... To ask why some of you are against the charity "Help for Hereos" ?

[Sheitgeist]

Just noticed this on another thread. What is the problem? My son has just joined the armed forces, so am particularly interested.
Thanks

AWholeLottanosy what a disgusting thing to say. I am reporting your post because I am so utterly offended by it and I rarely get offended by anything written on a screen.

I support HFH and will continue to do so. I find these attitudes about our serving men and women awful. Yes they are doing a job that they have chosen to do but someone has to want to do these jobs and thank god they do. Ultimately they are willing to put their own lives on the line. I doubt there are many who don't know what they are signing up for.

asmallandnoisymonkey - or we might be a hell of a lot more cautious about going to war?

I'm not crazy about it because:

1. I think the government should account for post-conflict support as a part of the total cost of war and plan accordingly (a radical concept to some in Whitehall)
2. Soldiers have voluntarily entered into their jobs.

"Money for murderers" is a dreadful thing to say!

"Money for murderers" is a dreadful thing to say!

If another country invaded the UK under a pretext and then proceeded to kill your all of your family, you might feel the same.

The fault of course lies with the decision makers, but the latest conflicts have been pretty ill-considered.

"I would like HTH to fund psychological help for ex soldiers stick in prison who desperately need the help and the support, but it isn't obvious enough for them."

They cannot do this, because it is not covered by their charitable aims.

I'm not sure if a Combat Stress (PTSD only) is active in prisons.

And if mnhq delete awhole's post it'd be bloody outrageous. Soldiers kill people. If somebody disagrees with the reasons they are sent to kill, then its hardly a stretch to call it murder. It's hardly a massively radical perspective. Be offended by it, fine, but that certainly doesn't give you the right to demand it be deleted to spare your delicate sensibilities.

Afghan villagers are being blown up by US drones as we speak. Now THAT is offensive.

Agree that being a soldier does not make you a hero. They do it as a job, not to serve their country and there are many other dangerous jobs.
Help for Heroes has had enormous publicity and has diverted funds from many other worthy charities.
After every war come revelations of disgraceful behaviour by men who were trained to fight and kill without questioning.

barbarianmum seems very unlikely. Just something to think about anyway. I'm not looking for an argument, just making an observation.

And if the UK was invaded and those self same soldiers were killing to defend UK citizens, would they still be murderers or would it be OK then?

Zoe many reported posts are because someone is offended by it. "Delicate sensibilities" oh ffs. it was an unnecessary and inflammatory post which is what I have said when I reported it.

Don't bother replying to me, I won't be back on the thread.

mermaidstale sorry - but soldiers are not trained to kill without questioning. Soldiers are governed by rules of engagement and many other diplomatic and governmental guidelines as well as their own moral compass. If an order is unlawful then it is illegal to follow it. People that kill without question are few and far between, and sadly have something wrong with them.

Can someone find an official link that proves HFH spend 90p in the pound on admin? I find that hard to believe but would be horrified if that's the case.

I don't see modern day career military as heroes, the charity has a poorly chosen name imho.

I also feel there is personal choice, no social pressure or conscription in modern day.

I agree with previous posters , a med forces are no different to me than firefighters. I think volunteers like life boat or mountain rescuers are true heroes.

Help for Heroes. Hmm. Does that include people who have done something requiring bravery but are not in the armed services? Probably not so it's a misleading title.

That said, I do applaud the work they do in rehabilitating maimed service men and women.

I work with a man who seems to be firmly convinced that all the armed forces do is bomb and shoot people and Isis and The Taliban are to be applauded because they join for free and fight for free for their beliefs.

Ok.

I once spent a few years in South East Asia and there is an agreement within the Euro countries that they send a consignment of soldiers from each country within the EU to spend six weeks doing mine clearance in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Free of charge to those countries.

The soldiers are paid to do this and risk their lives.

I have talked to soldiers on leave from Afghanistan who have set up schools, clinics,hospitals etc in that country who have cried with frustration having been faced with a queue of students/patients/doctors/teachers/nurses and discovering that the Taliban have cut all power and blown up generators.

One army doctor I spoke to described doing Caesarean by torchlight on a woman who had been carried for two days through awful weather by her family.

Mum and baby both lived. Yep. I think the doctor is a hero. She is also a soldier.

I support both the Royal British Legion and H4H and believe there is room for both, and right and wrong in both (had a bad experience with a Poppy collector two weeks ago but I won't let that tarnish my opinion of the Legion).

I think there is room for both. H4H appeals to a slightly different demographic to RBL. H4H seems, to the outsider, more savvy regarding the media and capturing younger people's imagination. RBL is playing catch-up. Of course they overlap as well, but at the end of the day it all means extra cash for deserving servicemen and their families. All good.

As for the servicemen, I'm not from a Forces family myself, but grew up and still live in a Forces community, and would describe it as a "vocation" rather than a job. Many of the families and servicemen I know come from service families. Generations of the same families who have put their lives on the line, for relatively little financial reward in most cases. I couldn't do it, and I'm glad they do. And I'm delighted to support charities that support them.

People will want the very same "murderers" to help when the fire service go on strike, when the country is flooded or if there are some suspicious aircraft flying in our airspace!

I prefer Combat Stress.

I know someone who has been/is being helped by them.

www.combatstress.org.uk

Exactly fairy

Poppy I would say it is a vocation too.

I don't see soldiers as heroes. They are just doing a job. One that I don't agree with.
I'm not against the military. Dh was in the RAF so I've paid my dues to queen and country. I didn't see him as a hero either.
I'm also a pacifist and don't agree with how the armed forces have been used for political gain.

I think the nature of warfare has changed so utterly that the idea of conscripts or even a Kitchener's New Army again is very unlikely.

How have you 'paid your dues to queen and country'?

I don't like the way in which criticism of policy on war and other operations involving the armed forces is now practically taboo due to it 'running down our brave servicemen and women'. I'm not saying that what HFH does isn't good but it's part of that whole movement of putting the actions of the military above criticism.