There should be no limit to the respect given to others. It is wrong to declare any member of military service earns too much respect--
Pause here and note an important fact: your topic title is "Do members of the military get too much respect", when it should be "Do members of the military
earn too much respect". Respect is not some unconditional boon given to others--otherwise it would just be a kind word or a simple compliment. Respect is something much deeper. Perhaps it is one of those words that has begun to lose meaning in this youthful generation, but respect is something heartfelt for another, whether based on their actions or their ideas.
To continue; it is wrong to declare any member of military service earns too much respect, because of the effort and sacrifices made during terms of duty. Now to reference the point I made before in a different light: it is also somewhat wrong to unconditionally respect someone entirely based on their past actions. This covers the military man or woman who has since left active duty and parades around attempting to use their status as some kind of socialite accolade that grants them privileges above and beyond their fellow countrymen whom they served and protected. Should they be respected? For their past actions, yes. Should they be respected for the actions they might now perform, now that they are no longer active duty? Perhaps not, but it would depend very much on your own point of view, and be up to you to determine whether or not to respect them for their decisions (note that I'm talking about extreme cases here; soldiers who come back and talk about how "all ragheads or towel-heads must die", and make other politically and culturally incorrect and insensitive statements).
To conclude the above, no. Military men and women who serve in the military will never earn "too much" respect, though in the most extreme cases, respect may be improperly given at certain times.
As for professionals and first-responders in the medical field (EMTs, Surgeons, Nurses, Doctors, etcetera) following your example, I will say that America's particular interest in observing members of the military as warriors and heroes has shifted the focus somewhat away from home--particularly after the events of 9/11, when patriotism was high and the desire for "justice" (I know there are people out there who have different words for this) great, the military was looked to as the hammer of the United States, to strike down upon the evil forces that so wronged us; at the same time being heralded as a shield, to protect us and others from further acts of terrorism.
Medical personnel, firefighters, policemen and others who so valiantly risked their lives that day and years after earned respect unconditionally. But lately that respect has begun to fade, as time goes by and newer issues appear. One does have a tendency to forget about the old, and look towards the new; as the saying goes, "Look towards the future", but many forget to add a suffix to this statement, "Remember the past".
We should always look towards the future, but at the same time we ought remember the deeds and actions of those honorable men and women of our race who performed a duty or rendered an action that set them apart from the common citizen; whether by joining the military, or selflessly helping others after a terrible and disastrous occurrence. And we mustn't forget about those who perform services of less renown, but of no less value, such as doctors and firefighters, nurses and police officers. Respect should be given to all of them in recognition of their service, and their sacrifice.
There is such a thing as "improper respect". However, there's no such thing as "too much respect".
thaluikhain said:
[small]The other thing is, "veteran" or "retired" marine generally refers to someone who is no longer actively serving...IIRC, they are still considered to be marines, though, the only wya you stop being one is to get kicked out, which is why you don't say "former marine" lightly.
I think, I'm not an expert.[/small]
You're right: "Once a Marine, Always a Marine". There's no such thing as an ex-Marine--pending, perhaps, dishonorable discharge.