My thoughts on the BTS enlistment:
While BTS are grown men who can and do advocate for themselves, we must admit that they are not the typical young men in Korea.
They are strong, healthy and able bodied so they are more than capable of serving; however, itâs proven that idols have a history of being hazed and treated poorly during their service. Multiple idols have come out and given their accounts and we, as ARMY have all the right to feel worried about them.
As for the âpaved the wayâ conversations, i hope you do realize that they have elevated kpop to a widely acceptable genre here in the US and around the world. They sell out countless arenas in mere minutes and had an entire city turned into a fan gathering sand celebration. And letâs not forget our sunshine being the fist south Asian artist to headline a major American music festival
Other than the music:
â˘They are ambassadors for their country.
â˘Have spoken at the UN- twice.
â˘They have met the president and spoke about anti Asian hate crimes.
â˘Started the LOVE MYSELF campaign with UNICEF which has helped so many children and teens who deal with violence.
â˘Furthermore, they donated 1 million dollars to the Black Lives Matter movement.
(I know Iâm missing a lot of charitable contributions that the individual members make yearly but Iâm focusing on the group as a whole.)
Also on ARMY who are worried about our time without them- Iâm one of them. Iâm chronically and mentally ill. BTS was there for me since I started getting physically ill. When I was at my lowest they brought me comfort. Their music was played during my surgeries. Videos and Run BTS became the thing that helped ease how long the days felt when I was in pain or overwhelmed with fatigue. I have genuine worries about how I will cope with issues without my source of comfort. Although I will have all that still, the group will be away and it feels like a tremendous loss for many of us. We shouldnât be arguing or being negative amongst ourselves.
