<p>what i think is something that gets brushed aside in these kinda of forums is this one simple fact: we’re all playing for the same team.</p>
<p>seascout, just one bit of advice, as i know all of your future drill instructors and officers that you’ll have here at KP… watch how you approach people you disagree with. you’ll have plenty of times here where you just want to string someone up. these people that you refer to as "The cynical old man know it all " type, have a LOT of valid points. points which are often not discussed here and should be.
for example, Keydey brought up how the school does not have a valid mission: it’s true. you go to congress and tell them “the purpose of the United States Merchant Marine Academy is to educate and graduate professional officers and leaders who are dedicated to serving the economic and defense interests of the United States of our armed forces and merchant marine and who will contribute to an intermodal transportation system that effectly ties America together” and they’re going to look at you like you’re a nutcase… the counter argument against KP grows every day “why should the taxpayer pay for someone to get an education so they can make 6-figured their first year out of college?” and things along that line. </p>
<p>i do think that KP needs to stay around, but they need to do a lot of revamping. </p>
<p>either way, i know that these people-- Keydet, USNA69, Disgruntled Alum, Oliver Drab, etc… that bring up this issues do so with good intentions. if they didn’t have a vested interest in Kings Point, or for the mids or prospective mids, they wouldn’t write on here. will i say that i agree with how they might approach the subject? not always. however, several of these guys have been in the fleet or the KP family longer than you’ve been alive–take what they have to say for what it’s worth. and above all, watch your tone man, like it or not, these are issues that you’ll have to face your whole career. and FYI, if you come here with the attitude that i’ve seen in your last few posts you’re going to make things very difficult for yourself. </p>
<p>on that note, Gentlemen, i want to say thank you for having the guts to stir the pot on issues that are not commonly addressed. sweeping issues under the rug does not make them go away. keep up the faith! there are some of us still here that agree that these issues need to be addressed but don’t have the means of bringing about the needed changes by ourselves!
BRAVO ZULU</p>