Veteran's Day, Everyday?

Today, November 12, 2014, is the day AFTER Veteran's Day. How many meals does your town have to feed our veteran's, today? How many veterans will be sleeping outside in the cold tonight, in your town? Yesterday, three lucky vets in Cleveland received refurbished vehicles, free and clear. I cant wait to see how many vets receive automobiles today. Have you ever wondered how many vets in your town are unemployed? Have you ever thought of the fact that over three million (3,000,000) vets lost their long-term unemployment benefits when the Congress refused to sign the benefit extension? I wonder how many soldiers and vets are feeling appreciated today, dont you?

After my post yesterday about our 21st century military, I had several people comment that today's military was not largely made up of sons and daughters of the inner city, from poor families, from low-income families. I need to qualify that by saying that prior to 9/11, the recruiters were courting the inner city schools heavily as the military was not a considered option for the majority of the young people in our country. The majority were headed to college. The military was doing anything and everything it could to get recruits and the inner city was their best bet.

Post- 9/11, there was a groundswell of patriotism. This led to an influx of young people enlisting. The majority of these young adults came from middle and lower socioeconomic classes. Even in this surge of patriotism, it was rare to find a child of the wealthy or a legislator enlisting. In the most recent years, however, the military continues to be an opportunity for the inner city student but the majority of the suburban students have college in their sights.

To carry the point further, I find it somewhat amusing, in a sad way, that my comments somehow strike the chord that these young people from the poor and low-income families are lacking intellect. That could not be further from the truth. These recruits do not lack intellect. What they lack is opportunity! I know for a fact that a high school degree is a requirement for enlistment in today's military and if, per chance, a young recruit is struggling to reach that end, the recruiters will do anything and everything they can to assist success in that area. I would also like to add that, with the closing of many US military bases in recent years and the near future, even this 'opportunity' of a military career is leaving the inner city. But, that, is for a future post on another topic.

In closing, no matter where on the socioeconomic scale our servicemen, servicewomen and veterans come from, they deserve so much more from the country they serve. Shame on us!!

#911 #patriotism #opportunity #military