Politicians Give Drunken Sailors a Bad Name

I've seen a lot of comments lately to the effect that the government in Washington is spending money like a drunken sailor.  This is an unfortunate comparison.  Having been a drunken sailor, I'd like to offer some comments on their behalf. 

Unlike the comfortable life style of the politicians in our capital, the lot of a sailor is a hard one, and so it is not surprising that sailors are a hard lot.  When you see them ashore they are compensating for a life that has often been brutal, frightening and lonely. 

The sailor always wishes he were somewhere else.  Mostly he wishes he were home.  The politician is comfortable in Washington.  He may even be afraid to go home.

While the sailor may be found to have an astounding vocabulary, he is not a lawyer.  He does not drone on and on in debate.  He settles his differences quickly and often at amazingly low cost. 

The sailor will not try to modify your behavior.  He will not make rules for you to follow to achieve some glorious but distant end.  In fact, if you take care not to insult him, his ship, or his consort, he will probably take no notice of you at all. 

There will be a clear understanding between the sailor and the woman on his arm.  Unlike the politician with his interns or staff, the sailor and his consort will do nothing newsworthy.  They will make no scandal. 

So if you see a sailor enjoying the delights of the port, you might consider buying him and his companion a drink.  Be he Navy or merchant marine, he is greatly responsible for your liberty and your good life style...

but most importantly, unlike the politician, he is spending his own money. 

--Jerry 9/8/09