I keep seeing people losing their minds over Caitlyn Jenner. Endless complaints about “too much coverage” which, of course, often translates to “I don’t like it so it should go away”. Sure, some people are truly tired of the coverage, but a great deal of it is ugliness based on bigotry and hate. Of course, those people pretend that mainstream media doesn’t do this type of blitz coverage on the regular on a variety of topics, but who cares. Today we need to rage and have meltdowns. I get it.
Then, and this is what annoys me to no end, are the partisan attempts to use veterans to further social conservative bigotry towards the trans community. So many ridiculous and false memes that USE veteran images in order to claim ownership of the word HERO have popped up in the last few days.
Pardon me while I throw up for a minute.
Where are all of these protectors of the “hero” when veterans are getting denied care at the VA? Where are they when MST survivors are getting kicked out of the military or suffering retaliation for reporting their attacks? Where are they when yet another veteran takes their own life? Where are they when a veteran is homeless on the streets, unmedicated, untreated, abused and forgotten?
Where are YOU?
Where are all these protectors of the “hero” then? Stop using veterans as partisan political talking points. If you give a fuck, then prove it. PROVE. IT.
Yellow ribbon magnets, flag waving and misleading memes don’t amount to shit. What are you ACTUALLY DOING TO HELP? I won’t hold my breath waiting because for most of you, the answer is absolutely nothing but parroting talk radio talking points.
I’ve been doing for my brothers and sisters in uniform ever since I got off active duty and will continue to do so as long as I am able. Whether it was working on the boards of veteran based organizations, volunteering my time (on days off) at military job fairs to meet with servicemembers and their families, creating awareness on MST issues or spending my time counseling veterans in crisis and a bunch of other shit in between, I’ve been grateful to be able to continue to serve.
What I don’t do is obsess over flags and how many magnets are on a car and then think that = support.
Tell me what you ACTUALLY DO, then I will believe it. Spare me the partisan political talking points and bullshit memes from neo-conservative chickenhawks and their apologists.
Better yet, how about you start actually doing something NOW, then get back to me?