Recent comments in /f/pics

sfan27 t1_ixzxz61 wrote

Reply to comment by spidermom4 in Don't disagree by Slvmoon

I did the same thing, but for my wife. She gets pretty bad seasonal affective disorder, and on top of that had a shitty couple of months at work and health-wise. I surprised her by putting up so the lights while she was at work 2 weeks ago. It was the best decision; looking at the lights really helped her SAD, and multiple dog walking neighbors commented to me while I was doing some yard work how much they enjoyed seeing them (our house is very visible entering the neighborhood).

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redtopquark1 t1_ixzx5qw wrote

Reply to Don't disagree by Slvmoon

Went to the store for Halloween candy in mid-October and they’d already transitioned to Christmas candy/decor. It’s beyond ridiculous at this point.

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its_not_you_its_ye t1_ixzwszz wrote

Reply to comment by Arachnid_Lazy in Don't disagree by Slvmoon

[obligatory pointing out that there’s a significant variance in culture throughout the country]

But, there’s a bizarre conflation among many US Christians between military service and their religious belief. I literally tuned in to a Christian radio channel yesterday that was talking about a soldier that was killed in Afghanistan, and how his death was God’s calling for him and a testament of his faith to all who heard his story.

The mentality itself is very much a product of the Cold War era; while the Soviets were opposed to many forms of religion, the rhetoric in the US conflated religious belief with patriotism, since the US was the major opposition to the USSR. In the years since the fall of the USSR, many parts of the US have shifted away from that mindset, however, that has further entrenched many of those who still hold onto those beliefs.

Even among many non-religious, though, there’s still a holdover of a sense of a “higher duty” to appreciate the service of veterans. Essentially, because they were seen as a modern martyr. Ironically, there are many veterans who resent this, though, and see it as inappropriate glorification.

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