Sunday, January 4, 2009

Shafted, the 8th deadly sin for veterans

Seven Deadly Sins
The seven deadly sins, also known as the capital vices or cardinal sins, are a classification of the most objectionable vices that were originally used in early Christian teachings to educate and instruct followers concerning (immoral) fallen man's tendency to sin. They are: lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride.



Shafted, the 8th deadly sin for veterans.
by Chaplain Kathie
When you do what you're supposed to do and there is the perception others will do the same, it's shocking when you find out you've just been used. Well that's exactly what's been happening everyday right here in America. Over 1.8 million men and women joined the ranks of combat veterans from other military actions. That is, they joined those who are still living despite the best efforts of a disconnected government bureaucracy to have them drop off the face of the earth. That is exactly how they feel.
When there was a military draft, they were forced to go, follow orders, stay until told to leave and then, well they were handed a piece of paper, then sent off to fend for themselves. Pretty neat trick when you think about it.
They served right next to men and women willing to risk their lives for the sake of the nation, but yet again, they were also handed a piece of paper then just sent on to live the rest of their lives by a nation hoping they would never hear from them ever again. After all, they did their time being fed, given clothes, shelter and medical care while they were serving. What more could they want? Well for starters an actual grateful nation would have been just the beginning of what they not only wanted but fully deserved.
See, we've inherited a streak in all of us that conditions us to wave the good ole red, white and blue flag, slap on a bumper sticker and sing the songs most of us can't even manage to carry the tune of while feeling oh so patriotic. We can then live out the rest of our days feeling as if we have deserved the bounty of this land paid for by the blood of the generations of those willing to fight and die for it beginning with the Patriots themselves. We didn't do so well by them either. Ever hear about how Washington had a hard time feeding them and keeping shoes on their feet?
When the men and women we cheer come home, naturally after hearing all the speeches from politicians about how we�re the ones that are supposed to be supporting them end up falling for that line of crap hook, line and sinker, it�s easy for us to just walk away and ignore them. We never seem to manage the same politicians telling us how much we need to support the troops consistently and continually fail them when they are no longer of any use to the nation. God forbid they manage to come home wounded needing the care, compensation and compassion from the government after the government can no longer use them. A burden is a burden no matter what! Some even view the VA as a welfare program for veterans expecting to be taken care of just because they have wounds preventing them from working for a living.
We have half the National Guards coming home with PTSD eating them up alive. It's a slow, agonizing death of character and hope. This insidious enemy does not stop with claiming the warrior. Oh no, it's never happy with just one. This goes after the whole family in this generation and then is carried over into the next by the children of veterans. We witnessed this in the children of veterans from all wars when Daddy came home "different" and he was angry, drank too much along with being inattentive. They angry outburst, rash decisions, unexplained mood swings became a plague, breaking up families with far reaching affects on families.
go here for more
http://www.namguardianangel.com/

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