Meaning of this Bumper Sticker?
Just looking for your opinion of what this bumper sticker is trying to convey. Specifically the last line.
Lt. Hawk 
CBGB 
iPhone-imal It's their job, it's what they do, because at times it's what's needed to be done. I'm guessing you're a Marine Lt. Hawk and I'm guessing that the owner of the vehicle may be one as well. My Dad was active duty USMC for over 30 years, though I doubt if he'd ever think of having a bumper sticker like that on his car.
Thanks for your service.
Phil D. Not sure I get it either.
I am not in the military so maybe I should not speak to this at all, but I thought marines protect people - like that is their primary objective and killing may be a byproduct of that.
I think the bumper sticker is provocative, but I don't understand the message. The primary job of a plumber is to fix pipes, but the primary job of a marine is to protect people, not to kill people. If there are any marines on here, tell me if I am wrong.
Natalie Natalie, you are right. Maybe whoever designed that bumper sticker thought it was cool, but it comes across as a bit twisted in my opinion. But someone sure did earn the right to display it just the way it is.
maja 
botheredbyuu2 
mistergoogle These are quotes from Full Metal Jacket, which obviously was a work of fiction... but there was quite a bit of reality to it when it came to boot camp back in the day, from what I've heard from people who went to The Island. They were definitely being trained to kill people, not to protect people.
"The deadliest weapon in the world is a Marine and his rifle. It is your killer instinct which must be harnessed if you expect to survive in combat. Your rifle is only a tool. It is a hard heart that kills. If your killer instincts are not clean and strong you will hesitate at the moment of truth. You will not kill. You will become dead marines and then you will be in a world of shit because marines are not allowed to die without permission. Do you maggots understand?"
"This is my rifle. There are many others like it, but this one is mine. My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me, my rifle is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than my enemy, who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will. Before God I swear this creed: my rifle and myself are defenders of my country, we are the masters of our enemy, we are the saviors of my life. So be it, until there is no enemy, but peace. Amen."
joyful Saying a Marine (or a fighter pilot, or an Army grunt, or a Naval ship's gun man, etc etc etc) aren't trained to kill people, or that it's not their "job" to kill people, is just silly. OF COURSE part of their job is killing people. It's an ugly truth, but it's TRUTH. They are trained to defend our country and to KILL PEOPLE AND DESTROY THINGS.
The pilot who pushes the release button on his stick in an F/A-18, releasing a laser-guided bomb that is headed for a moving convoy of the enemy has been trained to kill people and destroy things. Pretending the killing is just a "by-product of them defending us" is living in fairy land. Whatever helps you sleep at night I guess....
I don't understand why so many people are uncomfortable with that. It's war. It's reality.
JeffersonRepub 
Quotes? I thought close but did not think exact.
The others available are not quotes from the movie.
Jefferson, I disagree. The PRIMARY job is not to be a killing machine. We do not have marines in this country to send out and kill people. If that were the case, they would be killing Americans on American soil. Their job is to protect the homeland. Killing people might be part of the job description (and very necessary), but not the main objective.
Don't get me wrong, I have zero problem with killing people in defense of this nation. ZERO. But I just think we are talking about semantics and a marine's primary job is to protect.
"I don't understand why so many people are uncomfortable with that. It's war. It's reality."
Same reason they are uncomfortable with defending themselves against a personal violent attack. It's icky.
If someone is trying to kill me, they shouldn't be surprised if I try to kill them back (hopefully first). War is the same thing, just on a larger scale.
Mark Mc. And how do they protect the homeland? by hugging the bad guys who are trying to hurt our homeland. No. By killing them. By making sure more of the bad guys die for their cause then for ours. Ugly yes. but the truth
tired of it allmg, I didn't mean the bumper stickers were quotes from the movie; I PROVIDED quotes from the movie that illustrated that Marines are indeed trained to be killing machines, not protection machines.
Calico696 
Rebecka Something else to keep in mind to all you "anti-icky" believers....
Part of a soldier's job is also to DIE, if necessary. Very icky indeed. And like Mark pointed out, that also "comes with the territory" of defending yourself or your family: you may end up dying in the process. Which is why some people would rather be robbed, raped, beaten, and possibly murdered (gee, I hope they don't kill me!) instead of defend themselves.
I don't get the logic. Because it's anti-logic.
The problem with bumper stickers is ... you can't really explain your point in just three quick short sentences.
You can't do it justice in a 60-second ad either.
We need to respectfully talk about serious things and at least TRY to listen to each other.
Andy Loigu It does not fit on a bumper sticker, but these lyrics give us good words to live by ... no better place than the Bible to get good advice.
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/byrds/turnturnturn.html
Here's a good one, from back in the days I was a mainstream Nixon supporter, but understanding of the anti Vietnam War arguments as well, because that seemed to be a war without any end in 1970.
I posted, because it seems to be very respectful of veterans and their service.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iE9TNG8IQNI
Townie70 I think the issue with the bumper sticker is that it has denigrated the full role of a Marine into one act and IMO, made it seem like it's some nonchalant, daily ritual. Being a Marine, or any member of our military, is so much more than "I kill."
-----
My Rifle - The Creed of a United States Marine
This creed, accredited to Major General William H. Rupertus, USMC (Deceased) and still taught to Marines undergoing Basic Training at the Recruit Depots at San Diego and Parris Island, was first published in the San Diego Marine Corps Chevron March 14, 1942.
1. This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
2. My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life.
3. My rifle, without me, is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than my enemy who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will.
4. My rifle and myself know that what counts in this war is not the rounds we fire, the noise of our burst, nor the smoke we make. We know that it is the hits that count. We will hit.
5. My rifle is human, even as I, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strength, its parts, its accessories, its sights and its barrel. I will ever guard it against the ravages of weather and damage as I will ever guard my legs, my arms, my eyes and my heart against damage. I will keep my rifle clean and ready. We will become part of each other. We will.
6. Before God, I swear this creed. My rifle and myself are the defenders of my country. We are the masters of our enemy. We are the saviors of my life.
7. So be it, until victory is America's and there is no enemy, but peace!!
-----
#6 would make a better bumper sticker IMO...but it's not very macho to say defend.
emaxxman Ah Iman, the mysterious "These" threw me :>)
Thanks for the flashback Andy, I was feeling young when I got up :>)
It is fun to dream that "we can be hero's." I do it too, but I try remember what my Dad said when I said something like "I don't understand why so many people are uncomfortable with that. It's war. It's reality." He said something like: I'm guessing that you have not been there only because war is about as far from reality as you can get. War feeds on fear and wanna-be heros who think killing, even in self defense, is honorable, just, and meaningful.
Most Marines join for love of country, go to fight for freedom, and kill to protect their buddies. Most Marines I have known are teddy bears in real life and only become bears when life gets unreal. Yes, the training teaches them to kill effectively but that's the training, not the man.
IMHO.
"War is young men dying and old men talking."
Sorry to preach but chest thumping is just that.
FDR
Pretty much sums it up....Mr. Google..:
Most Marines join for love of country, go to fight for freedom, and kill to protect their buddies. Most Marines I have known are teddy bears in real life and only become bears when life gets unreal. Yes, the training teaches them to kill effectively but that's the training, not the man.
LJRubi " I try remember what my Dad said when I said something like "I don't understand why so many people are uncomfortable with that. It's war. It's reality." He said something like: I'm guessing that you have not been there only because war is about as far from reality as you can get. War feeds on fear and wanna-be heros who think killing, even in self defense, is honorable, just, and meaningful."
Interesting, my dad DID fight in the entirety of WWII, in the Pacific Theatre, and his view of the whole mess is summed up in the 1st sentence of the above paragraph, not the rest of it. Not only did he understand war is war, and did not have any long-lasting PTSD from the experience, despite having been shot at by Japanese Zeroes, Japanese ships, being on the USS Hornet when she was torpedoed and sunk, had to ditch in the ocean TWICE when his plane sustained too much damage to continue flying. And HE is the one that taught me, as Mark so succinctly put it above, "if someone is trying to kill me, I am going to try to kill them back, and kill them first."
There's no "hero" about any of this stuff, it's called SURVIVAL. My father never considered himself a hero, very very few vets do, and the ones that do are usually lying about their exploits, and assholes to boot.
Now that our fathers are done arguing, where's oldred? Shocked he hasn't checked in yet....
oh... and BTW... killing in self-defense IS honorable, just, and meaningful. Especially when it's OTHER'S LIVES you are saving (and not just your own.)
Don't think any Marine that actually killed someone would put that on their car - probably an overzealous parent.
RU 
I'm still trying to figure out what the OP wants. Very vague if you ask me or maybe just stirring the pot.
Does the Starfleet officer Lt Hawk really not know what "Marines Kill People" means
Is the Starfleet officer Lt Hawk delving into the connotative meaning?
Is Starfleet officer Lt Hawk trying to decide if the last line is a brag....I'm a Marine and I kill people Ooorah!!! or is it derogatory.....that's about all a Marine is good for.
I'm going with pot stirrer since the Starfleet officer Lt Hawk hasn't been heard from since.
From Evan Wright book Generation Kill about the war in Iraq. It was also turned into an HBO mini series great read and show.
"Cpl. Josh Ray Person: To Keep us angry. If Marines could get what they needed when they needed it we would be happy and wouldn't ready to kill people all of the time. The Marine Corps is like America's Pitbull. They beat us, mistreat us and every once in awhile, they let us out to attack someone. "
Benn4 It should have said "Marines kill terrorists". If it had to say anything about killing. I'd rather it said protects or something like that. On a fishing boat a few years ago an ex Marine who had two son's in the Marines had a shirt on that said "The terrorists worst nightmare is the United States Marines".
I'm not a fan of bumper stickers. You know the ones that say "My kid is an honor student at so and so school"? I saw one once that said "My Kid can beat up your Honor Student". How horrible is that?
We live in a violent world. I really think that sticker should have read, "Thank God for The United States Marines, United States Army, United States Navy, United States Air Force and the United States Coast Guard".
I wish we could have peace in our lifetime. I wish we could use the funds to get rid of these hideous disease. Get rid of Cancer.
Thanks for reading
Singlemaleinnj Ladies and Gentlemen. Thank you for various comments and add ons. I respectively served and will die a Marine.
To those who served and/or had their family members served as indicated above, I stand shoulder to shoulder with you.
Oooorah to those who understood what I was asking. We serve the country by signing a blank check over to Our Flag and Country. Yes killing is what it took sometime, but at each occasion it was in the name of the country that allows us to be able to write and speak our opinion, as stated by many above. However the US Military and myself a Marine ( MOS 0317) practice judicious markmanship.
I have served honorably and will die a Marine. I didn't take the last line as bragging as I don't practice false bravado. I merely was shocked to see such statement and as such I wanted to see who else shares this opinion about the US Marines.
Each of us have a calling. I served as part of the Spec Ops battalion1 and I am ready to serve anytime our country needs me. No stirring a pot or false bravado. Just simply looked for the meaning of killing WHO!
My mirror engaged at times and action had to be taken,,, I make no excuses for it and like all of you God will Judge me.
Oooorah and God Bless you all.
Lt Hawk
Thanks for returning and clearing this up. Apparently it seems I was correct in my assessment & as in my Dad's case, he wouldn't care to put a bumper sticker on any of his vehicles that were as in your face as that one. While his MOS isn't in the same category or area as yours he did serve in both Korea & Vietnam. (No service bar emblem on his car either). I have a friend that did three tours in Vietnam as an Army Ranger counterpart of your MOS and he doesn't advertise that fact either.
Semper Fi and thanks again for your service. It would be a great thing if the world wasn't ever in such a state as to need those kind of services, but it's also great to know that there are those who have stepped up to the plate and served admirably.
Thank you, Phil D...for your post...and thank you Lt. Hawk for your service to our country..
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