Veterans' Day 2013

As we approach Veterans’ Day, my stomach turns as it normally does this time of year, for the longest time I wasn’t exactly sure why Veterans’ Day bothered me so much. At times I thought that it was just a push back against the Army, but I think I have finally put my finger on it. It’s not that I hated my experience in the military because that would be a lie, since there were amazing aspects, and I would do it all again since it made me into the person I am today. Yeah perhaps I would change a thing or two but that is neither here nor there, I realized that what disturbs me is not the military but rather society that disturbs me so much.

            Some of it is the blind fascist patriotism that comes with Veterans’ Day, not of the vets, but as I said, of society. Sure some vets display this blind patriotism as they see themselves as some kind of hero, but those are mostly the REMF’s (Rear Echelon Mother Fuckers) and the Fobbits (people who never leave base when deployed). Yes, I value these soldiers just as much, and I have no doubt that these folks can be just as traumatized by war as those of us who were outside the wire everyday getting blown up and shot at everyday, but there is something different that happens when your life is on the line everyday, you get a different perspective, you become a turtle, most of those who do not deal with that constant level of violence, well they are ducks. Turtles have that hard shell and know when to duck and cover in it. Ducks follow the leader no matter where the leader goes, no matter how incompetent the leader is… the duck follows. This analogy can be applied in multiple areas of life, and there are many, who have never seen this sort of violence but are born turtles (they are very few and far between though), but again I digress and that is neither here nor there.

            Returning to this blind fascist patriotism in Veterans’ Day. It is blind because it is something that never gets examined. Why are you thanking a Veteran? Many say some reason like, “thanks for fighting for our freedom.” Really? I fought for your freedom? Or was I really fighting so some military contractor can maintain their billion-dollar contract, or so that oil companies can maintain their ties to the Middle East, or so that some politician could get reelected. Yeah I wasn’t consciously fighting for those things, but in the end that’s why we are there. Not for your freedom, which by the way is another thing that really pisses me off.

            Many of the people who thank vets for fighting for their freedom are assholes. In all honesty, if I was fighting for your freedom, if there was some tyrannical evil enemy that truly threatened the US and I had to fight them, I sure as shit wouldn’t be doing it for YOUR freedom, because you want to have the freedom to say stupid racist shit, or because you want the freedom to trash our environment, or because you want the freedom to do whatever the fuck you want because you are a privileged dumbass American. Fuck that, that is definitely not something I would ever fight for. Sadly, that is what I see when I look around America today. Yes there are a lot of great people doing great things; I am fighting for them, not for dumb rednecks, not for people who don’t want to pay taxes. You don’t want to pay taxes, move to Rwanda.

            I got out of the military and continued to fight, just not with a weapon anymore, but rather through activism and through education. Do you know who my enemy is now? It’s those in this country who would rather destroy it than make it better. My enemy is those who care more about their own personal gain than the betterment of the community. My enemy is those who lie, cheat, and steal from their fellow citizen in order to get ahead. No the government is not my enemy, but there are many within it and around it that could be seen as my enemy. We need a higher standard of how we live our lives, how we talk to others, and how we manage our communities.

            I would rather be thanked for what I do now, rather than what I did while I was in the military. I am ashamed of what I did in the military. I’m ashamed of what the military has done, and is still doing. I’m not angry or upset with the soldiers, except those who have no moral consciousness and/or think that it’s ok to assault those within its own ranks, no I am mad at those who are in charge in the military. Most of the enlisted soldiers are there because they didn’t have much of a choice, whether they realize it or not. Yes, thank you for serving your country, but not for fighting in the bullshit wars overseas. Everyone should serve their community and/or country in some way, it doesn’t have to be in the military, in fact I think it would be better if it weren’t in the military. PeaceCorps, AmeriCorps, volunteers throughout communities, in hospitals, activists fighting for communities, thank those people. They are serving America.

            All Veterans’ Day is, is a way for people to pretend like they really care, to show that they are “American,” and so that they can feel good about themselves. Yeah? Well what the hell have you done for America lately? Hell what have you done for your community? Or maybe just a neighbor? Or for an actual vet? So instead of saying some hollow words, or putting a stupid yellow ribbon on your car (Which by the way, ALL VETERANS FUCKING HATE THE YELLOW RIBBON), go do something for someone other than yourself! Share the burden of being a citizen in this country. And stop being a goddamn dumb racist sexist elitist duck!