A man on the moon in 1969. Church, Boy Scouts, patriotism, pledge of allegiance, the WWII generation in charge. Signing up for the Marines.
Families with married parents and maybe a stay at home Mom. It was common for your friends to have 3 or 4 brothers and sisters.
It started out with a positive sense of American culture.
Much has changed.
Over the past 40 years or so, both major parties have taken turns in power and have squandered credibility that would help in the current situation. A wide variety of political personalities have occupied the White House.
We were told we needed to send troops to Vietnam.
Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.
Some may have become skeptical along the way.
What’s new?
People haunted by healthcare concerns.
It’s been this way for years now. It was this way prior to the current news Re: COVID-19.
People haunted by student loan debt.
Homelessness and drug addiction to the extent that people are living in tents on city sidewalks.
Children might go hungry when school is out?
March 13, 2020 CNN
The coronavirus pandemic is closing schools. How will kids eat?
“But as other schools deliberate shutting their doors to slow the spread of the coronavirus, some parents may be left to wonder: If schools close, how will my child eat?”
More discussion and news coverage please.
Claims about freedoms that cry out for questioning:
Two major political parties that continue to promote the idea that The Troops are sent to distant lands to fight for American rights and freedoms.
School teachers and newspeople who are OK with promoting this urban legend.
Local press:
Hometown pride running high. High enough to stop asking questions?
“For the past couple of years, the Whidbey News-Times paid the insurance for the Veterans Day Parade, about $200, because it was a small way of saying thank you to the men and women who sacrificed so that we may have our liberties, including our Freedom of Speech.”
Were US troops sent to Vietnam so that Americans could be free to send letters to the editor?
Is there any case in which the US Armed Forces have been sent to distant lands on a mission to protect freedom of speech?
Is protecting freedom of speech even part of training scenarios?
The US Armed Forces – A Giant Civil Rights Organization?
Since last July 4th:
May 28, 2020 WMAR
Salisbury Mayor deploying to Africa with Maryland National Guard
Several news sources published this quote. View them here.
The idea that sending hometown troops to Africa would be linked in any way with keeping the people of Salisbury Maryland safe and free calls for more discussion.
Mayor Day,
While the troops were deployed, federal law was signed prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to adults age 18-20.
Can you help us to understand the militarized version of freedom here?
December 21st 2019 KOMO News
Legal age to buy cigarettes, vapes raised to 21 nationwide
“Signed into law by President Donald Trump Friday as part of the new $1.4 trillion spending bill, a new measure prohibits the sale of tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21.”
In the 60s & 70s I never attended a Veterans Day assembly at school.
There were none.
Probably enough veterans around to remove most of the mystique, or maybe those veterans thought it was all just an average thing and did not want to be seen as a separate part of American society, or get head of the line parking spots over at the grocery store.
Each November, school teachers across America host Veterans Day assemblies– and promote the idea to children that The Troops are in distant lands-fighting for American rights and freedoms-as if the US Armed Forces function as some sort of giant civil rights organization.
In Washington State, these assemblies are mandatory.
The VA tells teachers that The Troops are Defending Liberty and Freedom.
Love to see a student ask: If The Troops fight for your right to sit, stand, kneel, etc.-why were black people still riding at the back of the bus after the big WWII victory?
Love to see a student ask: If the wars aren’t won-how can they protect our freedom?
Love to see a student ask: Whatever happened to lessons about Armistice Day?
Congressman Derek Kilmer:
Wars are for freedom and democracy.
WA Secretary of State:
“Our right to vote is protected by the extraordinary men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces.”
Page 7 of the Washington State Elections Voters Pamphlet for the November 5th, 2019 General Election:
“Our right to vote is protected by the members of the U.S. Armed Forces.”
One of the nation’s largest, oldest and most respected veterans organizations:
Any newspeople available to ask:
Congressman Kilmer,
If wars are fought for democracy-how come women were not allowed full voting rights at the end of WWI?
Why the need for a 1965 Voting Rights Act if overseas military operations somehow secured voting rights?
Veterans give rights?
It turns out The Troops were in no hurry to enable all adults to act on their right to vote.
US Military operations conducted in the 1940s, 50s & 60s didn’t get the job done.
It wasn’t until July of 1971 that 18 year old adults could take delivery on one of the freedoms we hear so much about.
After the Cold War:
The Cold War had ended. DOD was happy with their all volunteer military.
Look what they did with it.
A Dept. of Defense that was nowhere to be found on 911.
We haven’t won a war since.
A Dept. of Defense with a truly poor track record for winning wars since DOD was established way back in 1949.
Undeclared/unwon wars that never end.
Nov 14, 2019 Stars and Stripes
Post-9/11 Wars Have Cost American Taxpayers $6.4 trillion, Study Finds
More here:
Unsustainable Military Spending
Billions of dollars spent every 12 months on a US Dept. of Homeland Security that fails to keep cartels from moving product into Hometown, USA.
March 2, 2020 Auburn Examiner
DEA Announces Launch of Methamphetamine Initiative
Welcome Home Troops
Thanks for risking your ass in Iraq & Afghanistan-working to keep bad people from coming here to do bad things.
Don’t worry-The Super Bowl and public affairs will be safe:
Newspeople who have stopped asking questions.
Zero Questions from Puget Sound Area Newspeople – Drug War Press Release
Newspeople who show no curiosity.
Went out on 3/18/20 to check on the sewage drain pipe sign at Monroe Landing:
The sewage drain pipe sign is still posted.
Went out on 3/18/20 to check on the sewage drain pipe sign at Captain Thomas Coupe Park:
I found that the sign is still posted.
More here:
Podcast 4 Another Month With An R – Whidbey Sewage Treatment Plant Outfalls
Much in the way of voting over the decades since that man landed on the moon.
TV newspeople tell us that we are in a key election season again. Lots of coverage. Another panel of experts, another debate. More voting.
Stay tuned for more of the same.
Being positive is a good thing. Emotions can be based on experience.
Don’t miss our companion blog-found here: Old Man Blog
Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeomalt
Photo-
Platoon 3049, MCRD San Diego
Jun-Sep 1979