4430, why was it so important to you that Barracuda answer that question? I don't see how it has any bearing on Trump's lack of military service or any resulting criticism about it. Barracuda isn't the Commander in Chief - Trump is.

When I turned 18 I registered for the draft just in case it was reinstated and my country needed me. But like Barracuda, I had plans for my life that didn't include the service, so long as it was optional. But I also had a conviction from early on that the U.S. military is being used to suit the needs of the plutocracy, mostly Big Oil and they k**l a lot of innocent people for that money. So I take tremendous p***e in NOT serving.

Not so sound h**eful, but I don't thank the military either. I used to fly in and out of San Diego all the time and I would often have conversations with young Marines on leave. Great kids and I admire their courage and their passion, but I never thanked them because that would be dishonest coming from me. Thank them for what? My freedom? What does that even mean?

I've lived in a number of places outside the U.S. and found that they have as much freedom out there as we do in here. I suppose one could argue that we have more freedom when it comes to buying guns, but that's about it. It doesn't seem like much because you can still own a gun in England as I did, you just can't by military grade, that's all.

And who is the military supposedly defending our freedom from? I can't think of ANY nation that wants to invade the U.S. and take away our freedoms and it's not because the U.S. military is a deterrent, it's because there's no actual reason to do it.

Seriously, there isn't much here that invaders can take that isn't already for sale. The difference is that when countries like China purchase large shares of America they get all the benefits without the liabilities of military occupation.

I'm not saying America is safe from threats, there's plenty of threat out there, but it's mostly coming from within our system which is something the military is useless against. I see conservatives impeding on freedom everytime they tell gay people they can't get married. I see liberals impeding on freedom everytime they tell gun enthusiasts they can't by an AK-47. And you know who I see defending these freedoms? Lawyers. As unpopular as they are in our pop-culture, lawyers and activists are the real champions of our freedom, not the military.

If anything, I think the military should be thanking the citizens for taking care of them. A tremendous amount of tax dollars goes to pay for everything the military does, from the munitions they use to the food they eat. The military has long been a sanctuary for young men who have trouble standing up on their own with great options like a paid college education... Paid by who? Paid by the American tax payers and what do those tax payers get back in return? Imaginary protection from imaginary threats to our freedom? Less funding for things like healthcare?

I hope this doesn't offend you too much. I'm not trying to insult those who served, like I said I have great admiration for those who put themselves in harms way thinking they're fighting for their country. I just don't think they realize how they're being used or how unrelated their efforts really are to American freedom. Most times, I just don't have the heart to break it to them.

When I hear someone demand that someone else should serve but didn't I always ask them if they did or didn't !

I kept pushing since it seemed he didn't want to answer like he was ashamed to answer , however he finally did answer I don't understand why it was so hard to do !

A neighbor was in the service and his Dad had a bad heart attack so they got him out of the service for him to come home ans take over managing the farm !

He never lived that down as he came home and families that lived in the community gave him a hard time because many others sons had to stay in the service but he got to come home !

All you Trump h**ers are on Trumps case because he got turned down and neither do you all nor do I know what the reason was for him getting out if it was true or not !

In your minds he was just like my neighbor he got out so you all are going to shove in in his face every time you can !

Have any of you ever been falsely accused of something you were innocent of well it's not nice to put it mildly !

One never knows when karma might come back your way and you all might feel the blunt of being falsely accused then you might realize how it feels .

Well, I wouldn't call that the cost of my freedom - it's more like an unknowing sacrifice to commercial empires that have nothing to do with my freedom.

Look, we're not going to agree on this one. I wasn't born yesterday... I know WTF I am talking about. It's an uneasy discussion BECAUSE of the sacrifices people make in the military. So it's almost impossible to bring up the ugly t***h of the matter without some degree of insensitivity. I'm only doing this with you because I am an anonymous blip in the Internet to you so I doubt your going to lose any sleep over what I have to say.

What I CAN say is that I sympathize with those who have suffered in the line of duty and I am a strong advocate of better VA services, I also admire the courage of those who serve and though I don't buy the whole "defending my freedom" thing I do realize that this is exactly what these young men and women are thinking when they jump into harms way and for that I appreciate what they are willing to do for all of us.

So let's just leave it at that, ok?

Keep deluding yourself my bother is a vet did 2 tours in Nam he's in his 70's been complaining since he came back. The VA in 3 different states he's lived in kept telling him nothing is wrong go home this last DR. is a Muslim woman who wears the Muslim outfit that you can't see anything but hers eye's did the same we convinced him to go to a civilian Dr and guess what first thing she asked him after all the test she did were you ever in an area with agent orange he told her we all were they were dropping that stuff all over us. She said all his problems stemmed from that after all these years she got him full disability a month later after the VA called and told him his blood work was fine this Dr got a copy made him do another test he has dormant leukemia funny what they consider OK. This is the care our men are given and get this they sent out to all nam vets asking them to give up their benefits to desert storm soldiers

Keep deluding yourself my bother is a vet did 2 tours in Nam he's in his 70's been complaining since he came back. The VA in 3 different states he's lived in kept telling him nothing is wrong go home this last DR. is a Muslim woman who wears the Muslim outfit that you can't see anything but hers eye's did the same we convinced him to go to a civilian Dr and guess what first thing she asked him after all the test she did were you ever in an area with agent orange he told her we all were they were dropping that stuff all over us. She said all his problems stemmed from that after all these years she got him full disability a month later after the VA called and told him his blood work was fine this Dr got a copy made him do another test he has dormant leukemia funny what they consider OK. This is the care our men are given and get this they sent out to all nam vets asking them to give up their benefits to desert storm soldiers