In religious parlance, sacrifice is an offering to god as an act of propitiation, and while sacrifice often implies ritual killing, it can also mean giving one’s life for a greater good. Christians claim their god sacrificed his son so mankind could live eternally, and that Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice in offering his mortal life as a ransom for mankind’s sins. Today Americans honor members of the armed forces who made the ultimate sacrifice by enlisting in the military and offering their lives in defense of this country, and regardless what one thinks of war, the military, or veterans, they deserve the same support and allegiance as religion’s imaginary beings.
Every year there is a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery to honor and thank all who served in the United States Armed Forces, and although a ceremony, parades, and flags are nice gestures, it is how America takes care of its citizens’ who offered their lives in defense of their country that reveals how a nation honors its Veterans’ sacrifice. Republicans love the military as a tool to impose their will on the rest of the world and to enrich the military industrial complex, but when it comes time to care for service members after their enlistments end, the GOP treats them like the rest of the population; with contempt and disregard.
It is a harsh reality, but over the past 11 years Republicans squandered the lives of thousands of service members by waging two unnecessary wars against Muslims, and when they have had opportunities to help returning Veterans with benefits or to find employment, they balked for nefarious reasons. In September, Senate Republicans prevented a Veterans’ jobs bill from coming up for a vote by requiring Democrats to come up with 60 votes that killed a vote on the jobs program. President Obama promoted the Veterans Jobs Corps Act that provides $1 billion over five years to hire 20,000 Veterans for public jobs and to prioritize Vets for police, firefighter, and EMT jobs as well as the infrastructure that helps them in job searches.
The reason Republicans claim they blocked the Veterans Jobs bill was that it had no chance of passing the Republican controlled House that refuses to pass any legislation proposed by President Obama to deny Democrats any semblance of accomplishment. However, Republican’s disregard for Veterans’ sacrifice goes beyond blocking a measly $1 billion over 5 years and it was apparent at the Republican National Convention and Paul Ryan’s Path to Prosperity budget.
Americans who watched Willard’s convention acceptance speech recall he failed to mention Veterans, active-duty service members, or the war in Afghanistan. Romney liked the idea of becoming president to reward the defense industry and help Israel wage war on Iran, but like his treatment of employees Bain Capital raided, service members are expendable. Romney even floated the idea of giving Veterans a coupon for their healthcare to save money for tax cuts for the rich, but fortunately for Veterans, Willard will not have the opportunity to privatize the only socialized program in America. Romney’s running mate, Paul Ryan, submitted a budget that shortchanged Veterans under the guise of reining in spending to fund corporate tax cuts, eliminate Alternative Minimum Tax, cut taxes for the wealthy, and maintain preferential rates on capital gains and dividends, if not end them altogether. According to The Economic Policy Institute, Ryan’s budget cuts domestic spending by $404 billion that not only destroys 4.1 million jobs, but cuts the cost-of-living adjustment for Veterans instead of the bloated Pentagon budget. Ryan’s budget assaults Veterans two ways by cutting their cost-of-living adjustment and killing jobs they desperately need after sacrificing for their country in stark contrast to the work President Obama has put in to help Veterans throughout his first term.
Yesterday at the ceremony honoring Veterans’ sacrifice, President Obama said, “After a decade of war, our heroes are coming home,” and that “over the next few years more than a million service members will transition back to civilian life. No one who fights for this country overseas should ever have to fight for a job or a roof over their head, or the care that they have earned when they come home.” The President also reaffirmed his previous commitment to continue the post-9/11 GI Bill that provides college funding for those who served, and he said “soldiers suffering war-related health problems will get the care they need.” The President has been a fierce advocate for Veterans that began in September 2009 when he signed an extension of the GI Bill for education benefits citing their sacrifices abroad by putting “their very lives on the line for America, and helping Veterans with college tuition and housing is more than a moral obligation.” The President backed up his words by promoting the Veterans’ Jobs bill Republicans blocked from even coming up for a vote.
Americans owe a debt of gratitude to our Veterans for their sacrifice that should go beyond parades, flag waving, and ceremonies at cemeteries once a year. Putting miniature flags on the graves of fallen veterans is a nice symbolic gesture, but that is all it is; a gesture. Whether or not one supports the folly of wars for oil and religious dominance, Americans owe Veterans for their sacrifice after they take off the uniform whether it was World War II, Korea, Viet Nam, or Bush’s folly in Afghanistan and Iraq. Republicans don’t see it that way or they would not block the President’s Veterans’ jobs bill, or support Ryan’s budget that cuts cost of living adjustments, and if they supported Veterans they certainly would not suggest handing Veterans a coupon for healthcare. However, in their drive to reward the wealthy and corporations with more tax cuts, and the defense industry with bloated Pentagon increases, they reveal their true opinion of those who sacrifice and it adds insult to very real injuries.
Today when many Americans enjoy the federal holiday honoring the nation’s Veterans, one hopes they take the time to reflect on the sacrifice some Americans have made in service of their country and take time to thank Veterans and write, call, or email representatives in Congress and demand they pass, immediately, the Veterans Jobs Corps Act and oppose the Ryan budget cuts that affect Veterans cost of living adjustments. While they are at it, they should offer support to local VFW groups assisting Veterans in need and support the President’s efforts to help Veterans that Republicans obstruct while increasing military spending that benefits narrow special interests and not active duty soldiers or Veterans. Republicans have demonstrated their only interest is supporting special corporate interests and the wealthy, but it is time for Americans to demand they fully support the men and women who served all Americans selflessly; even Republicans attempting to keep them unemployed.
PoliticusUSA
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Reynardine
Nov. 12th, 2012 at 9:49 am
The military is a tool of their ambition…and when tools break, you discard them.
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Mike Doughty
Nov. 13th, 2012 at 6:58 am
Congress do your job. Quit picking on disabled vets. You work for us. We need are raises you dont need yours
! 2014 we will fire you! You get paid to act like babies. Enough is enough. Mike Doughty
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Anne
Nov. 12th, 2012 at 10:12 am
Republican politicians are famous for giving lip service to the patriotism of veterans and those currently engaged in war. However, they are equally famous for voting against measures that would help veterans who have been injured during combat or those who have been emotionally scarred. They definitely don’t want to help when it comes to readjusting to civilian life. Senator John McCain is a prime example of a veteran who votes against legislation designed to help fellow veterans, so I can’t see how any veteran can vote for him in good conscience. Paul Ryan is not going to be our vice president, but the effects of his budget would be detrimental to them, which is why I hope that the president doesn’t give an inch in protecting veterans and other Americans against such a harmful and destructive budget.
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Evermore Jones
Nov. 12th, 2012 at 11:50 am
I personally am very tired of the republican’s whining about President Obama’s “excessive” spending. First of all the actual math of the situation makes them liars. Second, government spending is historically the way that you bring your country out of a recession. Who doesn’t remember F.D.R. and his “New Deal” that brought us out of the great depression? Apparently the republicans don’t remember.
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Kenny
Nov. 13th, 2012 at 9:18 am
Evermore, FDR’s “New Deal” did not get the country out of the Great Depression. He passed it and 4 years later the country went back into another hard depression with unemployment jumping back up to 20%. You know why? Because he was also fiscally conservative to the point that the administration also passed “The Economy Act of 1933″. That Act cut $500 million from the same budget in areas outside of “The New Deal”. You know what one of these areas the administration cut was? Non-disabled veteran’s benefits to the point the EA of 1933 repealed all laws on those benefits. Good move by the savior FDR to cut veterans benefits during the Depression. The economy did not start to fully recover until 1942 because of our participation in WW2. So if you are labeling, it seems the democrats have forgot history and forgot our veterans as well.
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robyn ryan
Nov. 12th, 2012 at 12:08 pm
About 20 years ago, the passed a bill limiting retiree COLA to 1% BELOW COLA. Which means my pension is smaller now than 20 years ago. And the PTSD keeps me from that second career I was supposed to have to make up for it.
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Terry Carter
Nov. 12th, 2012 at 12:32 pm
Sure blame the republicans, but forget the fact that the Democrats keep putting these bills in without any means to pay for them. Again the math shows that raising taxes on the top 1% will raise an additional 40 or 50 Billion a year which when we are spending 1.2 to 1.3 trillion more a year then we are taking in will do ZERO to make a difference.
I’m a vet and while I fully support vets I understand that we just cannot afford to give and give without any take.
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Shiva (Moderator)
Nov. 12th, 2012 at 3:21 pm
it continually amazes me when people say to any item that might help, it wont fix the problem. The fix is going to be made up of many contributions of which 40 or $50,000,000,000 a year would be a pretty decent part of the fix.
Certainly spending must be curtailed in areas where it can be contained. You’ll get absolutely no argument about that. But to set on the sidelines and say this or that wont fix the problem is part of the problem. If you want to wait for one thing to come along that will fix the problem go for it, but I hope that our representatives wont do that
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RMuse
Nov. 12th, 2012 at 4:04 pm
Spending, like taxes, is lower than it’s been in 50 years (adjusted) and for the record, Social Security is not part of government spending or an entitlement. It is a GOP canard and does not add a cent to the deficit or the budget and Republicans know it.
In fact, Social Security is the poster child for fiscal responsibility. GOP wants the $2.7 trillion surplus handed to Wall Street.
According to the SS Trust, it is forbidden to take one penny from the government, but Bush borrowed against it for his two wars and tax cuts for the rich and still blew up the deficit. You, and America, have been sold a bill of goods as vacant as a foreclosed home. Sad, really.
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Inez
Nov. 12th, 2012 at 10:35 pm
I hgve an idea. Let’s bring our troops home from every peacekeeping assignment. Lets ‘only have veterans face Congress in public hearings regarding THEIR benefits. These service men and women volunteered to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan,due to Bush/Cheney’s weapons of mass destruction.Cheney’s company made millions while shortchanging our troops. WHO will serve if we are in another war? Why should they? how many in Congress served one day on ACTVE DUTY?.
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A Walkaway
Nov. 12th, 2012 at 12:38 pm
When I read this, I thought about the Bonus Army and other unkept promises, starting many years ago (maybe even before the civil war, in fact).
Cannon fodder for the rich – that’s what ordinary people are when it comes to soldiers. They’ll also promise anything to get people to fight, but you know they will do anything to not keep those promises (unless they can make some ordinary person keep the promises for them).
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Maria Meacham
Nov. 12th, 2012 at 4:52 pm
It is an ongoing battle with the GOP controlled congress. George Bush got us into this endless war without engaging the rest of the country for support. In WWII, there was fuel rationing, mandatory recycling, people buying bonds to support the war.
Bush decided to borrow the entire cost of the war, sending us int the fiscal hole we find ourselves in.
We need to get out, by making many changes and many more people paying their share of taxes. The entire budget and cost of the war can not balance entirely on the backs of the military men & women and their families who have already given so much.
The top 1% need to step up to pay up, after all aren’t the armed forces protecting their assets? their private oil pipes? their merchandise traveling in the pirate waters? Since they reap
the greatest benefits they need to pay up the
greatest share.
Then, come the rest of the corporations and banks, that ask to be bailed out with citizens money, only constrict the lending to needy veterans homeowners who are losing their homes.
It can not be just one solution. Congress needs to start acting like it is being run by adults and start solving the issues, not just being the biggest problem we have. The military veterans needs all the support we can gather, as they are trusting in the system and on the rest of us to watch their backs while they are doing the dying and the bleeding. The soldiers are not sitting in some bunk debating how to use the loops to escape paying taxes. They are in some hell hole in Afghanistan trying to stay alive while fighting the elusive enemy and surviving the friendly fire.
taxes. They are in some bunker tr
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BuddhaMan
Nov. 13th, 2012 at 1:45 pm
The best way to help veterans is to end war. The only way to end war is to find peace. And peace comes from tolerance and understanding. Those are things most Republicans have in very short supply. And maybe instead of looking out for there own interests (or rather the interests of those who finance them), the GOP should through their dusty, molding ideology aside and do right by our veterans and our nation. Wall Street might pay for their campaigns, but we, the people of America, still have to vote them in. So, to me the solution is simple: elect candidates who work for the nation, not for special interests.
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