I write this as a 23-year veteran. Veterans Day is the one day of the year where it becomes more difficult to tell the politicians from the public servants. Everyone sends out a nice thank you to veterans on Veterans Day every year, but how many really support veterans?
Many people think that all veterans are eligible for care through the Veterans Administration. This is not true. Almost 1 million veterans were without medical care before the implementation of the ACA. Within two years, 429,000 had coverage.
Did you know that there are probably over 40,000 homeless veterans on any given day? These veterans need assistance, they need shelter and they need food. There are many reasons veterans can become homeless, but they served their country.
Did you know that there are active-duty military families that receive assistance under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program? An estimated 23,000 military families qualify for this program. Cutting SNAP directly hurts military families.
After leaving military service, many veterans miss the structure and camaraderie that the military offers. Many move into labor unions for this reason. There are approximately 1.2 million veterans or 16% in unions. Union Strong/Veteran Strong!
Did you know that many of our military veterans have been deported? They served this country in foreign lands, some under a program that would guarantee a path to citizenship. The problem, some of these honorable veterans come back with PTSD and find themselves in trouble. They served, and they are pushed aside.
This is a small representation of some of the vital programs for veterans and military families. A public servant supports these programs and supports veterans all year long. A politician votes against these programs, but then thanks veterans on Veterans Day. See the difference?
Posted on Twitter. Re-posted with permission.
