Unraveling the Threads of Patriotism: A Fresh Perspective

Speaker 1: 1:03

All right. So we're going to start off with a question what? Well, let me back up. Definition Webster's defines a patriot is someone who loves their country, strongly loves their country. I think that's a Bullshit ass. Definition what in what do you what? What is your definition of what a patriot is? That was the question I want to start with.

Speaker 2: 1:34

Is that rhetorical or?

Speaker 1: 1:34

you ask a mean yeah, no, no, that's a legit question. I guess we should have did some. Well, no, I mean because it is, it is, it's, it's, it's, it's half a, it's half a question for you because it is subjective. It's also a question for the elite, the listeners. What do you think a patriot is? Because I the Webster's dictionary definition it's bunk, it's like a fucking cop out.

Speaker 2: 1:55

Yeah, I mean, but I think it's broad brushed to accommodate so many different views under one umbrella.

Speaker 1: 2:15

You, know what I mean, and that's why I call it a cop out, because it's so for me, you know, I think I'm a patriot.

Speaker 2: 2:31

And how do I define that? You know, I think, I believe that I believe that Every everyone should do Something bigger than themselves, right, participate in something bigger than themselves, and that you should provide your, your tools, your skills, your time To for the betterment of your, and then just go echelons above your, your, your household. Well, start with self, household, community, and those ripples should extend to the country, right, and you know, I, I guess, at one point in time, you know, serving in Korea for two years and seeing that, no matter what demographic you come from, in Korea South Korea that is that there's a minimum two year requirement to serve your country, and boy, I kind of like that idea. Yeah, the Israelis too.

Speaker 1: 4:04

You know what I mean.

Speaker 2: 4:05

I kind of like that idea. You, you put everybody now Full disclosure. You know, if you come from money, if you, if you're college educated, then you most likely become a Catoosa, a you know, Korean augmentee to the United States Army. Yeah, I get that. You're not a. Yeah, I get that. You're not a rock soldier, I get that right. However, you know, my my first, fondest memory of Korea, September Nineteen ninety three, is we're in these huts and I'll get off. I'll get back on track. You're hot, sick.

Speaker 2: 4:53

We're in these you know the old, you know, I guess Korean war, I mean it's in fucking Korea. But you know the old metal huts, right, Long cylinder huts, right, they look like Culvert pipe, right, right, Cut in half and just stuck on the ground and put two ends with a door on it, Right, yeah, we're in there. That's our company CP, and I'm standing at the C2 desk looking out the window, and you know the windows have probably been there since goddamn Korean war, so they're hazy. And I can just make out people in BDUs and you know they were standing in formation, and one guy's going down and I just see the guy in front of the formation smack the shit and I'm like, hey, bro, you know the CQ down here, he's a private, you know, hey, what the fuck. And he's like, you know, he kind of, you know, leans up in the chair so he can see out the window.

Speaker 2: 6:04

He's like, oh, yeah, it's our major, all right, so our major smacking the shit out of people. He's like, yep, I'm like ain't nobody fucking hitting me, like Ain't nobody fucking hitting me. And he's like, oh sorry, major smashed the shit out of them all the time. He's like they must not know their general orders. I was like these motherfuckers getting smacked in the face for not knowing their general orders. Like get the fuck out of here. And I'm like ain't nobody hitting me. And the fucking uh, baton Sarin behind me is like would you say? I mean, it's a Sarn. Uh, you know, ain't nobody fucking hit me, I'll fucking hit you. I'm like, well, I know, but you fucking hit me. You know what I mean. And uh, he yells in there and he's like hey, hey, first Sarn. He's like, yeah, he's like I won Vickers in my platoon. I did it right. So I was in this dubious. So I was in this dubious tune, not a big deal. Um, you know, when you're six foot four, 230 pounds or 50 pounds, whatever I was, you know, um, you're automatically the 60 gunner, automatically Fucking. You know, I come to the squad. The 60 gunner is, you know, five foot eight, fucking 190 pounds. And he's just grinning from ear to ear. You know what I mean. Like, I know what happened. You know, here you go bud, you know, and yeah, and then you carried that motherfucker up mountains and shit. Right, it was three months.

Speaker 2: 7:51

I was in Korea three months before my fucking platoon Sarn figured out that I wasn't a 12 Bravo and I was a 12 fuckstrat and I should be in the assault and obstacle platoon, because that's where my fucking like. Every day I go to the motor pool I'm like hey, where's, where's my ace or where's you know? They're like what the fuck are you talking about? I'm like I'm a, I'm a 12 Fox drive. They're like nah, bro, you ain't fucking 12 Bravo Like.

Speaker 2: 8:21

And then, like, three months later, fucking my platoon Sarn's like Fickers, what's your MOS? Uh, 12 Fox drive, sorry, he's like get your ass over in A and O. Why the fuck are you? I'm like, you know, I had my fours gun moment. Uh, you told me, you told me to. You know what I mean. So, but yeah, that rock, that rocks. So come to find out. That's the rock. Uh, republic of Korea, rock, sergeant Major, smacking the shit out of Catooses, right, and letting. Letting them though. Hey, you know, I don't care if you came from money. I don't care if you, you know, you know.

Speaker 1: 9:04

If you don't know your fucking general orders, I'm going to smack the shit out of your, your, your station in life might have got you a cushy assignment, but you still got to deal with me, right?

Speaker 2: 9:13

And here you are, and for the next two years, this is what you can expect. Now, the only time I didn't see that happen was, um, my man, lee L. I right, um, he was the son of like the Taekwondo dude in all of Korea and he has to do his two years. So they fucking, he's standing, he's standing in line Now. He's taller at dudes, like six foot right, which, again, fucking unheard of.

Speaker 2: 10:01

But so rock rock star major is Going down the line asking questions. He gets the fucking Lee and he asked Lee a question. Lee don't say nothing, right, he's standing that position of attention, he don't say nothing. And the star major is like yelling at him again. So he goes what they call rock ready, which is your feet, your shoulder width apart, your hands come, you know, uh, in front of your pelvis, um, in a fist right, and you, you, you roll your shoulders for it. They call that rock ready.

Speaker 2: 10:41

And uh, sir, major did a right face, went, went in front of the next guy, didn't ask him nothing, slap the shit out of it. And you know, cause, like when the new cateausas come in, we stand outside and we watch as shit, because it's fucking comical, because it's not you because it ain't you Like. You know what I mean, and and you see this shit. And then you're like, oh fuck. And also cateausas, like the new cateausas, they shine the boots of every cateausas in the squad above them, right, so they're fucking, you know, while the other cateausas they're drinking soju and getting fucking eating fucking kimchi all night. Dude is fucking spit shining their boots, not Lee Lee ain't spit shining no goddamn boots. I'm like man ha. And then you know, we did type one dough, like every fucking Thursday, right, and uh, I'm a yellow belt and type one dough, recognize fucking right now.

Speaker 1: 11:52

I did when was the last time you type one doughed, I did.

Speaker 2: 11:57

I did type one dough every Thursday for two fucking years. I'm a yellow boat man. Fucking, recognize that shit. I got a, I got a plaque and everything. Um, so fuck around if you want to, You'll find out. Fucking, find out. I got, I got skills in type one dough. Um, but yeah, it's man. So back to patriotism. Uh, since I got off, I got off the, uh, you got off the exit took the side room for about four miles.

Speaker 1: 12:30

Now we're back on, but Steve tour, Steve tour.

Speaker 2: 12:35

Um, but yeah, the you know I, uh, now I don't. I don't want to sound like a hypocrite because I believe in free will, right, so I believe that, um, you have the freedom to do whatever the fuck you want to do. And then also, when I had children, right, I told my kids I will go back to Iraq as many fucking times as I have to to ensure you don't Right, so um, but that that was the patriotism. I was like I'm not gonna do that, I'm not gonna do that, but that that was the patriotism in my family. Right, that was the patriarch of the family saying I will, I will go do this, so you don't have to Right, um, so um. Yeah, I mean, I think the problem with defining patriotism is that it is so watered down, it is so skewed. You know, people don't want to say they're a patriot now because they're automatically a racist.

Speaker 2: 13:52

They're automatically a white, white supremacist. They're automatically uh hating of other others.

Speaker 1: 14:01

An extreme right wingist yeah Right, you know what I mean. Oh, nine yards, yeah yeah.

Speaker 2: 14:04

So the word um and there's a lot of words in the English language that has been, uh, distorted over the last five, 10 years um, that um, and then there's so I think people are hesitant to call themselves. Now there's people out there who are like fuck it, I don't give a fuck, you know, I'm going to call myself a patriot, regardless of what, and some people feed into all that stereotype.

Speaker 1: 14:40

Yeah, I think. I think there's people out there that call themselves a patriot because it's the, it's in that environment. You know that word is distorted to, you know mean something. But I think being a patriot, I think being a patriot, so, when you're, my ideal of a patriot is the same concept as to the oath we took. You know, we didn't, we didn't um swear an oath to um a particular political party, a particular government style. We saw, we swore an oath to a constitution. That's the backbone, the basis of our country. Like without the constitution, it doesn't exist. So I think a true patriot is someone who understands that the constitution is the underlying fabric of what this country means.

Speaker 1: 15:49

I don't think if, if you only believe in right wing politics or left wing politics, that's not a patriot, right? Uh, if you only believe in a particular race or a particular religion, that's not a patriot. Um, I think if, if, fundamentally, you believe in the, the ideals that this country was founded on, in the constitution I know there's a whole lot of stuff that 250 fucking years ago was deemed acceptable. That's not acceptable now. That's not acceptable now. I get it. But that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about, you know, fuck, let's just look at the, the first few billarites. You know, freedom of speech and all that jazz, those types of things. If you believe strongly in those and you're willing to defend and or sacrifice for those ideals, then you can be called a patriot. Other than that, it's just lip service, yeah.

Speaker 2: 16:49

Um, yeah, I mean it's. It's one of those things where um having or expressing devotion to and vigorously supporting one's country, right Patriotic, um, and I would say, you know, saying America is the greatest country in the world, right, um, you know it, does that make you automatically patriotic? You know what I mean? Like, I think it's more patriotic to say you know what America may. Uh, in what I mean, in what? Um? Now, I've lived in several countries throughout this world, as as did you. Um, I've seen um how things are in third world countries, as have you, and uh, you know as much, as much as I don't like Ohio, I wouldn't trade Ohio for any of those motherfuckers right.

Speaker 1: 18:06

Um, maybe California.

Speaker 2: 18:08

Well, I'm just saying you know, third way, yeah, yeah, no thanks.

Speaker 1: 18:15

Um, california is a whole nother beast. Yeah, you can keep sorry.

Speaker 2: 18:19

California people. You can keep that shit out there, but you know, yeah, you motherfuckers in California, you know there's a reason.

Speaker 1: 18:25

There's a mass exodus north and east.

Speaker 2: 18:28

Um, what I mean? Motherfuckers in California are striking a hotel. Workers in California are striking and wanting hotels to pay their housing costs, Cause the price of housing is too fucking expensive out there. They fucking know.

Speaker 1: 18:48

Yeah, it's crazy, they fucking know. So I think when, uh, and a lot of ways, the United States is not the best country in the world, but I think, in the one way, that it matters the most is the idea of the freedoms that we have or that we were originally. You know, the constitution was wrote to protect. Now, in the last 250 years, we've done a really good job of legislating away our freedoms, but I can't think of another country that has a 250 year old document that protects the populace. Well, it was designed to protect the populace from from overreaching um government. The government is basically giving me $1,270 every single month. Auto play ad Jesus Christ.

Speaker 2: 20:09

Trying to look something up and goddamn it.

Speaker 1: 20:13

So I I define myself as a patriot in the aspect that, um, I took an oath and I'm one of those corny motherfuckers that says my oath of enlistment didn't expire. Um, because you know if, if shit came to shove, I would protect the constitution anyway. I can so question for you then would you consider cause this kind of when we talked about this? I've been thinking about this would you consider Edward Snowden a patriot?

Speaker 2: 20:47

No, and and I say that with um in context of I don't, I don't, I don't subscribe to, you know, whistleblowers being, you know, uh, snitches, right, um, I think you need whistleblowers um to to have a checks and balance Right Now, how you do it to me, how you blow the whistle, who you blow the whistle to, and then what you do subsequently after blowing the whistle, tells me everything I need to know about you. Got it? You know what I'm saying, so you know.

Speaker 1: 21:44

That's why answer the way I do, so for me it's multilayered. So the fact that he realized that the NSA was doing things that he believes were unconstitutional, he raised those concerns to a supervision. The appropriate way to do it they basically told him to go fucking pound, saying right. So he decided to take said information and release it to a bunch of reporters, right. And then subsequently, the Supreme Court found that the things that the NSA were doing that he raised questions about were deemed unconstitutional. So he was 100% correct in that. Up to that I'm with him. It's everything after that I'm not with him.

Speaker 1: 22:29

The hiding in Russia, becoming a Russian nationalized citizen, becoming, you know, he's essentially, you know, defected Right. So, and I get it, at first it was self-preservation because the government was coming after him hardcore for being treasonous. I don't think the initial stuff was treasonous because he released it to reporters, not to another country, something like that. Right, agreed, but everything after that, yeah, I'm not down. So I would say that if he would have, if he would have released it to the reporters and then stood in the court and faced his judgment, I'd call him a patriot all day every day, and that's exactly like when you do something, when you put it on the line, right, you believe this is right, even if 99% of the people around you believe it's not.

Speaker 2: 23:30

As long as you believe it, that's all that.

Speaker 1: 23:33

And you're willing to have the conviction to face the music.

Speaker 2: 23:35

Yes, that you know that's what we're talking about. You know what I mean. Like you know that's what we're talking about, because as soon as you say I think this is wrong here here, let me throw this into ether and let the and let the internet world figure this shit out. No, that ain't that, ain't that ain't patriotic to me. You know what I mean, but again it's, it's a subjective definition Right. Yeah.

Speaker 1: 24:11

Yeah, you know other people may think we're wrong, other may people think we're right and more people may think we're not right enough. So you know, it is what it is. But that's the beauty of this podcast we get to share what we believe and what we think subjectively, whether it's, you know, the gospel or not. It's, it's how we feel, because we talk about, you know, all the time embracing our feelings, right? So I think, by the definition that I use, the word patriot, I feel that that quality in American citizens has drastically dried up and disappeared over the last I don't know 70 years. Like with each subsequent generation, it's less and less of a quality. Yeah, like our grandfathers, they were patriots. You know most of them, most of them. You know, when fucking December 7th happened, there wasn't. You know how do I get out of this? Or anything like that. It was. They fucking came and kicked us in the teeth. It's time to get some payback. You know what I mean. The way.

Speaker 2: 25:33

Uh, after December 7th our grandmothers were also patrons. Yes, and you know, um how many forget the amount of women that went into factories building planes and ammunition and and bombs and things of that sort. Rosie the Riveter, yeah, and um, you know, because at that point, women couldn't serve in a combat role, right?

Speaker 1: 26:06

Yeah, they were nurses and clerks and but they still served. They still did it, you know. And if they weren't doing it in uniform, the damn straight were doing it in the factory, right? So you know. So when you see that little old man walking down the street with the veteran hat on and the little old lady walking next to him, odds are she's a badass too.

Speaker 2: 26:25

And yeah, because you know she was at home with all the children and doing, doing all the things that um mom did, mom did, but also, by the way, it was in the factory doing what that? Fucking years. Yeah, for no, it ain't. Uh, I'll see you in six months, I'll see you in a year, you know, for four fucking years, yeah, so yeah, you didn't have iPads to keep the kids busy. And you did. They wasn't calling home every motherfucking day, they wasn't. They wasn't hitting the AT&T fucking call center, Um so.

Speaker 1: 27:08

I watch a YouTube video or a YouTuber called the fat electrician. He's fucking hilarious but he talks about military history stuff and he had a video yesterday about um Colonel Barfoot in 2009. He uh was in an HOA Nine-year-old World War II veteran in Virginia. Hoa said he couldn't fly as an American flag, but a neat little stat that came out of that was um Barfoot enlisted before World War II and there was only about 200 and some thousand um guys in the army. After December 7th the numbers shot up to like one and a half million or something like that. Like that's insane, the amount of guys, that 10 times 10 times.

Speaker 1: 27:59

I mean that's nuts. Yeah, it's absolutely nuts. Like that's a huge chunk of the population at the time just gone.

Speaker 2: 28:06

Now, with that being said, you know the amount of patriotism that that shows, right, I mean, on its face in one day, one, one moment in time. Right, you know nine 11 before nine 11, right, yep, um, and you saw that a lot after nine 11, right, um, you, you saw the patriotism after nine 11, you saw, you know, um, a lot of people enlisting after nine 11, because that's what they saw and they wanted to. You know the same mentality. You know I want to go to countries far, far away and fight people on their terms, well, our terms.

Speaker 1: 29:01

But they're land their land right Instead of them coming here.

Speaker 2: 29:05

That's the same concept after December 7th Yep, you're right which then breeded an ideology to hate the Japanese to hate you know um every German was a Nazi right, every German was a Nazi.

Speaker 2: 29:25

Every, you know all the Japs and all the you know, uh, the slurred terms you use for them, so much so that American Japanese were put into concentration camps in America. Right, because you know, so, I you look out through history. Patriotism, right, um, the label of you know like a lot of bad shit happened under the banner of patriotism. Yeah, you know what I mean. That cannot be. We can't have an episode where we're like, oh, patriotism, and we sit here and beat our chest for an hour and a half and and say, um, patriotism is good.

Speaker 1: 30:15

And and think about this though Every one of those Japanese Americans that were put in a concentration camp, that came out of that concentration camp but continued to be good American citizens, those are fucking patriots. Patriots, yeah. They had to endure that type of hate from your government and then turn around and still be a citizen that's not fueled by hate and rage and going after the. They had every right to defend themselves against the overreaching act of the government. Yeah, but they, you know, realized that. You know, it wasn't the country that put me in a camp, it was a government at the time.

Speaker 2: 30:59

Yeah, so I mean that's crazy, and uh, and you can see throughout history um that same, that same thing. Blacks in the civil war, yep right, fighting, fighting for the union. Um same concept. You know what I mean. Like the Buffalo soldiers, um, you know, um to ski Yermin in World War II.

Speaker 1: 31:33

You know what I mean, like patriots, yes, and I endure what they had to endure to be a patriot.

Speaker 2: 31:41

I'm going to do this because I want to do this. Damn what you think and you know to be some of the best fighter pilots in World War II, renowned, um, you know, the the, um, uh, the red tails. Renowned, you know, uh, it got to the point where they were a B 52 bomber escorts and never lost a plane. And the mother fuckers are like hey then red, then motherfucking red tails ain't coming, we're not going.

Speaker 2: 32:19

I mean so, uh, just you know, throughout history, regardless of race, regardless of situation, code talkers, you know, native Americans was like I, this is my country, I want to go defend it. Attack on Pearl Harbor was an attack on my country.

Speaker 1: 32:47

Put me in coach and found, you know, found that niche and you know um so but every it just it pisses me off that every unit you just described, the soldiers that they served with in the beginning wanted nothing to do with them because of the color of their skin or what they were labeled as. But once they showed what kind of you know like you said, don't lose a plane, you know once they showed the value that they brought to the table, then it was more accepted for them to be there. You know, that's the shame.

Speaker 2: 33:35

Yeah, like you know, the shame is, you know, there's a common um. What's what's the word? Theory, right, a common expression, a common thought process. In communities like that that think, believe, not think, they believe, they have to do things better in all aspects because they go into situations judged more harshly because of the biases, because of the racism, you know so, you know um. Yeah, so they train harder they. You know this. That in the third, so yeah, that absolutely it's, it's, it's um amazing Um, that's patriotism. When, when you say bump, bump what you think, bump what you heard, you know um, there, there, there's been um.

Speaker 1: 34:46

Yeah, I mean all the all the um, um, just lost my thought yeah, I think that as we as, as communication and stuff become more prevalent um, take a look at the sixties. Yeah, we, you know the populace started learning more about the shady shit the government does, Right. Then Vietnam happened and I think that all of the negative media and stigma and and everything that came about really put a hamper on patriotism as a whole during and after Vietnam.

Speaker 1: 35:43

Oh yeah, and I don't think it really came. It didn't come back. I mean I was a kid but I mean I vaguely remember you know raw raw wave the flag after Desert Storm, but it didn't. It wasn't like it was brought back to the forefront.

Speaker 2: 36:01

You know what I mean. Yeah, the only thing I can remember Um you know it was Whitney Houston's um rendition of the Star Spangled Banner at the Super Bowl. Um Giants Bills 91, scott Norwood. Mr Phil Gold, bill's lost a game.

Speaker 1: 36:36

Um four straight Super Bowls. They lost Jesus Christ.

Speaker 2: 36:39

Well, that was the first of four. That was the first of the four and kind of makes you wonder if he, if he makes that field goal, the narrative changes. But anyways, that's, that's for a different project. Fucking kickers, fucking kickers. But yeah, I mean um, that you know, um, desert Storm, just I mean, you know you're, this is January 91. They crossed a berm January, you know what I mean. Like it just happened. So, uh, that was a big deal, um, you know.

Speaker 1: 37:16

I guess when you only have a hundred hour war, you only get a hundred hours of patriotism yeah. Um you know um sorry guys, yeah Um.

Speaker 2: 37:30

I remember, I distinctly remember, uh, my buddy, darren Tilton, wearing a fuck Iraq T-shirt, black black T-shirt, white lettering fuck Iraq, and uh, they made him turn it inside out, um, cause, you know, uh, but yeah, and uh, darren just lost his brother, uh, chris, to a pink, pink, creative cancer um couple of days, couple of days ago. So, fuck cancer, yeah, so fuck cancer. And uh, uh, rest in peace. Put um, but yeah, so, um, but yeah, I don't. You know, in high school, um, I wore camouflage pants, um, and jungle boots every Friday with my jersey, cause I was going to war every Friday night, um, down in Martin's very, down in Martin's very, um, and uh, you know them jungle boots were. I wore those jungle boots in Korea, you know what I mean. Um, and they were. They were fucking the pain in the ass, the spit shine, but um, after fucking them up in high school for a year, um, but yeah.

Speaker 1: 38:49

Um so, so kind of like country-wide patriotism dies off after a desert storm again, it I mean it's there but it's not in the forefront, and then September 11th happens and it fucking explodes again.

Speaker 2: 39:07

Yeah, it's, you know it's one of those. I think it's ingrained in us as Americans. You know we have right, wrong or indifferent. We have a superior superiority complex. Yep, you know, um, that we truly believe that. I don't think I don't think the masses think I'm better than you on a personal level. I mean there's some assholes out there like that, but I think, like country to country, you know and but, but you'll have those, you'll have those people like we're fucking 50th in education, we're get it Right, I get it, um, like, what are we doing to fix that? Nothing?

Speaker 1: 40:31

Yeah, we are. We are a very militaristic.

Speaker 2: 40:35

Yeah, I'm a group. We we spend military spending. We spend um as much on our military as the next 10 countries. Yeah, combine right.

Speaker 2: 40:53

So I think that, being a, we can be patriots without being the world's police force and you know there's people out there that that say, well, we spend too much on defense. We spend. You know, we don't need to be the world's police force, we don't need to have our hands and fucking everything Um and uh, so we don't need the military budget. Well, if you look back in history at all the times that we went to, when we went from 200,000 troops before December 7th to over a million, where does that money come from? Yep, where does the equipment come from?

Speaker 1: 41:46

Right, um, there, there is no need for Rosie the Riveter If we have stuff right, yeah, I can see that I I I do think that we we overspend on things that aren't needed. I mean like how many? How many times are we going to dump a good zillion dollars into the development of a new fighter plane?

Speaker 2: 42:16

to not bring them, I mean, but also we spend $300 on a fucking toilet seat. Yeah, you know what I mean. Yeah, so there's fraud, waste and abuse going. You know what I mean?

Speaker 1: 42:26

Yeah, yeah, hey, inspector Generals, come on, man Like what the fuck I mean? Yeah as a young airman I did some dumb shit that I should have been in trouble for. I'm just saying the Inspector Generals need to do a better job.

Speaker 2: 42:36

I mean, we had to sign for fucking big pens because they were 10 bucks each.

Speaker 1: 42:44

Government contracts.

Speaker 2: 42:46

That's what you know, what I mean. So I mean come on.

Speaker 1: 42:51

So after after September 11th, patriotism goes huge. Yeah, but when you're in a 20 year war. But I think it's swung again.

Speaker 2: 43:02

I think it's swung too far the other way?

Speaker 1: 43:09

Yeah, Well, we've been. You know, we were in a war for 20 years.

Speaker 2: 43:12

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 43:12

You can't maintain that level of Bro like, I don't want you to stand up and applaud for me walking through the fucking airport. Yeah, I don't fucking fucking go about your day, you know? Like, call about your day. Matter of fact, I don't want to even be in the fucking airport. Right, like I'm cool, I like Germany. They give us a fucking terminal that nobody's fucking in and we hang out there, we walk on the fucking tarmac, we get on them little fucking buses to the jet up on the jet Pew gone. Right, that's what I like. Yeah, I don't, I don't, I don't don't walk me through fucking Atlanta airport and everybody fucking clapping Harvard Jackson, the big ass airport. You know what I mean. Um, now, you know the welcome, the welcome in, uh, uh, maine. Um, on the way back, they have a huge USO up in Maine. And listen, I'm not saying I don't appreciate it. Yes, I'm just saying don't feel obligated.

Speaker 2: 44:29

Right and Fucking um. Yeah, I just you know, it makes me uncomfortable.

Speaker 1: 44:37

Yes, makes me fucking uncomfortable, make you know um, when, when you, when you do something like that I mean this even ties into something we've talked about before with the thank you for your service when you do that and you can see the veteran is visibly uncomfortable that's someone who truly appreciates what you're doing but doesn't, doesn't feel like it's it's warranted. But but the motherfucker that tells you that you need to do it, that's the one that doesn't deserve it and will not appreciate it Right.

Speaker 2: 45:15

And what? But see, See again, I see both sides of it, Right, so I understand that. You know, in that crowd, somewhere at that airport, somewhere was probably somebody who came back from Vietnam and didn't get any of that. Oh yeah, you know what I mean. Those, those dudes at the USOs, um, you know pre pre leaving, you know leaving um, or when we came home, then volunteers, you know which are traditionally old timers old timers Yep. Thank goodness, that's different.

Speaker 1: 45:59

Yes.

Speaker 2: 46:00

I mean oh yeah. That's that's. That's two. That's two people who saw some of the same things.

Speaker 1: 46:06

Well, when we were out in Colorado, how many Vietnam guys did you tell welcome home to?

Speaker 2: 46:10

Oh, yeah, yep.

Speaker 1: 46:11

Yep, yeah, I'd never done that before, and then I seen you doing it and then it got me thinking for that same reason. You know they were shunned when they came home. Yeah, you know, we were given a quote unquote heroes welcome.

Speaker 2: 46:25

And you know they were vilified and yeah, and so I know I say this right, and you know a couple of them felt uncomfortable. Yes, right, but you know it's one of those things where I'm I'm wearing my vest that says I'm a combat veteran, you're wearing a hat that says you're a combat veteran, so you know what I mean. If you don't wear a hat that says Vietnam veteran, I don't know you're a Vietnam veteran. Yep, so you know it's one of those things where you know I buy, I buy vets Um lunch or breakfast or you know um, because Well, I had one.

Speaker 1: 47:14

I bought all those girls' cupcakes from Nova and I mean I bought a lot. I also they have a program where you buy boxes and they donate them to veterans. So I bought a shit ton of boxes for those two.

Speaker 2: 47:25

You know it's so yeah and and but yeah, it's one of those things where I felt uncomfortable. It's like, um, I tell the stories when I used to go to the VFW all the time and, like you know, I come, I come home from Iraq. I want to say the second time and join, join the VFW. And it was like, all right, these are my people now. And I mean um and uh, you would sit there and then World War two, that's the top, and I'd shut the fuck up Cause again. They fucking left on a boat. They're OGs, right, they left on a fucking boat.

Speaker 1: 48:19

Sailed across the ocean right.

Speaker 2: 48:22

Fucking. And then, you know, thought their way across.

Speaker 2: 48:25

Europe, you're a fucking Christ. You know the, yeah, you know um the. You know Korea, being in Korea and seeing. I remember um, being part of the engineer reconnaissance team and, uh, we got dropped off at this point and we had to walk a couple, um, couple peaks. You know, come down, you know we were up, we were up in the fucking mountains and I was like man, I think if, if, like during the Korean war, I've just come to fuck up here, I come to fuck up here and fuck, if you find me good on you, you know what I mean. But God damn, like, yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean being in Korea and seeing. You know um, you know I was up at the DMZ, you, you, you see that. You see the um steadfastness of the North Korean army and and knowing they have a million motherfuckers over there, you know when, when they tell you that, um, you know there's 30,000 troops, 30,000 American troops, in the country of Korea or some shit. Right, this was again 93 years. So my numbers may be skewed. You know they're like what, what they will. What is not skewed is there's 10 of those, them, 10 of them to every one of you and all, by the way, you're a speed bump, speed bump they say this in the welcome briefing when you get into Korea, you are a speed bump. If North Korea wants to invade South Korea, you, motherfuckers, are speed bumps. And I'm I'm. Why are we here? Right, I'm like us, cause I've got the mentality. I'm like. I'm in the world's best army, Most of us sophisticated army, that's what I'm in.

Speaker 2: 50:45

And then, in that, in that year, kim Il-sung dies, right, and his, he was the dictator of North Korea and, uh, as his health was failing, he was born in Seoul, right, when they were still one country. And, um, his son said I will bury my father in Seoul and if you do not allow it, I will bring my army with me. So when he died, it was like two, 30 in the morning and the alert sirens went off and we were full up. I mean, I was in a uh combat Engineer vehicle. Uh, what was?

Speaker 2: 51:34

60 class tank, what a hundred and 65 millimeter HEP gun, um, high explosive projectile. That's what HEP stands for, um, and it was the biggest uh round shot from a moving platform, land, land platform, in in the army, in in, excuse me, in the American arsenal, right, 165 millimeter. And it was all it was is composition B, which is kind of like C four shooting through the air, 65 pounds, right, and it blew up bunkers, blew up bridges, and I was a loader, of course, because then motherfuckers for 65 pounds and you know I was in the army Motherfuckers for 65 pounds, and you know they're like, hey, drop that 27 pound fucking machine gun and go get in the turret and pick up 65 pound rounds, yeah. So, um, yeah, a big and strong.

Speaker 2: 52:35

I was like Dino, I stood, I stood in a turret and my head stuck out of the top of that motherfucker I shit you not. But yeah, so we loaded up, we were ready, fucking, we were ready to go Um, and that didn't, it didn't transpire. They, they buried him in um, north Korea, but yeah, but you know, they're like and the conversation that I had with my cateauses, right when this pops off, you know I'm like, hey bro, you understand, when this shit pops off, your first one to go, what do you mean? I'm fighting for my country, like you're fighting for your country, yeah, but that's your cousin. Oh, no, north Korea, bad, yeah, I get that, but that's your fucking cousin. And uh. So thankfully, nothing popped off and I wouldn't have to test my theory of you know you will fucking shoot me before you shoot your cousin and um, but yeah, that's that's how fucking 18 year old me thought, um and uh yeah, so we're, we're winding down our quote unquote.

Speaker 1: 53:52

you know, patriotism it's not as in the forefront, like it was in the beginning of the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. So now, are we basically just a society that cycles our patriotism with combat, with a war, with a major event? I think so.

Speaker 2: 54:20

And I also think now you'll have, you'll have those pockets of patriots. You know the three percenters, right, you'll have those, always You'll have. You know you'll have the. You'll have the extreme patriots, patriots, but overall you know you'll have the widely accepted patriot.

Speaker 2: 55:00

I guess I should, I should no no, no, I've got you, I was just yeah no I know, I think we do, and I think it takes events like that, the December 7th, the you know it takes events, like you know. I also think you know it comes around every four years for the Olympics, every four years for the World Cup that you know USA men's don't fucking participate in. Oh, we get a free ride. You know this new World Cup because we're hosts, thank God. But yeah, I think you know I'm, you know I'm a patriot. When, when it comes to you know world sports of that nature, you know I'm not much of a, you know a footballer, soccer for you.

Speaker 1: 55:54

Americans.

Speaker 2: 55:54

Yeah, I'm not much of a footballer, but yeah, I mean, you know it'll get me to. When I'm at B dubs throwing down some wings and it's on, I'll fucking watch. You know what I mean. Like I watch shit like that.

Speaker 1: 56:15

Just you know you're not coming home and searching it out, but if it's on, you'll watch it.

Speaker 2: 56:20

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 56:21

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 56:21

Yeah, I mean running through the channels. I see the women, you know women uh soccer team, because they, they, you know, they kick ass, they kick ass, um. But yeah, uh, I'll watch it. And uh, uh, olympics, huge Olympic guy, um, I, I once uh inspired to to be an Olympian, um, I thought that'd be the coolest shit ever, um and uh. And then I went to uh the army wrestling team and saw what it took to be an Olympian and quickly figured out I don't, I don't have what it takes Um, um. But uh shot out to Dramil buyers Um United States Army Olympian. Um, two-time Olympian world champion, uh, he reached out to uh, reach out to me when we were in Colorado Springs and uh he was out of town, couldn't, couldn't link up. But we, we went to the army team in uh um 95 together. Um, two big old boys.

Speaker 1: 57:36

He definitely had what it took oh yeah, yeah. He, he to be a two-time Olympian and a world champion. Yeah, my man's had something Um.

Speaker 2: 57:45

Sean Lewis, the uh coach of the army team. Uh, again, he, he wrestled back back when I wrestled Um he was I mean, I'm almost screwed up. He was uh a 10-time national champion. I mean he, he's the real deal. Um, uh, yeah, so back, you know, back when I wrestled. There was uh Derek Waltrup, um former army coach, olympian, um, yeah, um. There was, I mean Rodney Smith um an Olympian Olympic bronze medalist.

Speaker 2: 58:29

I want to say yeah, 88, um in Seoul, olympic bronze medalist you know, so yep, um, all those guys out there shout out to him Um, but you know what? What, um, and and some people right have have the, the thought that you know they're not patriots, and uh, and I, I, um, bear the different. You know what I mean.

Speaker 1: 59:03

Like you're representing your country, um and uh, you know well, I mean, if, if you want to say, if you want to say, uh, uh, a fucking Olympian's not a patriot, then explain to me Jesse Owens and the Berlin Olympics right, you know what I mean.

Speaker 1: 59:20

Yeah, well, certainly, and and yeah, I'm, I'm granted they're not facing that level, but they're still out there as a representative of the country doing, quote unquote battle with. You know other countries to be the best and and, uh, you know, bring home, you know the bragging rights of said sport.

Speaker 2: 59:47

Yeah, and uh, yeah, I don't. Um, I don't. Uh, yeah, I don't, I don't think bad about any of them. You know what I mean? Uh, hell, I would. I would definitely trade places with, uh, Dr Mill Byers this, for goddamn sure, because we were both heavyweights, so that's why I say his name. But, um, yeah, I mean it's. It's one of those things where, um, it's, it's funny. Like I saw him, um, in New York City, times Square. Um, I want to say it was before the 08 Olympics and he was administering a PT test. Um, guys, at the, the, the recruiting station in New York city in Times Square is in the middle of the street and, uh, me and the ex-wife was walking down the street and I look over and I'm like I know that motherfucker.

Speaker 2: 1:00:57

And uh, she's like, yeah right, I'm like all right. And uh, uh, so we, we go over there and and you know I yell over there, hey buyers. And he's like big, what's up, hold on, he fucking, he came over and you know he starts telling my wife's stories about.

Speaker 1: 1:01:19

He's like man, you understand this motherfucker, I'm like God damn but.

Speaker 2: 1:01:24

But yeah, I mean um he's like what?

Speaker 2: 1:01:26

man, what you doing here? And I'm like, oh, you know I'm, I just got back from Iraq, you know. He's like, oh shit. I'm like, yeah, I've been there three times, oh shit, you know what I mean. And so much so that he reached out to me. He was like, hey, man, you need to come out here, you know. And I'm like, hey, I just I threw my I think it was around the time I threw my packet in to retire. He's like, well, fuck, come spend your last year out here. And I'm like, man, I can't do that shit anymore.

Speaker 1: 1:01:58

He's like.

Speaker 2: 1:01:58

Yeah, fuck, he's like we got administrative shit you can do out here. I'm like, no, I'm good, but dude, uh, so much so that you know it's. It's funny that I tell a total left hook and link the story and uh, where, where he? Uh, he hit me up and uh, and he says, you know, does, does the phrase I'll shut this motherfucker down mean anything to you? Right, which is a throwback to when I was on the team and one of the uh, um, world class athlete program members, which is an army guy. That's part of the world class athlete program, which is different than all army team. Right, it's a echelon above. Anyways, you know we're rolling and he's doing some, uh, what I perceived as some shady shit on the wrestling mat. He dirty, if you will. And so I explained to him that, yes, you are a better wrestler than me, but I will knock you to fuck out. I mean, and if you, if you don't, if you keep it up, I will shut this motherfucker. And I said it loudly enough for everyone to stop. You know it was the, the um needle on the record moment, right, and everybody looked at me and I was like I don't give a fuck, I like man to man. I'll shut this motherfucker down, dude, so which? Uh? Sean Lewis, which is currently the coach of the army wrestling team I guess he still tells that tail to this day, right, and the day in question Sean told the tail, so he texts me, uh, so anyway, um, which you know, I think I mean, you know, I thought I was a mediocre wrestler on that team, right? Um, um, you know. Again, I do pretty good self assessments. You know I don't bump my chest out, um, or none of that. People in my units that heard I was on the all army team, they thought it was the greatest thing ever.

Speaker 2: 1:04:18

And then dudes that wrestled in high school um, that'd be like I wrestled in high school and then they want to wrestle me in the field quickly figured out that there's levels of this shit and I compare to and I can't think of his name, uh, but everybody will know who. It'll be an equal easy Google that the white dude from the Celtics championship team, redhead guy, can't think of his name off the top of my head. But, um, um, uh, you know, he played with KG and Ray Allen and and Rondo and fucking Paul Pierce and he got a ring. So he, he retires and he goes back to the block and all these dudes he's down at the park playing and all these dudes are fucking saying, man, you, the worst fucking NBA player. He's like yeah, and he's out there waxing them, killing everybody. He's like yes, so understand, you'll never play in the NBA because I'm the fucking worst. And you know, at the end of the day he'd be like, yeah, and I still got a fucking ring. You know what I mean, but I'm the worst in the NBA and I'm fucking drilling your ass. So understand who's fucking levels of this shit, you know.

Speaker 2: 1:05:43

So it was sort of that thing. When you know the, the junk, because I was older than and he's like man, you, you fucking like they looked down at me and be like you fucking wrestled Yep, I did. They're like man, I think I might want. Okay, you want to shot at the title, let's do it. And then they quickly figure out there's levels. There's levels to this shit. But yeah, I wholeheartedly think you know them. Guys are patriots and I think that patriotism come up. You know a lot of people. You turn on the Olympics, everybody has face paint on and they're fucking. You know the tall, fucking Uncle Sam hats and all that shit. So I think world stages like that make people patriots.

Speaker 1: 1:06:39

So now, after having this conversation with you, I have to amend my thought about the Webster's dictionary definition.

Speaker 2: 1:06:48

Okay.

Speaker 1: 1:06:49

So originally I said it was a basic ass cop out definition and now, having had this conversation with you, we have used that word to define so many different ways and opinions of patriotism that it has to be a broad stroke Right Definition. Because you can't, you can, you can pigeonhole your thought on what patriot is based on the circumstance, but that thought might change on a different circumstance, ie, you know, a combat guy versus an Olympian, versus blah blah, blah, blah blah versus blah blah blah. So yes, I will. I will admit that I was very narrow in my thinking and you need to have a very basic definition of the word patriot to be able to fit all of the positive uses of the word.

Speaker 2: 1:07:57

Yeah, and I think. But you can also flip that right. I think there's plenty of patriots out there, people who perceive themselves as patriots, that don't do patriotic shit, or things that I don't perceive as patriotic shit. And you know, yelling at a dude for kneeling on the sideline is one thing, right, right, right, right, wrong or indifferent. Right, you brought up the Bill of Rights and right, wrong, or indifferent, like. You can't scream at a guy for doing what he fucking believes in and then turn around and say, well, I'm going to do what I fucking believe in and you're going to like it. Yeah.

Speaker 1: 1:08:44

My dad and I had a conversation when that happened and he was all up in arms about it and I said, dad, I'm not happy he's doing it, I don't like it, I don't agree with it, but I took an oath. He's exercising his first amendment right. It's not my business.

Speaker 2: 1:09:03

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 1:09:04

Now if the company he works for wants to make a policy that he can't do that as a condition of his employment, that's one thing. But if he's out there exercising a right freedom, I don't have to like it, but it's still his right.

Speaker 2: 1:09:21

Right, Correct, Correct. And you know my some of my biggest takeaways. Since we're talking about patriotism, I mean you know, Colin Kaepernick is a flash point, right, I mean it's. I think it was the, the, the, the um, um, visible start, right now. I'm not naive to think behind the scenes, or wasn't, you know, a divide between patriots and non-patriots or whatever, but it was the first, the public flash point, right, Visible, it was in your face all the fucking time. Right, and you know the people, you know here's the outcry for me. The outcry for me is, in any situation, right, If you're offended for a group of people that you don't fucking belong to, right, oh, you're, you're, you're, you're you're, you're fucking disgracing all the dead Americans who died in combat.

Speaker 2: 1:10:45

Are you a dead American? You know what I mean? No, Are you a veteran? No, Are you a fucking no? Then shut the fuck up. Like, oh, you're doing, like in, in, in the uh, macro, him kneeling has no goddamn effect on my life. Yep, None, None. Now where, where you like, I'm doing this for the betterment of the treatment of black Americans. Bro, I get you, I fuck, I'm with you.

Speaker 2: 1:11:24

And then you stand at a podium with some fucking pig socks on and and and a fucking uh uh Chavez shirt, right, or a human dictator. And you're like bro, you're like I. I'm hearing the words coming out of your fucking mouth, but your wardrobe is throwing me the fuck off. Like you're giving me mixed signals. You're being a fucking hypocrite right now, Like, and I can't, I can't deal with that. Um, so that that was my problem. Like, come out here, say what you want to say, but your clothing is saying something as well, If you know. So, um, but I believe he had the free will and he had the right to do it If, as you said, his employer allows it, right?

Speaker 1: 1:12:32

We've all worked jobs where we weren't allowed to do. You know, being in the military, we can't, in uniform, participate in political rallies and things like that Most are. Freedom of speech is limited based on the employment that we have, because it's a condition of said employment.

Speaker 2: 1:12:48

Yes, um, because when you wear the uniform, you're representing that brand, that company, that whatever, right. So he was in uniform doing this act, right? So that is separate, right, well, you know it's separate from. He has the right to do anything he wants. No, he don't outside of the stadium. If he wants the Neil next to his fucking car, go ahead, no one's stopping you.

Speaker 1: 1:13:26

You. That that's another thing I guess is kind of lost. You your, your freedoms are. You have the freedom to do a particular act, but it does not give you the freedom to not face the repercussions for said act.

Speaker 2: 1:13:44

Oh yeah, yeah, my wife tells me that.

Speaker 1: 1:13:47

Freedom of freedom of speech allows you to come up on the street and call somebody a name, but that doesn't protect him from punching you in the fucking mouth when you say it Right. So, and that's where I will say, he did something that he thought was right.

Speaker 2: 1:14:05

Yeah. Which he faced, the music for which in and itself right by our definition, patriotic right and that's what I was going to say, and he faced the music for it.

Speaker 1: 1:14:18

Yep, you know he's been essentially blackballed from the NFL.

Speaker 2: 1:14:21

He's still paying. He's still paying the toll from that, neil, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1: 1:14:26

Now he, he has, you know, his Nike ad and things like that. You know he has benefited in other ways, right, but he was a football player. He can't play football no more, right. And then, on top of that, he is forever linked to the start of all of that. Yeah, and a large percentage of the population have a very nasty taste in their mouth about him. Yeah, so he's faced the music. Yeah, again, by our definition, we were talking with Snowden. Yeah, I'll talk about Snowden. Was he did something he thought was right and he faced the repercussions for it? Yeah, so by what we've discussed and by what he's done, to a point you would have to say that his act was an act of patriotism for his community.

Speaker 2: 1:15:19

Yes, and, and he's used the platform. Revenue generated from his, his stance on kneeling, right, I know that's right Anoxymoron, but you know, revenue generated from him kneeling, he is put back in the community. So you know now, is there what? What is the? Has there been concrete change? Uh, has there been reform? Has you know what I mean? Um, I know my man, um Michael Jenkins, um former Ohio State, uh, former Philadelphia Eagle bearded brother. Um, you know same same with him. Um, you know my, my problem with um him was he wants reform in this country and I'm waiting Very articulate Um guy, um, and and he articulates what those changes look like. But when he sits at, when he sits at the counter, and he's talking about reform in the United States, wearing, uh, you know, a hat that has the, the, the outline of the continent of Africa, right, the optics, is what's hues it for me Right Now, can he wear that hat? Most certainly, absolutely.

Speaker 1: 1:17:28

Um however, it doesn't attract, for it doesn't attract from the type of man that you believe him to be. Right, right.

Speaker 2: 1:17:36

It's the optics for me. Yeah, Right, Like here we are talking now in the same vein. You know, I don't think you have to dress like Uncle Sam to show your patriotism, Right? That ain't what. That ain't one of it's. It's the optics, Right? Um, so um.

Speaker 1: 1:17:57

I've and and I know where you're going with this because I've had this conversation before Um, if you're an individual in any type of demographic that is trying to get meaningful needed change, the way to do it is to like with this podcast, we try to limit the amount of people that we alienate. Right, because the more people you get behind your message, the the more power and drive you get to get the change that you so desperately seek, and it's usually warranted, right, and? And so to get the the the most people behind you, you have to think about the optics of what you're doing, because you can do something. Ie Pig socks to where you now alienate a huge chunk of the people that you need to be behind your your, your message, because you can't do it by yourself.

Speaker 2: 1:19:01

It's like the time when um AOC wore a tax the rich dress to a gala. Right Now, you may, you may concur with tax the rich, right, Right, but the optics is she's wearing a $10,000 gown or more at a $10,000 a plate gala.

Speaker 1: 1:19:37

You're who you? Oh, and, by the way, she probably got all of those as gifts.

Speaker 2: 1:19:44

Right, right. I mean yeah, to say you know, to say who the, but that's what I'm saying.

Speaker 1: 1:19:50

The optics.

Speaker 2: 1:19:51

The optics of it is how, how many you know, and, and those people out there were like oh, tax the rich. Ha ha ha. Let's see how many dollars a plate that gala is.

Speaker 1: 1:20:04

And now she'd have been outside the gala and a pair of blue jeans and a t-shirt with a sign that said tax the rich. Yeah, Now the optics, you know now we can get with you.

Speaker 2: 1:20:15

Yeah, um, now we can get with you, which you know like um, when, when, when you know politicians say that right, say you know when Bernie said that we're going to tax the rich, bro, have you seen your motherfucking bank account? Yeah, I mean, biden says it all the time Like, bro, have you seen your shit? Yeah, I see my shit, but my shit ain't Trump's shit. I'm talking about Trump's shit. I'm talking, you know. I'm like, oh, you know what I mean.

Speaker 1: 1:20:54

You want to tax the rich. That aren't you Right?

Speaker 2: 1:20:57

Like um, you know, politicians make $230,000 a year and all of them motherfuckers have millions. Yeah, the only ones that don't are the fucking freshmen trying to get there. Yeah.

Speaker 1: 1:21:12

I've said before that, um one, I've seen it somewhere and I can't remember where I saw it, but you should. A politician should have to wear jackets with all of their sponsors, like NASCAR, so you know who owns them, but the other, Bobby. The other thing is that the only way you're going to fix that problem because Truman said it best you can't get rich in politics, or what is it? You, you shouldn't, and we fuck up? Oh, yeah, we do. Truman had a saying that was kind of like uh, you can only get rich in politics if you're being crooked or something along those lines. Man, I'll fuck it up. I know I get it. We, we, yeah, we. We fucked that one up.

Speaker 2: 1:21:54

We fucked up. Quotes on this mother.

Speaker 1: 1:21:56

Hey, but at least we attribute them to a person. Yeah, yeah, um, and don't look them up. Yeah, you can Google Truman politics rich and you'll find it. I could probably do it right now, but you're fucking.

Speaker 2: 1:22:11

an unwanted ad will pop up on you, yeah.

Speaker 1: 1:22:13

But, um, if you limit, you put actual term limits on these people so that they can't be in Congress for 45 fucking years. Companies it's no longer lucrative for companies to own them because they can't do meaningful long-term investments in those politicians to get the things that they want. Um, but yeah, it's, it's Politicians I think are a great example of. We hear the words that are coming out of your mouth, but the optics are losing it on us to, and I would. I would be very hesitant to use the word patriot to describe the overwhelming majority of politicians.

Speaker 2: 1:23:06

Yeah, and I think I think they might all 90% of them get in there because of patriotism and then it quickly.

Speaker 1: 1:23:17

Oh.

Speaker 2: 1:23:18

I can do that.

Speaker 1: 1:23:20

Oh, because usually the ones that get in there and don't want to be part of that, don't want to be a cog of that machine, but they want to affect change. They do not last long. They don't last long.

Speaker 2: 1:23:32

They, they, uh, they get eaten from inside.

Speaker 1: 1:23:35

Um, they either leave or they get assimilated like the Borg star Trek reference. Oh, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2: 1:23:42

Um, not, my thing, um not mine either.

Speaker 1: 1:23:44

I'm a Star Wars nerd.

Speaker 2: 1:23:46

Um, but you know, on off of off of the Kaepernick situation, I think it bred you know, especially on the internet. It bred a lot of Patriots Right and that's where I think that's where the word Started to skew you started becoming a dirty word, yeah.

Speaker 2: 1:24:14

Um and uh, you know which. You know I tell people, um, I am unapologetically American, um, with all the warts, with all the, you know, it's one of those things where, um, um, you know, when you love somebody, it's unconditional, right, like I don't. I try to teach the six year old because she's like if you don't buy me this, I'm not going to like you, and I'm like well, if that's the only reason you're going to like me, I don't want you're liking, right, um, and I treat you know, I love this country unconditionally. Um and uh, I love this country unconditionally.

Speaker 1: 1:24:58

And, um and and. When we say country, we mean the country and the ideals that it stands for. We do not love this government unconditionally, oh, most certainly. We love the country like a dog loves its owner.

Speaker 2: 1:25:12

Yeah and and uh, so much so that you know, um, I want to see every bit of it. I want to get out on my motorcycle and ride every inch of this motherfucker from 14,000 feet up above Colorado to, you know, to the, down to the oceans, and, and you know, how many times have we gone somewhere and been in absolute awe of the view and looked at each other and goes?

Speaker 1: 1:25:40

this is why we enlisted right.

Speaker 2: 1:25:42

And, and you know that's why we do it on. You know, uh, every year, on the Memorial Day ride, I'm like I want to show you as much, as much of the area as I can, and so you understand what you know, these, these men and women died for, and, uh, yeah, I mean it's.

Speaker 2: 1:26:02

It's one of those, and I think the ugly side of patriotism has come to the forefront. Um, and and recent years, um, you know, and that is unfortunate, and you know now everyone, you know who's I'm. I am for public protest, I'm for it. It's in our constitution, you know, I'm for it. Now, riding different. There's a difference, right, not for riding. However, not to be a hypocrite, I have destroyed public property in my day. So, not to be a hypocrite, but you know, um, there's again optics. Right, you want change, get it. You need change, you deserve change. Whatever the case may be, you deserve change. Busting my fucking window is not the way to get. Matter of fact, you're going to get the opposite effect. Um, because now you're, You're going to make an ally Into a, a enemy quicker by busting my fucking window.

Speaker 1: 1:27:35

Yeah, so I guess I guess really what that boils down to is the optics Of being a patriot. It changes with the times.

Speaker 2: 1:27:46

But it goes both ways, right? Um, the same people. I will. I will argue with you. Right, the same people who says that calling capper nick should be hung For kneeling on the sideline is the same people who fly a fucking tattered american flag in the back of their fucking trucks. Yep, same people. It's the same person. And let me tell you, I just sat here and called what calling capper nick did patriotic, right On the face of it, right patriotic. If you have a fucking tattered flag on your pole, right, it was patriotic to put the flag up. Now that it's 10 years later, or Some of these flags out there, holy shit, it's unpatriotic to leave that motherfucker up.

Speaker 1: 1:28:47

Yeah, there is a us flag code.

Speaker 2: 1:28:49

There is and and uh, so there's. There's more Patriots, right, and I'm using air quotes. There's more patriots Disrespecting the flag, then people who burn the motherfucker, and I, I, I'm okay, I Maybe not, okay, right.

Speaker 1: 1:29:16

I don't think you accept.

Speaker 2: 1:29:17

I accept there. Thank you, I accept. People burning the flag Right. Accept it right. Freedom of expression first, amendment right Burn the flag right Until there's a law that says you can't burn the flag. Burn the fucking flag.

Speaker 1: 1:29:36

Um, I'm not gonna stand there and be part of your demonstration.

Speaker 2: 1:29:40

Yes, but if you bought the fucking like, if you bought the flag, you brought the flag here. I'm gonna burn the flag. Burn, cool, yes, do, do I like it? No, right, is it my? Is that one my flag? Nope, I have flags. Now you come burn my flag. It's different. You got to deal with me. Like you said, there's consequences. Yeah, right, you have to deal with me. However, the, the, the amount of people out there that think they are patriots, riding around in in their shitbox Chevy's With fucking the american flag, uh, three shades of black, um, tattered has has like 11 stripes on it. No, you, you are doing more harm To the word patriotic then calling cavernet can ever do.

Speaker 2: 1:30:43

Yeah um Around in your houses. You know, my brother-in-law hit. I'm like, bro, you need me to go buy you a new flag. He's like, no, why? I'm like because that fucking flag, um, the color ran out of that flag like two years ago. And, to his credit, he like he ran out and got a new flag. But, like man, I'll go buy you one, um.

Speaker 1: 1:31:06

But yeah, I mean, and for like some people like that, they just don't think about it. But your brother-in-law is also not running around beating his chest.

Speaker 2: 1:31:15

I'm an american patriot right, yeah, yeah and uh, but I'm like, hey, it's time, you know it's time. Um, but yeah, there's, there's ways to discard of the flag. You know you can roll it up in a ball, take it down to the vfw, you know. You know they'll handle it for you. You know how they handle it. They burn it. They burn the flag, Right. So you know they cut the stars away from the stripes and then they burn the thing. So you know which is in our flag code.

Speaker 1: 1:31:50

So you know that's as an appropriate way to dispose of the flag. Okay.

Speaker 2: 1:31:55

Yes, so, um, yeah, so I mean now. Granted, I'm the first one People, people would say how I show my patriotism Is offensive, right, because I have stars and stripes, booty shorts, you know, they're like you're putting a flag on your ass right. First of all, you can't make um Garments out of the flag, so you're wrong. That's in the flag code. First of all, motherfucker, read the five print. You can't make garments out of the flag.

Speaker 1: 1:32:37

You can make garments that are colored like the flag that rep is yes, that are representations of the flag.

Speaker 2: 1:32:46

You cannot Cut a hole in the top of the fucking flag like john rambo, throw that shit over your neck Like a fucking poncho and and wrap it. You know, wrap a fucking piece of twine around you to keep you warm. You can't do it. Can't do that. Fuck those people too. Oh, you're, you're fucking. Whatever, shut up, you're stupid. You're stupid. You know. I mean like you're gonna come at me with your fucking facts. Be right.

Speaker 1: 1:33:21

So you're really animated about that one. How many times does someone come up and said that to you, bro? Because you got a little too like like, yeah, there's some trauma there.

Speaker 2: 1:33:34

No, no trauma ain't no trauma because I'm armed with facts Right. I'm armed with fucking facts right, because you know when you're six foot four and you're bearded and you're, you know, caucasian. Oh, you pasty yes um, people automatically assume Right, right, wrong or indifferent. They automatically assume I'm one of those people yeah, right and oh. By the way, saturday, um, I had, you know, started stripes, bibs on, just rocking them shits.

Speaker 1: 1:34:09

Um, so, with the, with the socks with the fucking starting stripe socks Um and then I got. I got a text for my son what the fuck is steve wearing?

Speaker 2: 1:34:20

Yeah, and then, which is funny, because your dad chuckles like what are you wearing for her? Her right. But then the link puts a post of a dude during a dance what a speedo on. That starts in stripes and I'm like I'd rock that motherfucker, which I would, and your dad's like, so would I. I'm like, but would you? But you're laughing at my fucking bib over all's.

Speaker 1: 1:34:46

But this is the same man, though, that traumatizes my neighbors because he walks into my house From his tiny home out back in a pair of shorts, no shirt on his black socks pulled up to his knees and his fucking jesus sandals. Yeah, yeah, you've seen it out in colorado, so you know.

Speaker 2: 1:35:08

We'll see oh fuck.

Speaker 2: 1:35:11

Yeah, um, but yeah, I mean, I think, um, I carried, um, I carried a small flag handkerchief in my helmet In oh, if one Um, then we went to the Mitch helmets and he couldn't put nothing under there, so it went in and went into my Iba, but I carried it with me for four deployments, this small handkerchief. Um, you know, um, we, we had the honor to fold a flag for a gentleman Um, over in student. You know, when a brother and a CVMA reaches out from Texas and says, hey, here's the deal, um, we, we can only get the uh cemetery for this time. The vfw Said they can only send guys after the closing of the cemetery and if we have them, keep the cemetery open and it'll be another, you know, thousand bucks or whatever Thing it was.

Speaker 2: 1:36:39

So he reached out to me. He's like, hey, you know, I don't know how far you guys are from studentville and we were two hours or two hours from studentville, um, would you guys, you know, go over there and do it? Most certainly, and we did. And, uh, you know now, you know, me, me and shon were standing in a parking lot Over in studentville, you know, uh, rehearsing Um, I think it's been a long time, as I did colored card.

Speaker 2: 1:37:07

It's. I mean, yeah, it's one of those things where, you know, he, he called me on a? Uh on wednesday or something for the funeral on saturday. You know, and uh, I was like, and me and shon, we live 45 minutes away, so I'm like, hey, let's just show up early and let's do it, and it'll be fresh, you know, it'll be fresh in our minds, and uh. So you know, we did a two-man fold and and we knocked it out and and uh, that, you know it's, it's that, that's what the flag means to me, that's.

Speaker 2: 1:37:43

You know, um, I don't, I don't hide my patriotism, um, but I don't shove it in anybody's faces, um, I don't expect anyone to be as patriotic as I am, um, and if you're not, I don't, you know, I don't Look down on you, um, you know, I mean um, not everybody's gonna buy patriotic socks, let alone wear patriotic socks, you know, I mean, and I wear them all the fucking time, um, um, yeah, so you know, I have a, um, a flag rag. I hang out in my back pocket, um, all the time when I'm on my bike, you know, um, and I use it. I wipe my bra, you know, I mean like it's all these, all these, um, you know I treat patriotic Symbols as that. It's a patriotic symbol. I don't wipe my brow on the flag, um, or whatever. Um, I have a flag that flies at my house, um, with a powm. I a flag, um, that that's what I'm talking about.

Speaker 2: 1:39:06

Every, every friday, if you go to um, uh, 12-6 Um, combat veterans motorcycle association 12-6 public page on facebook, every friday you'll see an american flag. A lot of those are pictures that we take Throughout our, our travels. You know, that's just. You know, um, and let me tell you the amount of patriotism, the amount of american flags, not just, you know, um, it was july 4th recently, right Um, yeah, the, the amount of patriotism Of on holidays like this, holidays like memorial day and veterans day and things of that nature. You know that's when you know, yeah, it's easy to be a patriot for a day. See, being patriotic, uh should be a, you know 24 7365 task and uh, and I think, if you know, somehow we need to bring meaning Back to the word, because you know, the word hero, that shit's washed out. Yeah, the word racist, that shit is washed out. Every if Everybody's a fucking hero and everybody's a fucking racist, and everybody, if everybody's a patriot.

Speaker 1: 1:40:43

Well then, you're also a racist, and you're also, you know yeah, the we've gotten to a point in society where words are Words are. Too many people Treat words as an actual weapon and too many people have watered words down to where they don't mean anything anymore. So if a word doesn't mean anything anymore, how can it be weaponized? So I don't know that, that's a conversation for another time, right, yeah, but but I I honestly I agree with you that the being positive qualities of patriotism should be something that every citizen, even if you don't outwardly display it it, should be part of your, your, your, um, I don't know like who you are.

Speaker 2: 1:41:38

Yeah, you know well, and you'll have those out there. You know, because we're a um, you know double-sided acts type show, right, we, we get both sides. I mean, there's people out there we're like this country ain't done shit for me, why should I do shit for it?

Speaker 1: 1:41:58

And which I go back to my unconditional love, right um, and in that aspect because I've had people say that to me before I'm like this country's actually done a lot for you. The government hasn't done shit. Yeah and and right because you being born into this country enables you to stand up and say Fuck this country, because they ain't done shit for me, right? Because you say that shit in china and you no longer exist, right and yeah, and so I mean it's.

Speaker 2: 1:42:35

It's one of those things where, um, people think the worst Because they're told they're getting the worst, you know, and it's like mental health, man, you gotta, you gotta, make your own way. Yep, you gotta make. You know, I feel I broke my fucking neck for this country, right? And a war that no one fucking likes. And now that most of the truth is out, we, we probably shouldn't been there anyways. So, uh, was it worth it? I, I don't know. However, I did what I thought was right At the time I was doing it. I got injured doing it. I have no regrets and I don't blame my country again. The country is great. It's the people who fucked that shit up. Yeah, and you can say that about your job. You can say that about whatever anything. Just look at it for face value, right? Um, it's, it's pretty good. It's pretty good, right? People's like, ah, the army fucking sucks. No, it don't. Army's great institution.

Speaker 1: 1:44:02

The people in the army suck.

Speaker 2: 1:44:04

Which brings us.

Speaker 1: 1:44:07

With segways us into today's episode.

Speaker 2: 1:44:13

Fuck that guy, fuck that guy.

Speaker 1: 1:44:15

Yeah, so this, this, this individual you're about to be introduced to, is the whole reason that the fuck that guy segment came about. Um, so now we have, we are going to introduce the listening populace to one of the biggest pieces of shit Command sergeant majors that you will ever have the pleasure of hearing about.

Speaker 2: 1:44:41

Uh, let me, let me, let me find this cat.

Speaker 1: 1:44:44

Uh, because he just Did you lose him I? Did it's sergeant major Compton yes command sergeant major jeremy Compton four poke four poke, 45 years old um, he was command serge major of uh, was it the 46th engineer battalion? Yeah, fucking engineers.

Speaker 2: 1:45:07

God damn it.

Speaker 1: 1:45:08

Let me find this cat. It came to light that command sergeant, major Compton. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, private Compton private Compton um. While he was in the position of command, sergeant major was found to be in the position of kitty porn. Uh, was it um distributing photo, lewd photos of himself in uniform Committing adultery and by having sex with an individual that was not his spouse. I think that was all of them, right.

Speaker 2: 1:45:43

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 1:45:45

Uh pled guilty was part of the plea agreement, was? He only served 20 months confinement, uh, but was busted down to the rank of e1 and dishonorably discharged, which Well deserved. I probably would have given him more time, but that motherfucker definitely needed to be busted down to e1 and booted dishonorably. You're a command sergeant major Like. If this would have been one of your fucking staff sergeants or one of your specialists, you would have fucking hammered them, you would have thrown the book at them. You're a fucking command sergeant major like. You're supposed to be the creme de la creme. Like you are supposed to be the epitome of what every enlisted man and woman should strive to be. And you're out there with fucking underage porn, showing nude photos of yourself in uniform and banging somebody that wasn't your spouse. Like what the fuck are you doing?

Speaker 2: 1:46:52

Come on, yeah, I mean um, it's, it's the um. To me it's the kiddie porn, like you know, uh, I get, I get the cheating shit, I get the. I mean at at a certain, at a certain point. You know you, you have to, you have to keep your business out the street, right, right, and you have to, uh, um we've all.

Speaker 1: 1:47:24

We've all, not we all. There is a large majority of us that have stepped out of our marriages. Unfortunately for that cat, it got tacked into all the other charges because that is against the uniform code of military justice. Yes, um, and it's just not good order and discipline to be doing nude photos of yourself in your uniform On top of. If that would have been a litany of other individuals, the hammer would have been dropped on them. But like you said, the, the anchor that brings him down to the lowest of the low is the kiddie porn like.

Speaker 2: 1:48:09

I mean yeah, because the the um. Yeah, I mean it's man, fuck that guy.

Speaker 1: 1:48:17

Yeah, and the nutsack on this motherfucker to think he could do it Like yeah. And then, secondary to that, the commander Of said engineer battalion I think he was a lieutenant colonel depraio, and, and, and the stars and stripes article clearly points that these incidents were unrelated. He's facing a court marshal for Uh, was it?

Speaker 1: 1:48:47

inappropriate Relations sexual, sexual contact, um, something with a subordinate, like, like, not menacing, but like um, and then two counts of a conduct, unbecoming, like. I get that the two incidences are unrelated. But but guess what it's showing? It's showing a pattern of command sergeant majors and commanders, individuals in power, thinking they can do whatever the fuck they want because nothing's gonna happen to them, like and I can't remember the cat's name Uh, angry cops youtube channel got great stuff. He really brings out a lot of these military stories in the backgrounds on them did one on a captain who motor boated an nco when he pinned her stripes on, motor boated a fucking nco during a promotion ceremony and was able to leave with his rank and his retirement. Excuse me, yeah, I mean, these are the people that make the army suck.

Speaker 2: 1:50:08

Yeah and uh, which you know In. Yeah, I mean.

Speaker 1: 1:50:15

If you're a command sergeant, major, or a commander, or a fucking platoon sergeant, a squad leader, uh, whatever you are, if you are in a position of responsibility and leadership, fucking lead by example, like it's that simple, yeah, so um.

Speaker 2: 1:50:35

Yeah, so, um, do right or we'll find you. Yep, and you'll be on the next installment of fuck that guy.

Speaker 1: 1:50:44

Fuck that guy until next time.