In a recent staff meeting, the topic of our rifle/pistol team surfaced. Many stores do not sell target pistols and only carry more tactical higher caliber guns. The joke was made "yup, everybody is a warfighter right?" - to which all in the meeting enjoyed a good laugh. To those not familiar with the current culture in the military it seems as though every third person you talk to was a navy seal, a green beret, or a sniper. But you need not ask - for you can perceive their former status from the clothes they wear, the beards they sport, and the high-caliber, attachment heavy guns which they carry. So why the humor?
Everyone is humored by transparent facades. Especially when those perpetuating the facade have been tricked of its opaqueness themselves. People like to appear to embody certain characteristics that would elevate others' perceptions of them, but do not themselves possess the experience, temperament or respect for that which they claim. In Christian circles it pays to appear a more devote Christian than those around, this I feel is why many high school and college students crave the "summer mission trip" - They achieve their status and only have to live their faith for a few weeks. It pays in the military sphere to appear to be combat-hardened, and the claim to certain communities or the wearing of certain gear, the growth of a particularly thick beard can achieve this status. They can live their fantasy without making the sacrifices it takes to actually join one of those communities, or see combat. The problem, however, as we can see with culture, is that if America were invaded they might be the first to adhere to the new communist regime rather than risk their lives to stand for our freedom. A good friend and mentor of mine, Todd Vanvoorst likes to say there are a lot of boys with beards in this country. This example works well, as many "men" would like to appear manly but do not love their wife, or shepherd their children, or accept responsibility. We live in a world that is under an epidemic of the facade.
well stated. many have succomb to the temptation to aim at the shadow. they no longer even want the substance. if you tried to pull their man card because they are not a one-woman man ( always flirting with girls and the gym and snapchatting old college friends) or because they were not a committed father (spending their free time on their hobbies in the garage or on their gaming console in the man cave below) they would simply assert that they weren't aiming at any of those things and reject your definition of masculinity. so in their mind, they are manly because they know more than one woman who would be willing to sleep with them or because they are a fifth level Orc king in some simulated universe or because they own a gun that looks like the one their childhood G.I. Joe figurine came with.
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