Dec 12

Dec 12 Speaking for Our Heroes

Photo: Keith Jones, M1 Armor Crewman Gunner, worked on a M1A2 Sepv2 Abrams tank in Afghanistan. Photo courtesy of Cheyenne Lewis

American soldiers have been fighting for the freedom of the people since 1776. Americans look at those people as heroes and believe that those who died back then were the foundation on which our country is built. So why do we treat our modern-day veterans so poorly?

This is a personal issue for me because I come from a military family. My great grandfather fought in WWll, my grandfather fought in Vietnam, and my uncle was recently discharged from Iraq. Americans may have respect for these veterans but don’t do anything to fix the problems these soldiers encounter after they are put back into normal society.

18.5 million people in America are currently serving in the military, about 4 million of those veterans are disabled, and about 40 thousand are homeless. How are we, as Americans, showing our appreciation for these heroes while they are living in these conditions? War is a horrible thing to experience and most of the participants come back scarred not only physically but mentally. About 20% of these men and women return with PTSD and are unable to get normal jobs because of this disorder. Those men and women fought for us and now we should fight for them and their right to have a life that they deserve.

“about 4 million of those veterans are disabled, and about 40 thousand are homeless.”

Not only are our veterans living in unfortunate conditions, but throughout the years, they have been dealing with backlash from the media. In the 1970s during the Vietnam War, a lot of these young men were drafted and didn’t have a choice to join the military, even if they didn’t support the war. These young men, after going through the terrible experiences of war, were spat on and were thrown no victory rallies when returning home. Americans blamed the soldiers rather than blaming the government for the tragedies that happened in Vietnam.

Even today, some Americans have problems with the disrespect of our veterans. Colin Kaepernick in 2016 during the National Anthem kneeled for police brutality, Kaepernick was kneeling to the flag, and to the people who fought for him to be able to kneel.

This problem is not unique to the general public, but it is also happening within Hamilton. A few days ago during our Veteran’s Day announcements, people sighed and continued to talk not only through the announcement itself, but also through the moment of silence. We as students can’t be quiet for two minutes to honor the people who fought for us? The lack of respect is astonishing and needs to be addressed.

Many Americans have an issue with showing respect to our veterans. The solution to this problem is more than just being aware, but taking action and making the effort to respect and honor these heroes.