I ran the original version of this post through Proton Lumo, an AI program, and asked it to update the post with current information. This first section is what Lumo produced with minor edits for typos and errors. The original post is below the horizontal line. If you’re so inclined, please tell me which version you prefer and why in the comments. Thanks. for reading.
Why Protecting Veterans’ Benefits Matters
My Service and Recovery
I enlisted in 1966 at age 17, believing that if I were injured in combat the U.S. government would care for me. After returning from Vietnam, I earned an undergraduate degree graduating summa cum laude, got a job in the nascent computer industry, traveled extensively for my jobs, held P&L responsibility and for many years PTSD felt far away. Ten years after coming home, however, I found myself staring into the barrel of a pistol. My friend Dave intervened, and a court‑ordered stay in a psychiatric facility followed by therapy helped me recognize how my wartime experiences had resurfaced as nightmares and suicidal ideation.
The Role of Veterans’ Benefits
During the COVID‑19 pandemic, I applied for VA benefits for the first time and the VA provided crucial PTSD therapy when anxiety and isolation threatened my mental health again. These benefits are not a casual promises but statutory entitlements codified in Title 38 of the U.S. Code. Any reduction would require congressional action, not a unilateral presidential decree.
Current Policy Discussion
Recent legislative proposals have debated reforms to entitlement programs, including Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and VA benefits. While policymakers may argue for fiscal adjustments, it is essential to remember that veterans’ benefits are protected by law and serve a population that has already endured significant sacrifice.
What Citizens Can Do
- Stay Informed – Follow reputable news outlets and official VA communications for updates on proposed legislation.
- Engage with Representatives – Contact your elected officials to voice support for preserving robust veterans’ benefits.
- Support Veteran Advocacy Groups – Organizations such as the American Legion, VFW, and Disabled American Veterans provide valuable advocacy and resources.
Conclusion
Protecting veterans’ benefits is both a legal obligation and a moral imperative. By staying informed and actively participating in the democratic process, we can ensure that those who served receive the care and security they deserve.
This is my original post. If you stumble across this, please tell me which you prefer and why in the Comments. Thanks.
Draft Dodging Felon Takes Vet Benefits
It’s bad enough that a draft dodger is once again President of the United States but he now wants to break the contract signed with all veterans. When I signed up in 1966, I didn’t quite understand what I was getting into, what 17 year old really knows what he or she is doing. But, in my little lizard brain, I understood that if I were to be injured or wounded in a war, the US Government would take care of me.
Like most Vietnam vets, I shrugged off the impact of a war on a 19 year old’s mind. I felt I was “lucky” to come home with my life and all my limbs intact. I got a job, went to college, graduated Summa Cum Laude and went to work. PTSD was the farthest thing from my mind.
The mind is a funny critter, it can be sneaky and duplicitous against it’s own human. One day, 10 years after getting back, I found myself staring at the end of a pistol barrel, trying to summon the courage to pull the trigger. It was my friend Dave who came to my house and took away the gun. After a court ordered stint in a psychiatric ward and therapy, I finally made the connection between my mind, my experiences and my nightmares.
Now, the aforementioned draft dodging felon wants to terminate my veteran’s benefits. The same benefits that, during the Covid-19 pandemic, came to my rescue a second time when the stress of the unknown caused me to once again, contemplate suicide. Just in case you’re not too worried because, like the convicted felon, you think vets are “suckers and losers,” let me remind you that trump’s South African buddy, Ego Muskrat and Muskrat’s buddy, Vivek Ramaswampy, want to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid along with VA benefits.
Veterans’ benefits are contractual obligations with vets. The US can not unilaterally terminate the obligation any more than it can terminate an American’s US citizenship.
Always remember, to trump, the US Treasury is HIS money and it’s his singular goal to amass, control and retain it to stoke his ego.
