Is it disrespectful for civilians to wear USMC gears or clothing in the public?

[Kaido]

Well those two are both covered by fraud law as they were obtaining money by deception which is a bit different from just poncing around in a uniform.

Yeah. Although there are people who show up to events in full uniform who are fakes, because they want the attention.

 

[Blackjack200]

And yet another disingenuous twatwaffle. I stated that I was no lover of war. I also agree that the elites that run our government are culpable in getting us in some of these situations. Go listen to the Five Finger Death Punch song 'No One Gets Left Behind'. My caring about vets isn't for any love / desire for war or love of the sh*ts in DC that get us in trouble, dumbass. It's because I've seen first-hand how war affects the vets and their families. Try having some real compassion for people unlike the pretend sh*t that libs like you self-righteously flaunt.

You cannot thank "troops" without making an implicit value judgment on what it is the "troops" are doing. Saying "I'm no lover of war" and then supporting every war is meaningless. If you didn't oppose the Iraq war you are absolutely a lover of war.

A guy that lived on my street growing up was a Korean war PoW. My dad was a Marine in WW2 and rarely said anything to my sibs and I about it; he told more stuff to my nieces and nephews. Dad of my older brothers' best friend growing up was an alcoholic mess from being in ww2. My cousin was a scout in 'nam. He came home kinda messed up and my POS uncle threw him out when my cuz tried to talk to him about it. One of the few people that my cuz could talk to was my dad. My cousin lost her husband in Baghdad 14 years ago; he was literally blown up.

Yeah, talking about other people's suffering to try to claim authority for your arguments is definitely not stealing valor.

So saawwwrrrryy I offended your self-righteous, holier-than-thou lib BS sensibilities, little boy. Go give your Bernie doll head and pray for free sh*t like a good little boy.

I agree with you that someone in this thread sounds offended.

 

[WelshBloke]

Yeah. Although there are people who show up to events in full uniform who are fakes, because they want the attention.

Is that really a problem though? I mean, yes, it's pretty sad but it's not really causing any hardship to anyone else.

 

[highland145]

..

 

[BoomerD]

I was forced to set foot in Florida due to a family vacation. Upon landing there, one of the flight attendants with a breathy southern drawl got on the PA and started going on about thanking any active military and veterans on the plane, god bless our troops, fighting for our freedom, bunch of dumbass cliches. My girlfriend and I were sitting there looking aghast at each other wondering why we were being subjected to such cringeworthy inanity when she finally finished ... and to our surprise most of the plane broke out into applause. Brainwashed indeed, it was disturbing as hell.

I'm a Vietnam vet...I'd MUCH rather see what you described than what we got when we came home...

Does it sometimes go too far? Perhaps, but it's a minor inconvenience to have to listen to it...

As for the OP's question...a Canuck wearing cast-off US military gear shouldn't be seen as a problem as long as he's not dressing in full uniform, trying to pass as a member of the military.

Personally, I don't like military surplus clothing and wouldn't be seen wearing most of it, (the Navy leather flight jackets are pretty nice though) but don't give a shit if other people do.

 

[Preyhunter]

You asked specifically about USMC gear (and I gather you mean gear with the EGA on it). I’m not surprised, we have the coolest shit and best emblem of all of the US Armed Services branches. Marines are also the most particular when it comes to their emblem. It’s a fairly big deal when a Marine recruit is presented with the EGA and is allowed to call himself/herself a Marine.

I don’t personally have a problem with it, but there is a special bond that Marines share and will address each other at times when we see that EGA or some other indicator of USMC service. If we crossed paths walking down a sidewalk, I might say something like “Hey Devil Dog" or "Semper Fi" or "Oorah". That’s just the kind of shit we do sometimes. If you ever encounter that, I’d recommend returning the same greeting or one of the others and go about your business. Not doing so is a bit insulting. If stopped and asked, I’d explain that you never served, but find the Marine gear the coolest thing. Being Canadian may even help. Being "admired" by someone from a foreign county for being a Marine will go a long way with the Marine, in my opinion.

Otherwise, it’s not stolen valor. You’re not trying to pass yourself off as a real Marine. Shouldn’t be a problem.

BTW, Marines are highly restricted about where and when they can wear official uniform items out in public, or used to be at least. The things you linked I wouldn’t worry about.

 

[Jeeebus]

If you didn't oppose the Iraq war you are absolutely a lover of war.

 

[repoman0]

I'm a Vietnam vet...I'd MUCH rather see what you described than what we got when we came home..

I wasn’t alive during Vietnam but from what I’ve read about how soldiers were treated when they came home, I agree with you 100%.

 

[AMCRambler]

I agree military surplus gear is cool but I would not want to be mistaken for a veteran and potentially disrespect our service members, so I won’t wear it. A t-shirt or a ball cap which is not part of the uniform I would certainly wear. They do sell souvenir things like that to support the academies sports teams or the service branches.

 

[IronWing]

I wear BDU pants almost every day because they are comfortable and have great cargo pockets. I haven't tried the shirts as they look a bit hot for the desert. I wear the solid color pants as I don't care for camo. I have never worn anything with any kind of military insignia on it because I'm not a service member nor veteran. I also don't wear sports team logos because I'm not on a team.

IMHO, if you are over the age of seventeen and wearing military insignia or other military labeled stuff (t-shirts with Marines written across the back for example) and you aren't in the military or a veteran then you are a poseur.

The clothes themselves are just clothes. The insignia or other labeling is the issue.

 

[zinfamous]

Why is thanking military people for their service strange?

Just because the dude is wearing a uniform, they are default not some other type of random psycopath that could be just about anyone in any other sort of clothes?

No disrespect to military folks, but this hyper-nationalist fetishizing of anyone in uniform is not only disgusting, it's boldly anti-American. One can honor and respect people for such choices, but the blind assumption of one rando being the same of any other is the behavior of a brainwashed moron. That person that you could be "thanking" could well just be an outcast from Bumfuck Iowa that had just killed one too many small animals, and the parents sent them off to bootcamp to "learn some mannering." That shithole doesn't deserve a handshake or thanks from me.

Respect is earned; it is never blindly deserved through fascist conditioning. Hell, this country was founded against the concept of standing armies.

 

[zinfamous]

Oh, you poor poor child! So sad you had to endure that! I'm no lover of the extreme right wing and most definitely no lover of war (as I've witnessed first-hand what being in war cost the vets of WW2, Korea, and Vietnam), but it's people like you that make me hope that your selfish, ungrateful kind (like blackjack) never take over this country.

Yeah, it's really going to suck for your kind when actual patriots are in charge again, right?

 

[SKORPI0]

How to Spot Fake Military Uniforms

Thanks to the 2005 Stolen Valor Act, it has become a federal offense to wear military medals or a military uniform as a fashion statement (or even to make false claim to the right to wear them)....
It is also a federal offense to pose as a military member in a setting such as an Internet chat room as well as in person. For instance, a man posing as a military member to impress a female could be prosecuted./

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stolen_Valor_Act_of_2005
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stolen_Valor_Act_of_2013

 

[Blackjack200]

How to Spot Fake Military Uniforms

Haha, I forgot they did that.

In United States v. Alvarez the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on June 28, 2012, that the Stolen Valor Act was an unconstitutional abridgment of the freedom of speech under the First Amendment, striking down the law in a 6 to 3 decision.

 

[lxskllr]

I haven't tried the shirts as they look a bit hot for the desert.

I wear the shirt/jacket when it gets cool. The pockets are very useful. The ACU jacket has the nifty arm pockets, as well as pencil pockets on the lower sleeve. Cell goes on the left arm, wallet on the right. BDU jacket has the four huge pockets that aren't especially clever, but hold a ton of stuff. I wish the ACU jacket had the lower bellows pockets. I know why they don't(heat retention), but I'm not sure the lack of utility outweighs the slight heat reduction.

I have to mix them up, so it doesn't look like I'm wearing a uniform. If I have BDU pants, I wear the ACU jacket, as well as the reverse.

 

[frozentundra123456]

You cannot thank "troops" without making an implicit value judgment on what it is the "troops" are doing. Saying "I'm no lover of war" and then supporting every war is meaningless. If you didn't oppose the Iraq war you are absolutely a lover of war.



Yeah, talking about other people's suffering to try to claim authority for your arguments is definitely not stealing valor.



I agree with you that someone in this thread sounds offended.

I see your point, but it is not quite that simple. I agree the Iraq was was totally unjustified. However, one joins the armed forces not knowing what he will be ordered to do. What would you have someone do who was in the army, opposed to the Iraq or some other war, but is ordered to go? Quite a dilemma, no?? Do you go and support a cause you think is not just, or do you refuse and perhaps ruin the rest of you life by disobeying a direct order. Easy to say one should follow his conscience, but not so easy when it comes to doing it. So are we supposed to withhold support to someone who was ordered to fight in a war we, or even the soldier himself thinks unjust? I dont think so. OTOH, I am somewhat put off by someone saying "thank you for your service" to a stranger they dont even know. I think that acknowledgement should be reserved for people you know and are aware of what they did.

Ironically, now that members of the armed services are volunteers, and not forced to join, they are highly respected, while during the Vietnam war, when one had no choice but to go, they were pretty much universally hated.

 

[Kaido]

Is that really a problem though? I mean, yes, it's pretty sad but it's not really causing any hardship to anyone else.

OP asked if it was disrespectful. Wearing camo & stuff, meh. Faking a full uniform outside of Halloween? I'd say yeah.

 

[Blackjack200]

I see your point, but it is not quite that simple. I agree the Iraq was was totally unjustified. However, one joins the armed forces not knowing what he will be ordered to do. What would you have someone do who was in the army, opposed to the Iraq or some other war, but is ordered to go? Quite a dilemma, no?? Do you go and support a cause you think is not just, or do you refuse and perhaps ruin the rest of you life by disobeying a direct order. Easy to say one should follow his conscience, but not so easy when it comes to doing it. So are we supposed to withhold support to someone who was ordered to fight in a war we, or even the soldier himself thinks unjust? I dont think so. OTOH, I am somewhat put off by someone saying "thank you for your service" to a stranger they dont even know. I think that acknowledgement should be reserved for people you know and are aware of what they did.

Ironically, now that members of the armed services are volunteers, and not forced to join, they are highly respected, while during the Vietnam war, when one had no choice but to go, they were pretty much universally hated.

You’re making a lot of confused arguments. I’m not faulting the teenagers that joined the military in 2002 or 2003. I’m faulting the war cheerleaders.

Of course you support the troops. You support them by giving them health care, education, jobs, and making sure they’re taken care of. I’m talking about the performative displays of troop worship.

 

[Blackjack200]

OP asked if it was disrespectful. Wearing camo & stuff, meh. Faking a full uniform outside of Halloween? I'd say yeah.

Is it disrespectful if I wear a Washington Nationals uniform while I walk down the street?

 

[Jeeebus]

Is it disrespectful if I wear a Washington Nationals uniform while I walk down the street?

I would be disrespecting myself if I wore Marlins gear.

 

[IronWing]

Is it disrespectful if I wear a Washington Nationals uniform while I walk down the street?

Nope, just silly unless you're on the team in which case, carry on.

 

[Thebobo]

Was I wrong @ 10 years old? I walked all around bangkok like that and never got shit.

Those are my prisoners at the fucscumwat regertfication center.

 

[Muse]

I have worn camos seems like half the time (pants) since the 1970's, and never once in all that time have I gotten any flack for doing so... not until I saw this dumb thread.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

That shithole doesn't deserve a handshake or thanks from me.

Lighten up Francis. You managed to do a great job bludgeoning that fake Iowa "shithole".

Plenty of guys and gals in uniform don't see the need for any public recognition. It's great that you can tell just by looking at them which ones have earned some praise. Since your doing hypothetical so well let try this on for size:

The small animal killing Iowan joins the military. There she is taught how to be a medic. The war machine sends her to the desert. She is stuck at an outpost in the middle of nowhere. Some tribal shit hits the fan and some locals get shot up. Of course, they run to the nearest U.S. outpost to get patched up. For the first time in her life the object of your scorn recognizes her true calling. Spends the rest of her life working in the medical field helping others. Has she earned that handshake now?

So what's the big deal if some random stranger happens to walk up and thank her for a job well done? We could use a few more random acts of kindness instead of the venom you spew.

 

[Kaido]

Was I wrong @ 10 years old?

I think there's a difference between a kid playing, and an adult actively trying to lie to people in public in full uniform, posing for a job they never actually did. Which is also different than what the OP is asking, which is just some camo clothes.