"This is starting to wear me thin" That thought has crossed my mind quite a few times on this, my last, deployment. Granted being 27 and feeling almost 40 doesn't help but its not the age difference between myself and most of the marines around me which, in quite a few cases, is almost a decade. No its the lack of respect Not so much for me, altho that can be at times aggravating, but I have come to expect it from most of a younger generation raised in this modern style of 30 second commercials and role models the likes of the cast of "jersey shore". A show that i have not watched but am still offended by being of italian heritage. No it is not these things that cut so deep. It's the lack of respect to deference. People who look, act, love, live different than they do. Because if its different it must be wrong. If you are not like me your less than i am. It is that kind of mindset that is so devastating to a society. The most heartbreaking is the lack of respect towards women. The way these young men view women as objects instead of the beautiful, intelligent and wonderful creatures that they are erodes my faith in humanity.
The thought that if a woman doesn't conform to the standards of history that she is, in fact, doing something wrong. This is not only a tearable waste of strength in our collective ability as a species it is more so a tragedy and a crime against our humanity. What makes us so superior in our own eyes is the same self respect and self awareness that we don't show towards each other. This lack of ability or willingness to not only except but embrace both sides of our gender is critical to our ability to overcome the oppression of not only women but of all differences of race, creed, sexual orientation and social status.
In all truth beauty is in the eye of the beholder but true beauty can be found in the eyes of a determined woman where elegance and grace meet shear force of will. That is the woman i hope to find. That is the woman i hope to marry and it is that woman who i will have the pleasure of raising young girls to not fear what boys think of who they "should" be and to become more than the world thought they could. It is in the arms of a strong mother that young children will learn to be independent but not distant, capable but not resentful and able to love, without reservation, there spouse and there children.
In closing i want to say thank you. Thank you to the beautiful and unique women that are not afraid to express themselves to the world. I promise you that i will never turn you away or not support you in all your endeavors because when all is said and done i gave this portion of my life to my country, yes, but more so i gave it to you so that you may be more than what you are today that you may speak out and rase your voice, be heard. Express, express your love, your life, your dreams your hopes on your skin, through your words and in your actions. Because the strongest among you does not wear a crown, he is not rich, they are not politicians, lawyers, policy makers. It is you the one not afraid to stand alone for what you believe, to start a revolution. You are the future and it is our differences that make us strong.
The thought that if a woman doesn't conform to the standards of history that she is, in fact, doing something wrong. This is not only a tearable waste of strength in our collective ability as a species it is more so a tragedy and a crime against our humanity. What makes us so superior in our own eyes is the same self respect and self awareness that we don't show towards each other. This lack of ability or willingness to not only except but embrace both sides of our gender is critical to our ability to overcome the oppression of not only women but of all differences of race, creed, sexual orientation and social status.
In all truth beauty is in the eye of the beholder but true beauty can be found in the eyes of a determined woman where elegance and grace meet shear force of will. That is the woman i hope to find. That is the woman i hope to marry and it is that woman who i will have the pleasure of raising young girls to not fear what boys think of who they "should" be and to become more than the world thought they could. It is in the arms of a strong mother that young children will learn to be independent but not distant, capable but not resentful and able to love, without reservation, there spouse and there children.
In closing i want to say thank you. Thank you to the beautiful and unique women that are not afraid to express themselves to the world. I promise you that i will never turn you away or not support you in all your endeavors because when all is said and done i gave this portion of my life to my country, yes, but more so i gave it to you so that you may be more than what you are today that you may speak out and rase your voice, be heard. Express, express your love, your life, your dreams your hopes on your skin, through your words and in your actions. Because the strongest among you does not wear a crown, he is not rich, they are not politicians, lawyers, policy makers. It is you the one not afraid to stand alone for what you believe, to start a revolution. You are the future and it is our differences that make us strong.
I may be Canadian but I appreciate your service as much as I do of the Canadian Forces in my own country.