Memorial Day

Today at a homeless shelter, I talked with a veteran who live in almost constant pain due to nerve damage and who is scared by the person he became momentarily during combat. He complained bitterly that many Americans see Memorial Day as a day for barbecues and shoe shopping, but veterans do not forget the purpose of Memorial Day. He reminded me that it's a day for remembering fallen comrades who didn't make it back--people who died for him, and whom he was willing to die for. He reminded me that many veterans feel forgotten and discarded. He said, "The US used us and celebrated us when they needed us, and now we feel forgotten." It's a reminder that no one deserves to be homeless--least of all those who have served our country and put themselves in danger when necessary, at the behest of a president who claims to be acting for the good of the country. Set aside the legitimacy of current military policy (that is a matter for holding our elected officials accountable). I have heard stories of cutbacks to VA budgets and reduction in spending on post-combat veterans. I have heard that some veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan have been bought out of the government's responsibility to care for them. This is disgusting. That's all I have to say right now.