We owe an enormous debt of gratitude for those who were both drafted into service and those who have chosen to serve to fight for the United States of America. That is not the subject of this post. I want to talk about two subjects.
Vietnam is first on my list. Like most of the people I know, I was vehemently opposed to the war in Vietnam. But I don't intend to talk about that either. I want to talk about the dismal behavior of those of us who were against that war, including me, toward its veterans. We saw them as willing pawns who killed at the behest of the government. The people I know never did anything physical to those vets in terms of insulting them publicly, although some others did act against them physically, but our thoughts and discussions were entirely dismissive of what they went through as them merely getting their just desserts. I was wrong, we were wrong. First and foremost, most of those soldiers were drafted and they had no option but to go. But even those who volunteered did what they had to do to survive. Yes, there were incidents where soldiers did unspeakable things like the massacres at My Lai, but that wasn't the norm. Mostly soldiers spent their time in Vietnam alternating periods of intense boredom with periods of abject terror. We were right that they were mostly used as pawns, but that doesn't fall on them, it falls on those who sent them there and who kept them there. Our government bears full responsibility for the deaths, injuries and PTSD, which wasn't recognized then, that befell these men. Our anger should never have been directed at the soldiers at all. We were wrong. We should have welcomed those vets home thankfully as survivors of the failed foreign policy of the Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon Administrations.
Finally, I want to talk about the hypocrisy of those who self-righteously declare their undying support for and thanks to veterans of our most recent adventures, but then quietly cut their benefits and leave them and their families to wallow in poverty. We all remember John McCain's opposition to the GI Bill, which was ultimately passed anyhow, but the indignities have continued. A significant percentage of those receiving SNAP benefits (food stamps) are vets. As a result of cuts to SNAP something in excess of 5000 vets will lose those benefits. Veteran medical benefits have been reduced. The unemployment rate among vets is 10%. One third of homeless men in the U.S. are vets. Acts of Congress, not fiscal mismanagement, have nearly destroyed the USPS and caused many of its workers to be laid off. Guess what, the USPS employs more vets than anyone except the Defense Department. Increasing the minimum wage will help about a million vets. Expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act would bring coverage to 40% of the 1.3 million vets who are uninsured and yet some of the most self-righteous empty suit Governors are the very people who have refused to except increased Medicaid coverage in their states.
If we as a nation really want to thank veterans, we should demand that they have access to food, jobs, health care and housing. It just pisses me off when blowhard politician sing about their devotion to vets and then knife them at every turn.
Finally, I want to talk about the hypocrisy of those who self-righteously declare their undying support for and thanks to veterans of our most recent adventures, but then quietly cut their benefits and leave them and their families to wallow in poverty. We all remember John McCain's opposition to the GI Bill, which was ultimately passed anyhow, but the indignities have continued. A significant percentage of those receiving SNAP benefits (food stamps) are vets. As a result of cuts to SNAP something in excess of 5000 vets will lose those benefits. Veteran medical benefits have been reduced. The unemployment rate among vets is 10%. One third of homeless men in the U.S. are vets. Acts of Congress, not fiscal mismanagement, have nearly destroyed the USPS and caused many of its workers to be laid off. Guess what, the USPS employs more vets than anyone except the Defense Department. Increasing the minimum wage will help about a million vets. Expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act would bring coverage to 40% of the 1.3 million vets who are uninsured and yet some of the most self-righteous empty suit Governors are the very people who have refused to except increased Medicaid coverage in their states.
If we as a nation really want to thank veterans, we should demand that they have access to food, jobs, health care and housing. It just pisses me off when blowhard politician sing about their devotion to vets and then knife them at every turn.
