Today, on Veteran's Day, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to those who have served and fought to protect the rights and interests of this country (which I will lovingly remind you includes freedom of religion). Both of my grandfathers were/are veterans - one of whom was also the child of immigrants. Several members of my extended family and people I have loved and cared about for many years are veterans. Though, truthfully, I do not need to know veterans to care about them. The benefits for and treatment of U.S. veterans has not been good. Veterans have struggled to receive adequate care and resources. As of 2014, it was estimated that veterans make up 8.6% of the total homeless population. Roughly 1.7 million veterans are said to participate in the SNAP program (formerly called food stamps) and 25% of veterans are said to utilize some form of food assistance program (if these numbers are confusing, there are an estimated 21,368,156 veterans currently alive in the United States). I am not disillusioned enough to suggest that Democratic Presidents have taken better care of veterans than Republicans. This has not proven to be true. Some people have cited the president-elect as a better option for veterans. I'm not interested in arguing about that now. However, I do not believe that demeaning the parents of a fallen soldier and criticizing POWs, many of whom have endured the type of torture, pain and suffering that I can barely comprehend, demonstrates a foundational respect and understanding of the sacrifices made by our veterans and active service members. I'm not suggesting Hillary was better regarding this issue, I'm simply making the point that it has never been great.
Some of these veterans identify as Muslim and women. People who identify as Black and African American have served and fought in every single war with United States involvement. Women of color have been asserting their right to defend this country for decades. It is estimated that every year, 8,000 immigrants register to enlist in the U.S. military and make up roughly 5% of active duty personnel. Some of the veterans who have fought for this country have been deported following their service.
People who identify as LGBTQ+ have been fighting for the ability serve this country openly and proudly. Transgender veterans have been found to get sick more often than their cisgender peers, likely due in part to prejudice and discrimination-based stressors. Throughout US history, veterans who identify as Black and African American have been denied access to resources and benefits made available to their white servicemen and servicewomen. There is a very real problem here and the answer is not in division. Discrimination against some does not ensure the fair treatment of others. Our veterans are diverse and all of them deserve the love, respect and recognition of the people in this country, not just some of them. So today I want to say thank you to all of our veterans. Thank you for fighting for us and, in turn, I hope we will all fight for you.
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