In the recent confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, Senator Jeff Sessions made a comment that was modestly disturbing to me. He stated; ” to be sympathetic to one party, is to be prejudiced to another.” The disturbing aspect of this mindset is that it is delivered in such an authoritative and declarative fashion, as if it is objective truth.
This style of polarized, ‘us versus them’ mentality, that dominates most all editorial boards and certainly the mass of talk shows, has so divided the nation that I am not sure how we can put Humty Dumty back together. We seen to be in a permanent Red vs. Blue State campaign mode and have forgotten how to stop campaigning and shift to governing.
I am of the ilk that it is this new, in your face zeitgeist that has become the dominant cultural thinking style of our time, and is at the core of the waning membership in many of our venerated veterans organizations.
What returning soldier wants to place themselves in such an environment? While the Charters of organizations like the VFW and American Legion have clauses about being a bit to raucous or one sided we nevertheless have created an environment where the young men and women who need the advocacy of the group do not want to associate with such charged personalities. Especially with someone who would think that to be sympathetic begets the polar opposite of prejudicial behavior.
Is it possible that there are hidden forces in DC who would prefer to have Veteran organizations fade into the sunset? If we continue with the divisive and extreme partisan behavior that blankets our daily lives, we will see an incremental decline in the simple desire to associate for common causes, so as to avoid confrontation, and the consequent weariness it brings.
The diminished influence of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, Vietnam Veterans of America, DAV and others, would not be a good thing, and I fault the elected leaderhip and the insatiable needs of 24/7 media with the lagging membership rolls, as they feed on the polarity they created.
The situation is indeed polarized. The anti-military wing of the Democratic party fully intends to finance their pie-in-the-sky agenda by gutting the military and decreasing our standard of living through wealth redistribution and denial of health benefits or rationing. Wealth redistribution, for the uniformed, is increased taxes on income, utilities, medical care, and luxury living aka discretionary expenditures.
The so-called “Old-Timers” (Veterans) who populate the various organizations listed understand the problem. Getting the youngsters to understand the significance of the problem and do something about it is the challenge. “K” street in Washington, D.C. is populated by organizations called “Special Interests.” It is time the people in the fly-over states get their collective acts together and help get our own message out: Socialism is anathema to a meritocracy where hard work is rewarded and entitlement – kleptocracy is Big Government.
As for Veterans, why should a Patriot risk his life and subject his family to periods of seperation anxiety so that politically annointed victim groups can live off his/her service?
As a Veteran, I understand the need for otherwise quiet heroes to stand up and be counted for the flag they served under. When I can attend a parade and witness nobody talking on their cell phone or playing some silly game on their I-POD as the colors pass by, then our work might be done. When “Shifty” from World War II’s Easy Company passes away and not a word honors him but Michael Jackson’s Hollywood funeral in a state on the edge of bankruptcy is front page news for days, our work has only begun.
We need to rally the troops through leadership and example. Soon, the Old Timers will be gone and forgotten. We need to “Hold the line!” Otherwise, our sacrifice will have been in vain and St. Crispin from Henry V will fall on deaf ears. Don’t hold your manhood cheap, Vets.
Vet 66. Are you a member of any of the Old Timers Clubs? tsk! VFW/Legion or any of the sorts. Are you a Vietnam Vet? Which branch of the Armed Forces did you pledge your service to America?
Mike;
Good question. I guess the Vet66 by-line wasn’t specific enough. I was drafted the day I graduated from high school in 1966. I joined the Navy because I love the sea and was inspired by my Father who was assigned to an LST in the Pacific during WWII. Went to Communications school for the Naval Security Group working under the CNO. Was discharged in 1972. What happened between 1966 and 1972 is on an NTK basis for the purpose of this discussion.
I support the VFW, ride with the Patriot Guard Riders, and belong to the Warrior Legacy Foundation. Lose the ‘tsk’ . I was spit on every time I reentered the country through Travis AFB. I was told to pack my uniform and leave the base in civvies because the government would not pay to replace a soiled uniform at the hands of the protesters outside the gate.
There are those of us who do not want this scenario to play out with our current warriors. I do not view veterans as victims. They are entitled to respect and support. That is our mission.
Thanks 66′ I love the Patriot Guard Riders. Always there when you need them. Got a couple of pals who ride. They made the HOG Rally downtown a quality event. Too bad the current leadership downtown is a bit lacking in all things egalatarian.
I too was inspired by my Father who was a Corpsman in WWll and my grandfather who was a Navy Commander in WWl. and the first commander of the American Legion in Dixon, Ill in 1919. The home of Ronald Reagan. He and my grampa were life guards together on the Rock River. My grandad Frank Gorham, was a bit older than Ronnie at the time. Frank Gorham was also a descendent of Nathaniel Gorham as signer of the Constitution.
Keep up the good work 66′ Get some of your pals to get these blogs juiced a bit with the kind of insight you are providing.
We are singing from the same hymnal, make no mistake about it. I just returned from visiting my Uncle who was a SeaBee, Construction Battalion in WWII and Korea. DOD just decided, after all these years that CB’s qualified for their own battle ribbon. He and I are the only two surviving military in our families. He took me upstairs where he opened his sock drawer and pulled the little display box and opened it up for me to see. Not a dry eye in the room! Driving a road grader with a rifle across your lap, worrying about snipers, was his life for awhile. Keep the faith…and thanks!
I searched for ‘Who Invented The I-phone’ at google and found this your post (‘e Reasons for Membership Troubles in Veteran Fraternal Organizations; VFW/American Legions/Vietnam Veteans of America/DAV – Veteran Veritas’) in search results. Not very relevant result, but still interesting to read.