#veteransforkaepernick

After Gostkowski’s performance last night they ain’t got a...well...

Photo: Corpses, mainly of women and children, litter the ground following the events of the infamous My Lai massacre on March 16, 1968.  Original photo by Ronald L. Haeberle.

“Baby-killers”.

Amidst the severe post-traumatic stress syndrome (now known as post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD) that addled Vietnam combat veterans, this was one of the many epithets hurled at military members upon their return to the United States.  While some servicemembers did participate in horrifying, inhumane, and egregious behaviour (the My Lai massacre being the most prominent example) which prompted worldwide outrage, there exists a gulf in the general public’s perception of those who served in Vietnam and in later wars.

Photo: The North and South Towers of the World Trade Center, moments after American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 struck the respective towers.  Photo: digitaljournal.com

I was in Mr. Stone’s class at Eleanor McMain Magnet Secondary School in New Orleans, Louisiana, on the morning of September 11, 2001, when the news displayed live feed of the NYC attacks immediately following the impact of the planes.  We watched in horror and awe as both buildings fell one after the other.  The attacks, later found to be attributed to al-Qa’ida-affiliated hijackers, killed 2,996 people and injured over 6,000.  The aftermath ignited a firestorm of Islamophobia, which led to an exponential increase in anti-Muslim-related hate crimes.  These same hate crimes have seen an uptick during the Trump administration.

In March of 2003, 72% of Americans supported military action in Iraq.  Then-President George W. Bush justified the invasion by alleging that then-Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was in possession of weapons of mass destruction, a claim proven to be entirely unsubstantiated. It called into question the legitimacy of a “Global War on Terrorism”, and even predicted dangerous consequences should the Iraq campaign continue.   "New jihadist networks and cells, sometimes united by little more than their anti-western agendas, are increasingly likely to emerge," said then-CIA chief Michael Hayden, in a statement proven to be accurate by the eventual rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), amongst other militant Islamic organisations.

In contrast to the widespread resentment or apathy toward servicemembers following the revelation of U.S. atrocities in Vietnam, public responses to war crimes, such as those committed at Abu Ghraib, were comparatively muted, and some went as far as to justify them.

There has certainly been a paradigm shift; the way in which our military members are perceived has drastically changed.  Once regular people, recent sensationalisation and praise from various outlets has elevated servicemembers’ status to near-royalty.  I personally served in the Army from 2005 to 2010, and  during times in which I had to appear in uniform in public, people would occasionally approach me.  “Thank you for your service,” they would sometimes tell me, glints of what appeared to be appreciation glowing in their eyes.  I acknowledged their compliment, but never understood any of it.  I really am a regular guy who just happens to have worn a uniform.  There are (as of this post) approximately 325 million Americans -- why am I the hero, when people who do jobs that require much more talent and specialisation, such as teachers and doctors, aren’t lauded similarly?  Of course, as I’m waking up at 0500 to go on a company run, I’m not thinking about that shit, but the point is that people other than servicemembers have made immense sacrifices and all comprise the fabric of America just as well as we do.

Photo: Fans at Lambeau Field form a display in support of the military.  From my perspective, this is max cringe, and this sort of display seems more at home in North Korea than in the USA.  Original photo author unknown.

Between 2011 and 2014, the Department of Defense allocated approximately $5.4 million to several NFL teams to garner support for and from military members, which, from my perspective, is a waste of money, but also not surprising, because, from my observation as a military member, the DoD throws away money on stupid bullshit like it’s going out of style.

Photo: A recent controversial Nike advert featuring Colin Kaepernick’s likeness.  Since veterans are the only ones in America capable of sacrifice, this ad should have never existed.  Photo: cnn.com

“Convenient patriotism”

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick created a social media maelstrom (and subsequently lost his job) with his 2016 national anthem kneeling protest against police brutality.  He especially pissed off the military ... except he didn’t, and a solid portion of veterans actually support him and his cause.  Furthermore, Nate Boyer, the Special Forces veteran with whom the former NFL player initially consulted concerning the protest, stood alongside the kneeling Kaepernick during a game.

Even with veteran support and understanding that the protest is explicitly not anti-flag, anti-anthem, anti-military, or anti-America, many people, to include our incumbent draft-dodging citrus-in-chief, have expressly decried his actions as being offensive to the military.  All sorts of ignoramuses, previously silent, suddenly became hyper-patriotic, star-spangled, and damn proud Americans, and are somehow deeply offended. As I said earlier, I don’t understand putting military members on pedestals, but in what universe did some random faux-patriot guy or girl get to make the call on what veterans like myself are supposed to be offended by?  Excuse me?  Where is your outrage at the Confederate or Nazi flags being flown in our nation?  At Donald Trump’s blatant disrespect of the late John McCain, a U.S. senator and former prisoner-of-war in Vietnam?  Hell, if you are going to get offended and start burning your own property, then at the very least have that rage directed toward something that actually means something and affects you.

Nope.  You only care when it’s convenient for you and your myopic, pre-programmed, and possibly racist worldview.  You don’t actually care about America; you would rather pretend that we live in a “post-racial” utopia, and that everyone (except yourself) is the problem.  “If you don’t like America, you can get the fuck out,” you might say.  No; you should get the fuck out, because you are part of the problem, because you lack understanding and empathy.

Good day.  Oh, and nationalism sucks.