So I was watching a show on Netflix
last night, and it got me thinking about all the veterans not just from our
current wars but also past wars that are homeless on the streets in need of
shelter and treatment. I know that is a mouthful but it is true we as a country
don’t have a good record of taking care of our veterans in the last half of the
twentieth century or the first part of the twenty-first century. And that is
just plain wrong and if the politicians would listen to people with common
sense they too would find it unacceptable.
We send these young men and women
off to war and for some reason expect them to come back just like we sent them
off. At least that is what it seems like the majority of politicians think. Yet
we still have veterans from the Vietnam War on the streets without treatment or
homes or jobs. And no one is really lifting a finger to do anything about this
except in Atlanta and Phoenix where they have gotten all their Veterans in to
housing. But those are the two exceptions I know about. Why can’t the rest of
the country follow this example? I know it takes money. But these men and women
fought to protect our freedom and our country. The least we can do is give them
a place to live and the medical care they need. And help them get on their
feet. And when/if they can go back to work help them find work.
For almost fifty years we have been
abandoning our veterans and it needs to stop now. If we can spend the money to
go to war then we should be willing to spend the money after the war is over to
take care of our veterans when they come home as Bernie Sanders has been saying
for the longest time. Part of going to war is taking care of what you send to
war and that doesn’t mean just your tanks and jeeps and aircraft and ships. That
includes the troops who run them and who are only on foot too. We have got to
stop treating our troops like robots and start treating them like human beings.
It is bad enough we treat people in
this country as a whole as if they are robots but above all else we should not
treat our veterans this way. They deserve better than that. They deserve the
dignity, honor, and respect that comes with being the defenders of our freedoms
and our country. We may not always agree with why they go to war, but we should
certainly be able to agree that they should be treated like human beings with
needs and cares like anyone else. Let us start there and branch out from there.
It is a shame and a scar on our
honor that over 50,000 American Veterans are homeless on our streets every
night. We need to step up to the plate and get them shelter immediately. I don’t
want to hear debates on the matter or we will do something. I want to see
action NOW! It is about time we took some responsibility for what we have
caused and took care of the veterans that we created and left behind on America’s
streets. First let’s get them shelter then into treatment for their medical
needs and then into school or into a job if they can do it. And don’t you dare
tell me we can’t afford it. If we couldn’t afford to take care of them when they
came home then we never should have sent them to war in the first place that is
the bottom line.
Now I stepping off my soap box and
letting you have a chance to get things moving. But if change does not happen
you will hear from me on this matter again you can be assured. Feel free to
leave comments and questions below. For now I need coffee and a smoke to try
and lower my blood pressure. *Tips his hat, salutes and walks out the door
towards the brewer.*
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