In the sixteen years I’ve been writing this blog, I’ve witnessed America seemingly go off the rails. As I abhor religion and politics on this site, I have studiously avoided it for a reason and strive to concentrate exclusively on Veterans and their trials and tribulations at the hands of the VA. Of course, in the same vein, I’ve also watched the VA equally go off the rails, too. One would think a one hundred year-old compensation/pension program devoted entirely to Veterans could only improve with age like an obstreperous young cabernet maturing. One would be mistaken for thinking that about the VA… and now America.

In my seventy three years, I’ve watched my fellow countrymen spit on her servicemen when they returned from Viet Nam (yeah-it’s two words). Sixteen years later, I witnessed those very same countrymen, and probably their offspring, graciously rethink their former, harsh sentiments and welcome us all home. Call it the Yellow Ribbon Revelation. I’d like to find the idiot who coined that abomination “Welcome Home!”, stand him up against a  wall and invigorate him with a few blasts of my new Taser.

I’ve lived long enough to see anger and animosity rise to unheralded levels and rival political parties come to blows in the streets. Think back to the DC Moratorium March in ’68’ or May of ’70 and Kent State. Who in their right minds could ever conceive that some    of us in 2024 would cheer on those who flew planes into the World Trade Center and murdered 1200 Israeli partygoers simply because of their religion? But that is where we find ourselves.

America is an amalgam of virtually the entire world’s citizens by now. Few of us, with the notable exception of our native aborigines, can claim they’re truly American and speak to what our collective wishes are. Yet, watching the news, one might think the Mayflower krewe or the RHOW (Real Housewives Of Washington, D.C.)  are the arbiters of this subject. Worse, the idea of the correct mandate to carry America’s values into this new 21st Century seems to be foremost on each of the competing political parties’ tongues. But riddle me this. How can censoring comments on X or Facebook be protecting democracy? Should we just shuck the First Amendment?  How about the Second and just get rid of guns while we’re at it? Where do we stop? Oh Shit, oh dear. There’s twenty five of them pesky amendments.

America used to be a ‘live and let live’ country. Different strokes for different folks. It also used to express a sentiment closer to ‘all for one and one for all’. Somewhere in the last quarter century, that sentiment has evaporated and the residue left is pure poison. Lies fall from lips as easily as my Pickles drooling at the prospect of some heavy creme in the morning during coffee.

Without taking sides, mind you, I frequently hear the refrain that former President Trump called America’s Veterans ‘losers and suckers’. That phrase has been proven to be bogus yet the lefties continues to tout it as Biblical Truth. This is not to say that President Trump or any of his acolytes are morally superior, occupy the high ground or don’t speak with forked tongue. They, too, can come up with some quality Whoppers far bigger than Burger King™ like the Haitians eating cats in Springfield, Ohio.

I’m certainly not pointing fingers here but when the Snopes verification site is working overtime just to keep up with sorting out all the political mistruths, it’s time to look at ourselves and our biases with a critical eye. What could possibly be gained by propagating lies and untruths to confuse voters? Most would find it a sign of desperation if you have to lie to convince them. As Americans, we should be striving to close ranks and defend this marvelous country of ours. The media, however, paints the Conservatives as an “existential threat.” Newsflash, folks. Look at western North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene if you’re searching for a definition of an existential threat. And if FEMA don’t get off their poor, tired bonus-calloused asses pronto, it’s gonna be the past tense of existential.

Without allowing my sentiments to color your thinking, how many of you can look in the mirror and say “Gosh. The last four years have been absolutely suuuuper. My 401K is fat and sassy. I’m Greenin’ it drivin’ my $120 K Tesla. There’s rechargers on every corner. The cops killed George Floyd and the BLM idiots zealots tried to burn downtown Minneapolis. Good thing we defunded the cops’ asses.  Eleven million illegal immigrants with no immunization records (or any records) just sashayed across the border and we don’t have a clue who they are or what nationality they hight. Top drawer Universities in the Northeast are encouraging their students to actively hate Jews and cheer on terrorists who seek our country’s downfall. World War III is brewing in the Mideast and Ukraine. I’m broke but boy howdy, I’m sure glad Trump didn’t win! Imagine what kind of existential hell it would be like if he had. I want four more years of this.”

You, collectively, as American citizens, are free to associate with those you believe are going to make America great again or keep the status quo exactly as is. You can have your beliefs without denigrating your fellow Americans’ choices creating ill will. When the level of vitriol reaches a boiling point such that crazy people feel emboldened to try to assassinate the opposition candidate (X 2), we’ve crossed that line where trying to stuff Pandora back into her box is no longer an option.

I listen to this Veteran and that Veteran who disagree as to which political party is truly the Veteran’s friend. Personally, it’s my opinion that neither party is. I’ve watched the Department of Veterans Affairs dismantle much of the original Part IV of the Veterans Administration Schedule of Rating Disabilities such that it is a mere shadow of its original 1945 intent. Few, if any, of the diagnostic codes for rating disabilities have become more lenient in my thirty five years litigating them. Most of them have been eviscerated and hardly resemble their original intent. You should note that happened on both party’s watch. So who’s your Huckleberry, bubba?

Worse, cutting edge legislation in 2010 to remunerate Veterans with extreme TBI has been revised to the point no one can win. Have any of you tried filing for, and winning a PCAFC claim lately? Take for example what was just overturned in the  recent Laska/ Haskell decision. Whatever gave the VA Secretary and his sidekicks the idea they could revamp §3.350(j) and toss in a requirement for R2 when the regulation specifically says it’s for those who do not qualify for R2? Remember Veterans’ Choice? If VA is so constipated with a medical backlog, then hey- let’s send them out into the community for medical help if it’s gonna take more than 30 days. Veterans Choice around here is AWOL.

Think back. The guy liberals claim called Veterans  suckers and losers renewed that ‘temporary’ program. You may want to take note of who quietly axed the program or allowed it to atrophy and sink into oblivion in the last four years. My dentist told me he could no longer accept my VA dental benefit because VA refused to pay him… for the last two years. I remunerated him myself out of embarrassment.

Remember the SMC rebellion under Peake and Shinseki? Of course you don’t. Bradley, Buie, Breniser and more all bubbled to the top and were overthrown – or at least allowed some sunshine in and clarified longstanding inequities in how SMC is interpreted. Right. Guess who was President when that happened? Newsflash. It wasn’t the party (or individual) who the media says called us suckers and losers. It was the Administration that attempted to deny us.

Look further. Who is president now who tried to defend the indefensible in Laska? Barry? Duran? Yeppers. Our liberal Defenders of Democracy sent the OGC lawyers in to try to preserve keeping Veterans fenced out of that which should have been interpreted correctly 75 years ago. This isn’t a case of the good guys versus the bad guys. It’s a case of an Agency run amok sanctioned silently by Congress and by extension, the Casa Blanca. If this process is nonadversarial and Veteran friendly, why does the Secretary litigate against us?

Where in Sam Hill do you think Veterans come from? They’re not born at 18 years old with a Thumper or a ’16 in their hand. They’re drafted and ordered into war. The wars are not of their making but they patriotically march off to the slaughter. When they come home, they discover how empty and hollow the promises of the politicians of both stripes are that they’ll be properly compensated and cared for.  In that respect, we truly are suckers and losers for believing them.

No. This isn’t even close to a determination about who our friends are in Congress or the White House. The truth hurts. This has devolved down into a shouting match along the lines of a kid’s game of Applecore! Baltimore! Who’s your friend? It’s worse than that actually. Catch 22 has metamorphosed into the the Thursday Rule. If you weren’t born on a Thursday, you’re shit out of luck. And it sure doesn’t boil down to whether you’re a loyal Democrat or Republican Veteran.

Harkening back to the old Virginia Slims™ commercial, as a country, we’ve come a long way, baby. But black Veterans are still getting marginalized in spite of the official 1954 Army emancipation. VA even acknowledged this as recently as last year.  Senator Alan Cranston set this judicial inequality ball in motion when he pushed for the VJRA and the inception of the CAVC for judicial equality in ’88. It’s unfortunate he stopped there and didn’t continue on to author a Veterans Bill of Rights to accompany it. A somber monument on the Mall for Viet Nam Veterans to visit their Buds is cool beans but it doesn’t pay the bills. I’d much rather have seen the money spent on reform of 38 CFR or 38 USC to comport with what Congress professes to believe versus what they hand out. You can’t eat granite.

So, in closing today, thirty days before we collectively pull the lever for the candidate of our choice, ask yourselves if you think America (and Americans) are better off that they were 4 years ago. Ask yourself how you are going to use your entitlement to a VA loan if you can’t even make enough money to make a future mortgage payment. Ask yourself if you feel comfortable with a gazillion brand new aspiring countrymen you can’t understand who haven’t even been vetted as to their loyalty to your country. Better yet, look yourself in the mirror and convince that other you this is all Trump’s fault for not building the wall down south four years earlier… but your candidate will… just as soon as you elect her.

Trump ain’t no daisy, but then neither is Kammy. The former has been out of office for four years and is getting blamed for all our current ills. The latter has been in power for those selfsame four years and has done nothing of consequence other than toss some amazing word salads but shooo doggies can she laugh a blue streak. Seems I remember the same blame game tactic in a previous administration where we listened to the litany of Bush’s shortcomings for almost 8 years. Seems it’s always the predecessor’s fault.

Do not think for a moment I give a shit what party you profess to belong to. Personally, I don’t care who wins. Both parties have been promising for the last hundred years that as soon as they get elected and finish turning water into wine why, shit, it’ll all get better. To me, it’s going to be the SOSDD (same old shit- different day) syndrome. We, as Veterans, will gradually continue to have our rights and entitlements whittled down and eliminated one by one. All the while, your Veterans Service Organizations, Congressmen and women, and the VA Secretary will be swearing on a stack of Bibles that they’re moving Heaven and Earth to improve your lot.

If you have to vote for something, vote for yourself and what’s going to make our Veterans’ plight more equitable and sustainable. Our military is in a world of shit. Think about it. Would you selfishly vote for sex change operations for servicemen (and Veterans) if it meant depriving the rest of your fellow warriors of lifesaving procedures? Would you think DEI is more important than having a cohesive fighting unit that will have your six? Is being politically correct more important than winning a war? Would securing our borders just be a big waste of money?

I’ll close by saying my father gave me an interesting piece of advice when I was young:

“Son, you have the right to remain stupid. It’s guaranteed in the Constitution. Nobody can take that right away from you.”

Very shortly, assuming you are a real citizen over 18, you’ll get to make this momentous choice. Personally, I don’t care how you decide. I’m just playing the Devil’s Advocate here to encourage you to think about the upcoming election. I don’t want to Make America Great Again. The America I know has always been great. I don’t see any reason to reinvent it. Vote for whatever floats your boat.

And, in the immortal words of Forest Gump (my hero), ‘that’s all I’m going to say about that.’