I have been replaying the tapes in my head from this Veteran's Day. I think I heard at least several dozen people and quite a few newscasts/commercials that said, "Thanks for your service." The irony was not lost on many of the veterans, nor was it lost on me. See, with the exception of the Revolutionary War, which we started, and the Civil War, which some of us started, one would be hard pressed to come up with an example of a war that ever threatened our homeland. Fascists will claim that when our military fleet was attacked at Pearl Harbor, that was a threat to the Good old U.S. of A., but Hawaii was not even a state yet. The history of conflict has always been about the oligarchy, their interests and their "rights" to have it all while the rest of us paid the price.
I want to point out that I am a pacifist, but that should not undermine the truth which I speak. I do thank veterans for their service, but not the kind that most people are thinking about. See, the military exploits to which they are frequently turned, have nothing to do with me and I'm okay with that. The service that I commend all soldiers for is the service to their unit, the other human beings that they serve(d) with and the people on the ground wherever they were sent, that they showed compassion to the ones they tried to help and the people who they were able to save from the clutches of untenable situations. Conflict is never easy to overcome. When humanity has completely broken down around you, clinging to what makes us human is what I thank them for. From time to time there are stories of humanity and grace in times of barbarism and heinous mayhem. These are the thiungs that we need to thank our military personnel for.
Whether it is the cruise missile pilot who stands up to say that innocents are the victims of these impersonal death machines, or the foot-soldiers who are on the front lines of meaningless wars, who are willing to tell their stories again and again to teach those who stayed home what things were really like. I even thank the majority of those who "served", but became peace warriors and activists to end war forever once they were released from their "service". You see, those who have been to war are often the most staunch advocates for peace. These are all acts of service, not their participation in wanton destruction, of peace, of civility, of culture and of infrastructure. No, I can almost feel what you are thinking, this is not about our freedom of speech, not about our freedom of movement and certainly not about our economic or educational freedoms. All of these things are under attack from within our own borders!
The entire slate of Republican candidates proves my point.
There are millions who serve our nation that I also consider veterans, who may have never set foot on a military base. Those who stand for what our country claims to be...a shining beacon to the rest of the world that has the audacity to claim that all men are created equal, that every one of us has the right to certain freedoms and inalienable rights. In fact, those of us who have had to grow up with the fear and loathing that PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress disorder) brings into the home, understand that not everyone who "served" has given some, or all. We all do that. Perhaps you will think of this next year when Veteran's Day comes around. Perhaps you will think of a more appropriate way to express your feelings. The only true way to thank those who "serve" would b to call them all home and put their efforts to work here, changing the dynamics that lead to entrenched poverty, utilizing their skills to make life a little better for those they left behind. If our house is in order, that will be the biggest draw for other countries to want to be like us. Letting the oligarchs amass even greater wealth at the expense of the poorest people on the planet only proves to the rest of the world that we do not stand for what we say that we do.
Those who help to establish urban gardens, where organic produce can thrive, those who mentor a child, those who volunteer are doing a much greater and more necessary service, but that is beside the point. Instead of mindlessly parroting the words that have come to be synonymous with Veteran's Day, providing cover for the big lie, we need to tackle the economic desperation that makes enlistment seem like a good idea. I only know a few people who came away from their military service whole and relatively stable. I know hundreds of others who were damaged beyond what mere words can express. Nothing as trite as "thank-you" can make up for giving your body, mind and soul to the 1% to squander at will.
I want to point out that I am a pacifist, but that should not undermine the truth which I speak. I do thank veterans for their service, but not the kind that most people are thinking about. See, the military exploits to which they are frequently turned, have nothing to do with me and I'm okay with that. The service that I commend all soldiers for is the service to their unit, the other human beings that they serve(d) with and the people on the ground wherever they were sent, that they showed compassion to the ones they tried to help and the people who they were able to save from the clutches of untenable situations. Conflict is never easy to overcome. When humanity has completely broken down around you, clinging to what makes us human is what I thank them for. From time to time there are stories of humanity and grace in times of barbarism and heinous mayhem. These are the thiungs that we need to thank our military personnel for.
Whether it is the cruise missile pilot who stands up to say that innocents are the victims of these impersonal death machines, or the foot-soldiers who are on the front lines of meaningless wars, who are willing to tell their stories again and again to teach those who stayed home what things were really like. I even thank the majority of those who "served", but became peace warriors and activists to end war forever once they were released from their "service". You see, those who have been to war are often the most staunch advocates for peace. These are all acts of service, not their participation in wanton destruction, of peace, of civility, of culture and of infrastructure. No, I can almost feel what you are thinking, this is not about our freedom of speech, not about our freedom of movement and certainly not about our economic or educational freedoms. All of these things are under attack from within our own borders!
The entire slate of Republican candidates proves my point.
Those who help to establish urban gardens, where organic produce can thrive, those who mentor a child, those who volunteer are doing a much greater and more necessary service, but that is beside the point. Instead of mindlessly parroting the words that have come to be synonymous with Veteran's Day, providing cover for the big lie, we need to tackle the economic desperation that makes enlistment seem like a good idea. I only know a few people who came away from their military service whole and relatively stable. I know hundreds of others who were damaged beyond what mere words can express. Nothing as trite as "thank-you" can make up for giving your body, mind and soul to the 1% to squander at will.
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