Some 70% to 80% of all who join the military will return to the civilian workforce. They'll return to communities, and one of the things I've worried about is the increasing disconnect between the American people and our men and women in uniform. We come from fewer and fewer places. We're less than 1% of the population.
Interpretation
This quote expresses concern about the growing disconnect between military personnel and civilians in society.
Michael Mullen emphasizes the importance of understanding and bridging the gap between military service members and civilian communities. As a significant portion of military members will return to civilian life, it is crucial to foster connections and empathy to ensure that they are supported and understood by the larger population they serve and protect.
In practice
In a speech to veterans, one might quote this to emphasize the importance of community support.
It is my position that allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly would be the right thing to do. No matter how I look at this issue, I cannot escape being troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens.
Let me tell you something about wolves, child. When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives. In winter, we must protect one another, keep each other warm, share our strengths. So if you must hate, Arya, hate those who would truly do us harm.
As a child, I heard in my home doctors and ambulance men say, 'Mrs. Stewart, you must've done something to provoke him.' 'Mrs. Stewart, it takes two to make an argument.' Wrong. Wrong! My mother did nothing to provoke that - and even if she had, violence is never ever a choice that a man should make. Ever.
Married couples who quarrel bitterly every day may really need each other as deeply as those who appear to be desperately in love.
In every encounter we either give life or we drain it; there is no neutral exchange.
I think for people who are inside these relationships that are really hard to leave, there is always a compelling reason to stay. It's not that they are wholly bad people.
I started really noticing, more and more, how men will plagiarize and take credit for women's work... I've noticed that it just happens a lot.
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