We Owe Our Veterans Apologies, Not Just “Memorials” (Op-Ed)

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Submitted Kat Stansell (Independent Journalist and Earnest Patriot) –

Our free republic is being shredded. As we rush headlong into totalitarianism,  we must apologize to those who’ve died for us. They gave their all to defend our  freedom, and we are allowing it to be thrown away.

We should get down on our knees to beg their forgiveness. We can never bring our lost troops back, but we can make  constructive amends before it is too late. WE alone can save the foundering ship of state, at this point in time. 

Look at what we, the living, have allowed to happen to the nation for which our  military has sacrificed their health and their lives. We’ve lost our free and fair elections,  and our right to make decisions about our own bodies. Our economy is being  systematically destroyed, our property rights challenged. Even our choice of fuels is  being actively curtailed. We have allowed it all, with our intransigent complacency.  

Did our sons and daughters die so someone could have a choice of pronouns or  public restrooms?? NO! Not only “NO!” but Hell NO!!

Millions of young men and women have given the ultimate sacrifice. Millions more have lost body parts or functions, and face life as living wounded. They did so  willingly and proudly, to provide us strength against our enemies and protection against those who would do us harm. They believed, heart and soul, in the America for which  they fought. – the one we’re throwing away. They missed the birth of babies, celebrations, and saying final goodbyes to their parents and friends. 

They committed to a path, often dangerous and lonely, that kept them away from  their loved ones and family occasions, and they did so because they believed. They believed in protecting the freedoms we are throwing away. 

Since 1980, 59,926 military deaths (all causes, and including active full-time National Guard) have occurred. Nearly SIXTY THOUSAND of our young have lost  their lives in a period when we allowed our government to be involved in frivolous wars, of the politicians’ own choosing.  

Nobody had attacked us during that time. No foreign power has threatened our  homeland, or to cut us off from essential resources. Wars of this sort are entered into by those who want to waste our monetary and human capital. What an excruciating waste  it has been!

The “monetary capital” side of that is the other part of the story. 

The military budget for these years has increased from $143.69 billion in 1980 to  $800.69 billion in 2021. Today that budget has soared to over $900 billion. For  WHAT WAR(S)?? Ukraine, of course. Before that, it was Afghanistan, Iraq, et. al. –  ALL wars of option. We didn’t have to be engaged in any of those places, but we’ve  allowed it to happen. We’ve just sat back, and allowed the warmongers in DC to call the shots. Literally.  

Oh, yes…very little of this massive amount of taxpayer dollars has been spent to improve treatment of our troops once they come home. Improve their medical/psychological  care? Job training? Housing? OF COURSE NOT.  

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Do we, the home front, even comprehend how incredibly much our military has  given, or how little – how very little – we have done to prevent the dissolution of our  Constitutional Republic for which our sons and daughters have died?? Do we deserve  what they have done? Sorry to ask again, but I’m going to keep pounding at that thought.  

I’d say the answer is “no”. We have sat home, complacent and comfortable in the freedoms they helped to ensure. We’ve been “too busy” with work, family, recreation,  home, to even notice, for the most part. Complacency kills countries, and ours is killing  America – despite the sacrifice of so many. Shame on us.

What can we do for them in return, to make ourselves worthy of them, this Memorial Day, and to save the country for which they – nearly 64 million of them –  have given all? How can we rectify what we’ve let happen?

The only way we can hope to really “thank them for their service”, is to engage  NOW in the home-front battle to save our republic. 

Our uniforms need only be walking shoes, to canvass neighborhoods or go to  political meetings in our cities and counties. Our weapons can be as simple as the pen,  checkbook, phone, computer or podcast. 

Our mission is to hold back the tide bearing us towards totalitarianism. We must be  that seawall against the destructive ideological waves coming at us. Ours is the most  important mission in which this nation has ever engaged; critical to our survival as a free people. We need to stand together NOW, not next week or next month, but NOW.  People of all ages, parties, skin colors, and ethnic origins must unite – it is ALL of our  freedoms that are disappearing. 

* * *

Here’s your action plan.

• Learn the realities of what “elected officials” are doing, who they run with, where  their money comes from, what they ignore, what they slip into last-minute changes of  legislation. Don’t just listen to the evening news airing another stupid press conference.  Those are hot air, not substance, which is pretty true of everything said on TV news  today. Get on the internet while we still have it, and arm yourself with knowledge for  action. 

• Go to your state’s legislation tracker online, where you can watch who is supporting  what, the laws they are considering writing, and their progress through committees to  signature. I’m betting 90% of Americans have never done this, and didn’t even know  that such an important information source exists.  

• Know your own state and federal politicians who “represent you” (lol) in your  districts . Make yourself a note card of their contact information and use it. Tell them  what you think and why. Be brief but direct. Do it every day.  

 For example, if you Floridians approve of the last minute changes in bills, just signed by Gov. DeSantis, which allowed him to hide his travel and visitor records, make the use of machines mandatory for voting, run for POTUS without resigning as your governor, alter your health freedom bill to the point of uselessness, then let him know.  IF NOT, contact Tallahassee and tell them what you think! A lot goes on there, and in  every state capital, that you never see until it’s too late. 

The whole nation should weigh in on these Florida facts, actually, as DeSantis has now declared a run for POTUS. The way he governs is now the business of us all.

This Memorial Day, if you truly want to honor those who have sacrificed for you, to  “thank them for their service”, then activate in your local communities, across this  beautiful nation, to help protect the free Republic for which they’ve given so much. 

Get off the couch and out the door – we have a country to save.