ones that go as far back as Vietnam. What would have happened if all of them had had a change of heart. No one likes to go to war but when a person enlists they know there is the strong possibility of being sent. No I don't think he should be given the chance to back out. It is a binding contract and should be treated as such. I was in the service and my husband retired from the service. He was sent to some pretty hard assignments but he went because he considered it his American duty to defend this Great Land of Ours.
1 person likes this
@ch88ss (2271)
• United States
11 Aug 08
Wow, it must be great experience for the both of you.
I am glad to hear of your experience and knowing that you know alot, I am pretty confident the next time I see Tom to let him know what I think.
Thanks for sharing what you know and expressing your opinion.
You are right, if everybody changed thier mind and what happened to those prior to him too. I question that i don't think can be answered at all.
@travibabiesgirl (1690)
• United States
9 Aug 08
When you sign up for the reserves you are agreeing to serve this country as needed be it in peace or war during the term you signed on for. My husband and I think if he signed up for a computer tech and they tried to make him be something else not written in his contract it would be a breach of contract. I don't know if I agree with the jail time or not but people know when they sign on for this they could be shipped out and should not agree to sign on unless they are willing to go to war. A lot of people join the reserves thinking it will be an extra pay check and military games one weekend a month two weeks a year. It is more than that and people should think long and hard before they sign up.
3 people like this
@ch88ss (2271)
• United States
11 Aug 08
Definelty, I agree. Sometimes it is hard to know exactly what happen when Tom signed the papers. It is sad to see this happen, but like you say if he signed the paper, he should have read it carefully to make sure what he was told is what he understands on writing too.
A life long lesson he will never forget.
@kenzie45230 (3560)
• United States
10 Aug 08
With a voluntary military, no one is forcing anyone to sign up. When one does, it is with the knowledge that if there is a war, you'll be called to serve. Anyone who doesn't want to fight a war should not sign up to serve in the military.
2 people like this
@sunshinelady (7609)
• United States
10 Aug 08
kenzie,
There is the thing. As you said enlisting in the service is voluntary. If you don't want to go to war that is the wrong thing to do is enlist. It is the service and there is the real possibility of being sent to war.
1 person likes this
@urbandekay (18278)
•
10 Aug 08
Tom choose to join the military, he was not coerced so to do. He did so in the full knowledge that this may involve him in a war. He made a contract with the government and has enjoyed the benefits of it to date.
Were he allowed to back out how many would follow his example?
This is so typical of a current trend where people want to enjoy the benefits, demand their 'rights' but object when the agreement they have made expects something from them.
all the best urban
@lvaldean (1612)
• United States
10 Aug 08
Sorry you don't get to have a "change of heart" during wartime. You sign up for the military with the knowledge that you might be deployed to fight for your country, that is the risk that you take for the benefits you are receiving.
Don't want the risk don't sign up. We have a all volunteer military these days, those that volunteer do so with the full knowledge of what they are volunteering for. There is a price to be paid for the benefit of education, extra income, training, and other opportunities received as a reservist. You don't sign up for a specific "job", you are assigned to do whatever "job" the military requires of you.
If you are a objector to war now then you were also an objecter when you signed up. You cannot have it both ways. Your friend is wrong. I assure you he was told that the terms of the agreement were he faced the possibility of going to war. Every person who puts on a uniform is.
No, he should not be given a chance to back out. He has enjoyed the benefits. Time to ante up. Sorry, cowardice is not reason enough to say "sorry made a mistake".
The issue of undocumented aliens has nothing to do with your friends mistake by the way. They are completely seperate issues.
1 person likes this
