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!
