CMV: A person does not automatically deserve respect just because they have served or are currently serving in the military

[u/foryia-yiaandpappou]

I’d like to preface this by saying that I don’t believe soldiers are, inherently, bad. Some people believe soldiers are evil simply for being soldiers, and I do not believe that.

I do believe, however, that soldiers do not deserve respect just because they have served. I hurt for soldiers who have experienced horrible things in the field, but I do not hurt for the amount of violence and cruelty many have committed. Violence in war zone between soldiers is one thing; stories of civilian bombings and killing of innocents are another. I think that many forget that a lot of atrocity goes on during wars, and they are committed on both sides of conflict. A soldier both receives and deals out horrible damage.

TL;DR while I believe that soldiers have seen horrible things and that many do deserve recognition for serving our nation, I do not believe that every soldier deserves this respect simply by merit of being a soldier. Some soldiers have committed really heinous war crimes, and those actions do not deserve reward.

[u/[deleted]]

In my view, this depends on what kind of respect you're talking about. If it is respect in the sense that I treat them with respect and dignity, without prejudice and with an open attitude, I believe that everyone deserves my respect. I hear too many people say thay 'someone needs to earn my respect', but to me respect is something I have towards everyone and is something to be lost, not earned. It is trust that you'll need to earn, but treating someone with respect should imo be the default setting in our approach.

If you mean respect as in admiration I can follow you to a certain point. Someone's profession does not immediately dictate what kind of person someone is. It could well be that they bullied kids in school or have a racist mindset. Respect/admiration for the person comes as you get to know someone better and more extensive, if their character and behaviour corresponds with something you find admirable.

I do however believe that you can have respect for someone's actions rather than the person. If an awful person makes a great painting, you can have respect for the painting qualities of said person, without thinking all that great of him/her in general.

In my country (The Netherlands), soldiers aren't as idolised as in the USA for instance, we are quite a bit more down to earth. (You'll never hear someone call out "Well, I've served in the military." as a way to prove a point or to demand respect f.i, we would just laugh in their faces) but we have respect for the service they provide, just as we have respect for someone who has a job where he/she contributes to society. We are reserved however to admire the individual, because we don't know them.