Veteran’s Day 2016

I believe today is one of the most important national holidays we observe in America. Because of a lost sense of history in our culture, many citizens of this great country do not realize how uniquely blessed we are. The American experiment, as some have called it, was truly a new thing when it was undertaken in the 18^th century. Not since the days of ancient Athens or perhaps the Roman republic had it been suggested that “we the people” should play such a large part in their own government.

It should be noted that the British system at the time of the American Revolution was nominally democratic, but the monarchy still kept a tight hold on the reins of power; Parliament’s role was primarily advisory in nature, and it was strongly influenced by the upper house, the House of Lords, which was populated by the monarch’s peers. The people’s house, the House of Commons, could not unilaterally propose or enact policy. Thus the “democracy” was essentially a plutocracy, the rule of the rich and powerful. Against this, the Patriots revolted.

Beginning on a fateful April morning in 1776, a “shot heard around the world” created the first American veterans. Throughout most of the following decade, men who were largely militia, rather than professional soldiers, fought the most powerful army on earth at the time and won America’s independence from Britain. The 19^th century is peppered with conflicts, small and large, wherein American citizens took up arms to defend the American way. Most people don’t need to be reminded how the 20^th century looked: two World Wars, Korea, Vietnam, and most recently, the Middle East. Each of these wars involved ordinary citizens who stood up for their country, and many laid down their lives in the greatest sacrifice. These are our veterans.

Sadly, the treatment of our veterans has a depressing history. Revolutionary War soldiers often went unpaid, and veterans’ benefits were few. Civil War vets had to fight an often losing battle to receive the benefits they had been promised. The GI Bill and housing benefits offered to WWII vets is one bright spot in an otherwise grim picture, but no one should be ignorant of the pitiful plight of our veterans today.  Mismanagement and outright malfeasance plague a system that is itself not sufficient to repay our veterans for what they have bought us.

The Presidential election of 2016 has put Republicans in control of all three branches of government. Philosophically, Republicans favor improving military and veteran benefits. I would like to suggest the we the people who wish to honor and respect our veterans properly press our representatives in the federal government to put their money where their mouths are. Pardon me: they need to put OUR money where OUR mouths are. Let’s really go to bat for our veterans and demand more equitable treatment for them. They have put their lives on the line for our freedom; let’s not squander the opportunity we have to repay them. Romans 13:7 says, “pay… honor to whom honor is owed.” If that’s not our vets, I don’t know who it might be.