We have all heard the ranting of people like me, going on about how the entitlement mentality is killing this once great country. Yes, I said it: “once great”. Don’t get me wrong, I truly love my country and what it stood for. So much so, I voluntarily put myself in harm’s way on more occasions than I can remember as a Marine.
The problem though, begins with my generation. After the New Deal, the feminist movement, or almost any moment from the early 1900’s with a few exceptions, the children of these people came about and expected to get whatever they wanted.
They truly believe the reason we even have a government is to provide for the people. To be the big brother that is there to make your life easier. This mentality is so lemmingly followed that we should just change the preamble of the Declaration of Independence to say, “We hold these truths to be government-provided, that all men are created unequal until government helps them; that they are endowed by their president with certain alienable rights that among these are Life for viable beings, limited liberty and guaranteed contentment.
I say contentment because people forget that the Declaration doesn’t say guaranteed happiness provided by the government, but the opportunity to pursue it on your own.
Well, this blog post is not targeted to the mob. That will be for another day. This post is to target the veterans. This is where I will probably piss off a lot of my friends, but it needs to be said.
Most veterans are hard workers, good people, and hold to some form of conservatism or another. I myself am a strong libertarian with socially conservative values. I believe, in theory, the only reason a federal government exists is for a civil contract among similar people groups for foreign defense. Outside of this definition, no man has any rights over my person. With that said, the next best thing is our original set up of government provided by the Constitution, and most importantly the Bill of Rights. Not just the first one, but all 10 of them.
As veterans, we all experience a bombardment of gratitude and respect. Everywhere I go, I am stopped and thanked. This is a nice reminder that people appreciate us. I am a humble man though, and do not know what to say to this. I served for the reason of honor. I wanted to serve in the defense of this country. I didn’t do it for benefits, thanks or recognition. In truth, I don’t even tell people that I’m a Marine unless it otherwise comes up.
This is because I do not want anything for it. It was a sacrifice for which I volunteered. For it to be a sacrifice, some level of unrecognized works needs to be suffered. When you see a veteran constantly looking for some form of recognition or hand-me-out, it is because he has a chip on his shoulder. It is unbecoming of his service, his predecessors, and our image of voluntary suffrage.
This thought process is becoming more and more rarer. Every day you see on the news, TV, or read somewhere that veterans aren’t being treated as upper class citizens. They’re not getting paid enough, or there is no leniency for their mistakes.
When this is a vet’s attitude, there is no difference between them and snotty hippies and libs that think they should be able to have what every they want at the expense of the government. All your years of sacrifice go out the door when you think you should be compensated for it. If we were paid in full for all our deeds, then where is the sacrifice? When a vet touts that he has done so many combat deployments and expects to get away with having massive credit card debt, not paying his mortgage because he was stupid and didn’t realize he was entering a contract he couldn’t keep, or thinks he has earned unemployment along with other benefits, he has lost what it means to be a service member in humility. He serves for recognition alone.
No one cares how many deployments you have done. You are not the only service member. You are not the only person to see combat, and you are most certainly not the only person in this world to have suffered some sort of hardship or loss. You volunteered for it! So don’t complain about it and expect the world to stop for you.
Finally, what makes the military such a great place to say that you sacrificed for your country is the low pay. The next time I hear a military man say he isn’t pay squat, I may lose control and slap him. The pay is higher today than at any point in military history. Grow up! You don’t like the pay? Find a better job. There is a reason it’s not meant for everyone. This goes for all government or civil jobs. If firemen, teachers, police, etc get paid as much as the middle class then it’s just a job. Not a sacrifice or a service. If you can’t pay your bills, it’s no one’s fault but your own. If someone else is getting paid more than you, too bad, you probably should have joined right out of high school.
Now, I don’t want people leaving this page with a bad attitude. We as veterans all have suffered in some manner or another. The gratitude and recognition is nice. It is a nice reminder that people know we have sacrificed for them. To the civilians that do this, keep it up. To the military, don’t grow to expect it. Always remember, it is a sacrifice that you volunteered for. Yes, you truly deserve more, but only when you humble yourself and don’t expect it.
