Friday, September 21, 2012

Thank You For Your Service Rings Hollow


I'm a veteran.  Specifically a Viet Nam Era veteran who enlisted Nov. 13, 1973.  Didn't ship out for training until May of 74 due to my AFSC field being closed due to it being filled to capacity and having to pick another. 

The last few years, I've heard people tell me and other vets "Thank you for your service" under the feel good guise of supporting our troops  But then I see the same folks turn around and vote for military funding that benefits defense contractors, weapons manufacturers, and their ancillary industries, lobbyists and so on while the servicemen and women of the country and us veterans experience pay rates so low that many have to turn to food stamps to feed their families.  Politicians think the current $100K death payout that some surviving families get when their spouse is killed in action is too much money and would like to cut that back to a lower figure.  Apparently they don't realize that only reflects two years of the US median income.

I don't want to hear thank you for your service when y'all are voting for politicians who put banking interests first when those same banks are also illegally foreclosing on active duty service men and women on deployment. I don't want to hear thank you for your service when you are voting for politicians (and their rich backers) who believe that disabled vets who are part of Romney's despised 47% are leeches and parasites.  Seriously.  I just don't.