Not everything is about the military: quit trying to make it that way

Look, I am not trying to make waves or be disrespectful here. I come from a family with a long history of military service. From my brother and father to numerous uncles and grandparents, my family has proudly served this country, and I was raised to always be respectful of our service members. Having said that, I have also learned that using the military to make yourself look better or to score "patriotic points" comes across as disrespectful. The most important thing to realize is this: not everything is about the military, and we need to stop trying to make it so.

Yesterday was a tragic day for many. The world lost an icon and hero for many; for kids like me that grew up shouting his name any time we shot any object in to any object we could use a basket, learning about the death of Kobe Bryant was like a punch to the gut. I didn't grow up in the Jordan era, nor did I get to see the days of Magic and Larry. For me, Kobe was our star, our hero, and our idol. His skill, drive, and Mamba Mentality left an impression on us that can never be forgotten. There will never be another like him; the world lost a hero and more importantly, a family lost their father and husband.

The Grammy's paid tribute to Kobe

Understandably, people all over the world, from celebrities and presidents to my friends from college, mourned over the loss of such an iconic figure. However, right in the middle of all the outpouring of grief and support, I saw a viral post that instantly pissed me off. This post stated (and I am paraphrasing),

"While it is sad that the world lost Kobe Bryant, let's not forget our service members that are lost and never mentioned...."

Ummm, what!?

Nobody forgets about our service members that are lost, and nobody believes that Kobe is infinitely more important than the military. How the hell are they even related? Kobe was an international icon; of course his death is going to garner a ton of attention. That does not mean that anyone forgets that service members die, nor does it mean that no one cares that they pass. People are simply grieving over the loss of someone they admired.

We do not need to insert the military in every discussion just to say, "Look how patriotic I am." I have seen this same tactic before. I remember seeing articles detailing the large contract that a professional athlete had signed. Without fail, what do I see on Facebook? "Think how sad it is that (insert name here) is making millions throwing a ball while our service men and women are only making this..." Look, we get it: the military members are underpaid. So are nurses, police officers, teachers, and firefighters. The two are not related. Athletes can be paid while still fighting for better pay for our public servants. If you are that concerned about athletes making too much money, turn off the TV. All professional leagues make money on TV deals and advertisement contracts; if you want them to make less, quit watching.

This is the same as when the TV covers events like the Grammys or the Oscars. I am sure I have seen on social media at some point, "(Celebrity) gets awarded for doing their job, but where is the recognition for our military members." Seriously, just stop. They are not related, so quit trying to make it that way. Think of the Colin Kaepernick debate. Yes, you are entitled to your opinion about what he did. But Colin himself said that the military had nothing to do with his protest. Quite specifically, he spoke to military members about the best way to prove his point without disrespecting them. He took a knee to protest the country's treatment of black people; he essentially stated that he was protesting how individuals were treated in a country that some of those people worked hard to protect. Whether you agree with his stance or not, he didn't bring the military in to the debate; other people brought the military in to it.

Kaepernick began kneeling to protest police brutality

Our military members deserve our respect for their service and their sacrifice. If you can donate to the Wounded Warriors Project or even take a second to thank a service member, that's great. They deserve it all. But, quit bringing the military in to a topic that has nothing to do with them. Kobe is allowed to be mourned as a hero to us all, and actors are allowed to be rewarded for their talents. Athletes can make all the money that is being thrown at them, and people are allowed to protest peacefully. Not everything is related to the military. Trust me, it looks a hell of lot more disrespectful using the military for "Look at me. I am so patriotic!" points than it does to just let people have opinions on unrelated topics.