Define a Chicken Hawk!

[Tamaroa]

Much has been said lately about Democrats, Republicans, Liberals, Conservatives, presidents who didn't serve, etc. The question I have for everyone on this board is "What exactly is a Chicken Hawk?" Is a Chicken Hawk a patriot who didn't serve in uniform? Is a Chicken Hawk some one who encourages the president and the government to go to war or take action without never having been in paramilitary forces such as police, firefighters or EMT's? Is a Chicken Hawk a patriot period?

From what I have seen, I think sometimes we paint with too broad a brush. These conservative talk show hosts that never served a day in the military or fire/police departments, don't they have the right to support our people in uniform, even if they themselves never did? Is it a bad thing to support the military without having military experience, or put it another way, is a chicken hawk defined by the degree of support they give to the government? If you are not a Vet but support your government you are patriotic, are you not? At least in theory. If you are not a vet but are a strong advocate of an action that will certainly cause casualties are you now a Chicken Hawk. Add to the equation the fact that there is no more draft.

If you do not have to serve, but serve any way, is your experience or opinion of more value than one who has not served even if they did not have to? What about you all? If you were 18 or 19 and there was no draft, what would you do if the situation presented itself? Would you have enlisted thinking it is the right thing to do? To pay back your country for what it has given you? Personally, I would have enlisted even had there been no draft because every generation of my family has served since they set foot on this soil.

I cannot say for sure but I'll bet there are plenty of non vets in congress that support our G.I.s . Question is when do they turn into Chicken Hawks from patriotic non vets? Just a question since sometimes I get confused as to a Chicken Hawk vs. a Patritoic non Vet, especially vis-avis the conservative talk show route one hears so much about on radio.

[JeffL]

I guess I must live in a cave; other than being associated with Foghorn Leghorn, I never heard this term. :cd:

I will support a vet or a non-vet who supports our military forces. For whatever reasons, some people are unable to serve. A non-vet who attacks our military is pond scum (like a recent former president), and I'll listen to a vet who won't support the military, but I'll probably but not necessarily disagree with him/her.

I'd probably have enlisted because even then I realized that I had to get SOME direction in my life. My dad was NOT happy with the way I was turning out. (Groan - bad memories!) I'd probably have joined the CG, because the main reason I joined applied no matter what the circumstances: Saving lives seemed more important to me than taking them.

Mine is not a military family, possibly because there weren't too many male offspring. One GG-Uncle was killed in France during WWI, my uncle served in Africa in WWII, and my 2nd-cousin was in the USMC in the late 1950s. Then me - that's it. My dad had health problems during WWII, plus I was just born at that time.

Chicken Hawk - it sounds like another politically-generated term...


Jeff

[Keith_Hixson]

When I was a kid on the farm. We had chicken hawks that would raid the chicken pen. Usually a big red tail hawk looking for lunch.


Politically,

It describes an ultra conservative politician who talks war but is afraid to go to war.
Or a student who advicates war but avoids the draft. A draft dogger who supported the war in Vietnam politically. I know of several. Found ways to get around the draft but yet where politically conservative enough to support the war.

Keith

[colmurph]

"Chicken Hawk" is a synonym for Pedophile.

[PHO127]

That is always pestering Foghorn Leghorn. AH Said pay attention boy.

[JeffL]

Pay - Ah say - pay attention, Boy!

Good ol' Foghorn!


Jeff