If you go back through all the bills and legislation that has EVER come through both Washington, DC or through the state houses of this country, you will be extremely hard pressed to find ANYTHING where the Republican Party members have voted IN FAVOR of anything that has to do with taking care of our military troops and their families or our veterans and their families or survivors. This has gone on for DECADES.
But to hear them tell it, they LOVE OUR TROOPS. Yeah, right. When they can send them somewhere to go get shot up, bleed, and die, come home in body bags, and they can stand at attention beside the caskets and pose for pictures with the families. Or they can award Purple Hearts to people, smile for the camera, and shake hands before they’re off to the next point and shoot. Sounds cynical, doesn’t it? It’s not. It’s what they do.
Why do they do it? Well, that’s really pretty easy, but you may think this answer is cynical, too. It’s not. Money. Like most things with people who gravitate to power, the money is usually somewhere around. Here it lies in the “investments” they have in the so-called “war machine”. This is probably best illustrated by Dick Cheney’s interest to the tune of millions of dollars in Halliburton which was sending mercenary soldiers, civilian contractors (truck drivers, cargo handlers, logistic handlers, prison guards, etc) over to Iraq during Operation Desert Storm. Halliburton charged the USA millions upon millions to supply men, materials, security, and transportation during that time. Because Cheney owned stock in Halliburton, he, as VP, was making a killing off the killing in that country. No wonder he was such a proponent of sending more troops over there!
Cheney was far from the only Republican doing so at the time, and many have done so since then. Here in Georgia, most notably, Nathan Deal (who went to Washington as a Democrat from the 9th District in 1992, then changed to Republican in 1995) came back from Washington, where he had served as a Congressman, in disgrace after he had been found by the Office of Congressional Ethics to have “appeared to have improperly used his office staff to pressure Georgia officials to continue the state vehicle inspection program that generated hundreds of thousands of dollars a year for his family’s auto salvage business. ” Deal contended that he had done no wrong. However, due to the investigation, Deal resigned in March `2010 and came back to Georgia essentially bankrupt.
But here’s the odd thing about Nathan Deal. He promptly got with the Georgia Republicans, defeated Karen Handel in the Republican primary for the Governor’s seat, and proceeded to hold the office for the next 8 years. When he left that office, Nathan Deal, his family members, and a goodly number of his friends were multi-millionaires. The Governor’s job pays $175,000/year. Now how in the heck did that happen? The auto salvage business is just not that lucrative that I am aware of. Not unless they are finding trunk loads of cash in those wrecked cars anyway!
So exactly WHAT is their problem with taking care of the PEOPLE connected with our military? The best answer I can figure out is that is if the government actually PAYS our troops a living wage and builds adequate housing that doesn’t have leaks, miserable plumbing, inadequate insulation, no heat or AC, appliances that do not work, septic that does not back up, and all that a family requires, they act like the money actually comes out of their personal paychecks. Same goes for healthcare, mental health, dependents, and everything else. It is money that is not going into the “military industrial complex” and that means they don’t get a piece of the pie.
Well, boo hoo hoo.
I’m sick of that nonsense. I’m sick of all their corruption. But this just makes me madder than…a wet cat. I start getting the impulse to want to go hurt somebody and that’s not a good thing. Our military and veterans make sacrifices for us. They deserve much better than what the tight-fisted Republicans will do for them.
How do the Democrats compare? Quite well. Everything that the Military and Veterans have gotten in the way of pay raises, coverage for things like Agent Orange (Vietnam Vets), Suicide Prevention programs, Closed Head Trauma Recognition and Treatment programs, Post Traumatic Stress Recognition and Treatment, Burn Pit Toxicity and Treatment, Homeless Veterans Reintegration, and on and on, have ALL been passed and funded when the Democrats had a majority in both houses of Congress and had the White House. It is virtually impossible to get anything done if the Republicans control anything.
Bottom line takeaway:
Republicans talk very big and very pretty for our military, their dependents, and our veterans and their dependents, but where the rubber meets the road? They have a 100% failure rate.
No commander in charge of troops would continue to lead with that kind of failure rate. He’d be re-assigned, demoted, and possibly even court martialed. Voters need to consider the WHY? of their decision to vote for these so-called “patriots” who do not take care of real patriots.
I’m running for the Georgia State Senate. It doesn’t do much for the military, but it does for our law enforcement, fire, EMS, Forestry agents, Agricultural inspection agents, environmental inspection agents, and other enforcement personnel. It also has the responsibility to make certain that they are taken care of on the job and after they leave for whatever reason.
That’s why I was appalled that last year, Georgia passed and signed into law a bill that makes it possible for just any old Joe, Jane, Amy, or Jack to carry any concealed weapon of their choice. This endangers our law enforcement greatly. They now have to “see” every single person as being “strapped” and they will react accordingly. They have to. They will have absolutely no way to know who is the “bad guy” or who is the “good guy”. Their training and their instincts will tell them to shoot to kill if they see somebody with anything in their hands or a possible bulge under their clothing. People will die because of this law that shouldn’t have had to worry. Collateral damage deaths will soar.
The Senator for District 29 was one of the sponsors for this ill-considered bill. I’m sure he’s proud of it as Brian Kemp was proud of it. The interesting thing is that the Brotherhood of Police recommended AGAINST it. But he worked for getting it passed anyway in spite of being a past County Sheriff Deputy and past President of that organization. I guess getting those votes from the MAGA faithful is just more important than preventing deaths.
I am endorsed by Moms Demand Action and Everytown for Gun Safety. I want common sense gun laws. Letting anybody have a gun is reckless behavior. Not doing thorough background screening is patently insane. Allowing immature people to purchase weapons is asking for trouble. Not having a system in place to notify authorities of possible mental health or anger issues is begging for mass shootings. We can do this. We license massage therapists, barbers, hair stylists, drivers, big truck drivers, business owners, bar owners, but for some weird reason, we balk at licensing gun owners? It’s insane.
Wright4Georgia 