Once a Marine…

Always an asshole…

Ok, I’ll be honest, this is based on my limited exposure to them, you know, spending 2/3 of my life living within 5 miles of a marine base.

First off, if you haven’t, read this post by my other (and much better) half.

The hidden Horrors of Military Service

Then hear this.  This week I’m taking on a new project.  It’s a fairly simple one, rehabilitating a pool that has gone so bloody green you could almost walk across it.

My New Project

The nastiness that is pictured here is the result of either months of neglect or something sitting dead at the bottom of the pool.

Our neighbors moved in about four years ago.  Since then I’ve spoken to the husband a few times, the wife once or twice, and their daughter was in my son’s class a few years back when they were both in grade school.

That was it.  Not much interaction, I was disappointed because i was really looking forward to having *REAL* neighbors after the last ones left. (Anti-social is about the kindest thing I could say about them)

After a few years I just figured it was the same way with these, and I went about my business.

Then he takes off for a job overseas, in the middle-east somewhere.  And two years go by and we don’t see them…at all.  One of the neighbors says that someone came by and picked up his motorcycle.

Turns out that out he bailed.  30 year marriage up in smoke.  And it’s worse – I’m hearing stories of MASSIVE amounts of emotional abuse, including an not limited to his commitment to making sure she ends up ‘living in the ghetto’ and telling his daughter that “she’ll never amount to anything.”

Bastard.

SonOfABitch.

PeiceOfShit.

Now granted I’m only hearing half the story, but given the rest of my experiences it all rings true.

My question is this.  Doesn’t HONOR mean anything to these people?  I mean it’s only supposed to be one of the founding principles, right? It’s all they fucking talk about.

Well here is how I see it and this is to my wife’s father as much as it’s to my neighbor soon-to-be-ex.

If you’re idea of a fun time is forcing your wife to watch you put a loaded revolver to your head, you have *NO* honor.

If you bail on a 30 year marriage to go get your jollies, you have *NO* honor.

If you do everything in your power to destroy the woman you promised to love and cherish, you have *NO* honor.

If you do everything you can to tear down the emotional well-being of your adolescent daughter, you have *NO* honor.

If there was a shred of justice in the world, the Marine Corps would hold their members accountable for their atrocities, both at home *AND* on the battlefield.

Man up and do the right thing by your family – don’t leave the most important job of your life for your neighbor to do because you’re too much of a pussy to own your mistakes.

Step up, or step the fuck aside.