I am about to rattle a few
cages here, especially if you are a disabled veteran, and most
especially if you are a veteran receiving public benefits. I
understand that you have done your duty, and may whatever power you
hold most sacred bless you to the utmost for that.
But I would like you to
rethink some things if you think you are "owed" your
benefits for what you have done, and I will illustrate the reasons
why with the story of my own great-grandfather, Ted.
Ted's parents were German
immigrants to the United States of America during the height of the
industrial boom, which was the late 1800s to early 1900s. They had a
good life, and a little store, and all was fairly alright.
Enter World War One.
Their son was enlisted in
the US forces and went overseas to fight. Ted fought his father's
ex-countrymen. And he fought well. That didn't stop a bombshell from
blowing his foot off while he was in action.
Ted came back to the
States, minus a foot. He was directed to a workshop for other WWI
veterans that had become "disabled" like him. The workshop
taught him how to make paper flowers to sell to the public on the
corner so that he could still have an income. Essentially, teaching
veterans how to live of the public pity dollars. No different than
getting the public assistance pity dollars that most disabled vets
live off of today. (Spade a spade, like it or don't.)
You know what he said to
that?
SCREW THIS! It was my FOOT
that got blown off, not my HEAD!
Ted did not get public
assistance (didn't exist yet) or public charity or public pity. He
used the gray matter between his ears to make his living after that.
He moved westward and got into film. Hollywood was a burgeoning
industry at the time, and silent films were the cinematic artform of
the day. He directed movies, worked with Harold Lloyd, met his
beautiful Irish wife and had a gorgeous daughter to whom he gave a
middle name in honor of his best friend, George Herman Ruth, Jr.
(otherwise known as Babe Ruth), who became her godfather. My dad
(Ted's grandson) still has the silver baseball from his mother's
christening engraved with the man's autograph.
Ted helped shape the
budding Hollywood, and was at the first Oscars with his wife. I have
seen the copy of the picture of it, which my dad has, and he pointed
out my great-grandparents to me, smiling brilliantly.
Not once did Ted consider
himself "disabled" or think that the citizens of this
country "owed" him for his service. He fought and served
because it was his DUTY, not a DEBT to be incurred by the people that
he was protecting. Such a thing is no better than hiring and
compensating a paid bodyguard, really.
He used his wits to keep
on going, keep living, and make his mark on the world, without the
public dole - or what would have equated to the public dole at the
time. Without a foot, mind you.
Please think of the course
that my great-grandfather took, before you say or think that you are
"owed" something for a DUTY that you damn
well knew the ramifications of before you
even took up arms.
And if you're wondering
where the fortune of my great-grandfather went, and why his
great-granddaughter has had to make due and thrive in such a hard
life as she has, then allow me to illustrate succinctly what happened
for you.
Have you ever seen Rocky
V?
Very close to that.
And this was before his
daughter was married to my grandfather, by the way. She married a
war vet, too, like her mom did. He didn't get anything blown off
though, thank heavens.
This post is not
meant to disparage our honored war veterans, but to ENCOURAGE and
INSPIRE them by putting things in perspective.
In order to restore the
constitution that you swore an oath
to uphold, protect, and defend, we have to actually adhere
to it. As explained in Davy Crockett vs Welfare, there is no
Constitutional authority, to use public funds for charity of any
kind. http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig4/ellis1.html
Thank you for your
bravery.
