Everyone is entitled to ‘em.
Even stupid people.
Concerned readers will note that while round trip tickets to Darwin can be had for a little over $2000, a one-way ticket will only set you back around $1400.
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OpinionsBy lex, on January 7th, 2010
19 comments to Opinions |
Targets of Opportunityblog advertising is good for you Credo"Sign on, young man, and sail with me. The stature of our homeland is no more than the measure of ourselves. Our job is to keep her free. Our will is to keep the torch of freedom burning for all. To this solemn purpose we call on the young, the brave, the strong, and the free. Heed my call, Come to the sea. Come Sail with me." -- John Paul Jones "Pardon him, Theodotus; he is a barbarian, and thinks that the customs of his tribe and island are the laws of nature" --George Bernard Shaw, "Caesar and Cleopatra" "And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music."--Friedrich Nietzsche "A kind Providence has placed in our breasts a hatred of the unjust and cruel, in order that we may preserve ourselves from cruelty and injustice. They who bear cruelty, are accomplices in it. The pretended gentleness which excludes that charitable rancour, produces an indifference which is half an approbation. They never will love where they ought to love, who do not hate where they ought to hate."--Edmund Burke “You say that it is your custom to burn widows. Very well. We also have a custom: when men burn a woman alive, we tie a rope around their necks and we hang them. Build your funeral pyre; beside it, my carpenters will build a gallows. You may follow your custom. And then we will follow ours.”--General Sir Charles Napier "Μολὼν λαβέ" -- Leonidas "Blogito Ergo Sum" -- Neptunus Lex Amazon AssociateFor the Effort!Winnar! Subscribe CategoriesPagesTagsacademy
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Were I not married I suppose I would look at this story, then look at the 82.5 days of leave I have on the books, then back at this story and formulate COA1 – no COA 2 being required.
While his opinions are no doubt out of step with today’s society – and certainly within the Marine Corps culture – it’s not as though modesty isn’t a Christian value, though it’s largely ignored in this day and age.
For those who think it’s ok, let me ask you one question:
Do you have a daughter?
If the answer is yes, let me ask you another:
Would you want her going to a nightclub with a bunch of Marines dressed in a skimpy outfit? Why or why not?
Lex, I’m actually somewhat disappointed – you being a father of two beautiful teen girls at the moment – that you would call this Marine “stupid” for having the stones to voice a set of values that are probably more in line with your own morals than you’d like to admit. Or maybe I’m just stupid as well…
Well, I was just having a bit of fun with a favorite topic (Oz). Although I do question how we’d react if a military officer from an ostensibly more conservative culture – pick one – told us that our ladies were dressed immodestly.
I’d be quite happy to talk to my daughters about their standard of dress – have, sometimes fruitlessly. I don’t know that I’d take it upon myself to lecture other father’s daughters about their clothing, and would take it hard if they did so to mine.
Guests should remember the responsibilities of guests.
I take your point. I wondered whether your objection was to the opinion he was expressing or the manner in which he was doing it.
I’ve only ever expressed my views on the subject to others a mere handful of times – the last being when I was a 1stLt and was out with several others on a Friday night. At one point they all decided to go to a strip club, and as I was riding with them, there was no way for me to decline. Once there, I refused to go inside, stating that I couldn’t in good conscience watch someone else’s wife/mother/sister/daughter take their clothes off while knowing that I wouldn’t want anyone to watch my close relatives do the same. I sat in the car for about 30 minutes until they all came back out a bit more subdued than when they went in.
I agree: If I set down at someone elses table to share supper having acccepted their invitation to dine with them, it is not my place to comment rudely about their home, their family or the food. I will and have eaten things I would never eat. It’s about manners. The good Captain of Marines should have simply shut his damn mouth and not take liberty in Oz again if it upset him that badly. I guarantee you the members of his company weren’t the least bit worried about the ladies dress code.
Actually, I’d say to that military officer, as long as he made his comments with some degree of respect and didn’t use it as an all-out attack on Western civilization, that I agree. I do think that alot of Western women dress in a far too revealing manner. Like it or not, alot of problems we worry about, teenage pregnancy, divorce, pornography, abortion, etc., are driven to a certain degree by how people dress and act in public (not just women). I don’t think it unreasonable to say that the sex act has been cheapened to a frightening degree in our culture, and dressing in a highly revealing manner both stems from that and increases that cheapening. Men do it too, though generally it’s viewed with less approbiation (I’m not saying that’s right, either).
I have five daughters. They wear long skirts and conservative blouses (well, the oldest is 10!) and they say they like it. But, then, they’ve been raised to be modest. I think it would benefit our culture to add some modesty in the way alot of people dress, and conduct themselves in public.
I think in free countries, which the US and Australia still are, to a certain degree, people have the right to speak their minds. That’s a beautiful thing, which I would remind the notional Saudi of if he called my daughters names for not wearing a burqa. And, if I had to make the choice between a restraint-free Western culture and the theocratic culture of some countries, I’d stay where I am, thank you. But that doesn’t change the fact that I think that we would be better served with more modesty in our public dress.
Actually, I agree with the major.
I visited Sydney and up to Forster-Tuncurry about 14 months ago, I didn’t notice any clothing issues with the local ladies. Maybe Darwin has other deals going on, tourists and all that. Everyone I saw was tastefully attired, though it was early spring.
This applies to so many more women than the ones in Darwin. You should see how they dress where I work – at a Fortune 100 corporation.
Speaking as a woman who has some self-respect, my philosophy about work attire is: if you are going to wear it to go clubbing with your friends, it’s a safe bet it’s not appropriate for work.
Which makes me wonder what these women wear to go clubbing. Because they aren’t leaving anything to the imagine at the office either.
I read this and I’m thinking maybe this could be one smart Captain. Next times the Marines pull in – wooo-hoooo, there is gonna be a bounty of scantily clad ladies. The Corps may well be thanking this Captain far into the future.
Darwin isn’t quite Sydney (or Melbourne)
That said, as a guest writing a letter to the newspaper bagging the locals that were kind enough to welcome him is poor form.
He is more than welcome to not set foot upon our shores again.
Sim: Are you actually Aussie? ‘Cause I didn’t think he was doing what you say he was doing. Firstly, The ‘locals’ weren’t welcoming him… as with all international passage, this was dealt with at the governmental level, not the community. The fact that I can travel to Australia does not mean the locals welcome me – far from it, as I’ve heard my fair share of ‘go back home, Chink!’ Secondly, no Aussie I know would be so thin-skinned (or would fire back with somewhat… saltier language than simply ‘don’t come back, mate’. Thirdly, free speech, buddy. Are you saying he’s not entitled to it? Then Aussies had better not say too much about, say, the TSA when they fly into the States, eh?
Gregory-
Yes, I am an Aussie.
Secondly, anyone that yelled ‘go home chink’ at you is a poor reflection on us, and not representative of the prevailing view (and probably has an IQ somewhat south of 100).
Thirdly, the language would have been a little saltier however standard between here and the US are a little different, and on this site. Hence I try to stay away from that sort of thing.
Lastly, yes, he is entitled to voice his opinion, as I am entitled to regard doing such as poor form. Note I do not bag the TSA or America, I simply choose not to travel there when in the past it has resulted in me running through JFK holding my pants up with one hand, shoes and belt in the other just to make a plane.
maybe he’s only ever lived in Minnesota. Or something.
To my way of thinking it is best not write a letter to the editor and sign it with one’s rank and service.
It should be about the ideas expressed and your ability to express them.
Oz is a land of beautiful girls of all ages. On that I think most will agree.
Tropical Monsoonal Darwin can cause anyone to ‘go troppo’. ‘Sim’ I woulda liked to have been a fly on the terminal wall for your planewards dash. Don’t keep us in suspenders. Didya make it?
I think CPT Campbell may be dangerously close to violating the latter half of “don’t ask, don’t tell”. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Just sayin’.
Seems to me the Capt was just offering some good marketing advice. Leaving a bit to the imagination and all that…
Spaz-
I did! Despite the best efforts of the TSA.