Response Another Veteran’s Day 11-9-08

Response Another Veteran’s Day 11-9-08
Peter Macdonald 465 Packersfalls rd Lee NH 03824 603-659-6217
The Opinion Editorial (no name) in the UL newspaper this morning “Veterans Day has fallen victim to the general apathy that Americans have for just about any occasion that isn’t strictly a day off”. This opinion makes my point but in a back door way and it is clear the writer does not get it. Only eleven percent of the U.S. population will become and is a Veteran. Society has created a token day for it to say thank you but lost sight over time of what they are thanking Veteran’s for and whom the Veteran is. Veteran’s are not asking for a free hand out. We do not want your pity or sympathy. We want you to understand. I am not saying all veteran’s come home with the same degree of experience or inflictions. Being a Veteran means we went off to do a job. Some jobs were every day jobs with a certain degree of danger seen in every day life. Others took us to places uncertain and uncivilized. Some made us do things that were against society’s norms. Many if not all defied our religious beliefs. Many Veteran’s came home with disabilities which you could see that changed the way these veterans could live life. Lost limbs, TBI, chemical injuries or worse. Some injuries are not seen for years later. These can be referred to as “the silent demons of war”. Society cheers and thanks Veterans when we first come home. Over time society looses interest, as the stereo type “Looser” becomes entrenched in the thoughts of our family and friends. That innocent child that left so many years ago with hopes and dreams of the successful life, school and our family saw for us disappeared. We can not hold a job, our social skills are crude and with drawl or violence is a personality different from that innocent child, now veteran. We causally blurt out a story of what we went through only to be disbelieved or scorned by society. We take to silence as so many before us learned and advised, as we will future veterans. Now homeless or a drain on the taxpayers society rejects us or sweeps us under the rug as used toilet paper would be discarded. We do not need your thanks, it is that you respect and honor what we gave every thing for. Our Constitution.
Newspapers refusing to print the opinion of the people because it is not the editor’s belief. Editors harming a disabled Veteran’s public image to deter any voter from casting a ballet for the veteran. The NH governor using a Veteran’s combat injuries to silence this veteran’s free speech. The VA stopping a disabled veteran’s medical care. U.S. Rep from NH Shea-Porter using her influence to use a disabled Veteran’s medical condition to stop this veteran from writing letters to the editor. I ran for NH state senate only to be stopped by a society that can not see or understand what Veteran’s Day should mean. I as so many other Veterans came back to a society that does not want us. A society that will not even try to understand what a Veteran is. Newspapers censoring this letter will illustrate my point.
Peter Macdonald Sgt USMC Semper Fi