Let me first start off by saying I wholly, unequivocally support our soldiers, but I question the machine that operates the military.
We celebrated Veterans Day a week ago or so, and a large portion of the country came together and showed their appreciation for all those who died for us. At the same time, it also brought to the forefront all the private organizations, hundreds, perhaps thousands, who help the veterans in a myriad of ways — from paying off mortgages on homes, helping with medical bills, buying wheelchairs and on and on.
However, the situation for today’s military is like our schools, where pencils, crayons, paper, tissues used to be supplied. Now we have poorer education, and zero school supplies are provided. Parents kick in to make up the shortfall.
So is the case with our military. Our soldiers are expected to follow orders, which is imperative, even if they know they may face possible death. For the most part, they’re kids, and they’re scared if they enter battle, but they do as they’re told. They’re trained and stand together and proud to defend us under the American flag. But like our schools, the military falls short when our soldiers return home, and that shortfall is made up in the private sector.
Which brings me to my point. One of the latest stories is the number of soldiers dying of cancer after fighting in the Middle East. The onus has been placed on them to prove they became ill while serving. The soldiers had done their jobs, did what was asked of them, and for not very much money. Then they’re placed in an awkward position when reaching out for help. The “school supplies” are not there, and they need to find it elsewhere.
By comparison, if you break the law and enter the United States illegally, you are treated with the utmost respect and provided not only the school supplies, but the school and all medical treatment without question at zero cost. You aren’t required to prove anything or be denied the help, and you will never be expected to put your life on the line to protect the country that is now coddling you.
The recent brouhaha giving illegals about $1 million per couple became quickly squelched because President Joe Biden’s minions knew it was a lethal pill that Americans were not going to swallow. No way, no how.
But don’t think it went away.
Once something like that leaks out, there’s likely a ton of truth to it. It’s another insane program that you would think could not be possible (like defunding the police). And once it’s implemented, it will be too late as the long arm of the government reaches ever deeper into your pocket and gets stuck there.
The justification to give even more money to people who don’t belong here is still blamed on President Donald Trump. Hard to believe. These political criminals still haven’t healed from their Trumpitis Disease. And by using Mr. Trump as their excuse to right what they think is wrong, they hope it deflects from the felonious action they’re taking to steal more money from Americans.
Can you imagine if in fact illegals are paid anything close to that? That would be more money than 25 American citizens (based on $40,000 a year, which some people don’t come close to earning) would get in one year, or more than what someone might earn over twenty years depending on where you live. Some people may never earn a million dollars in their lifetime.
We’re already shouting through the bull horn to the world to come to America because of all the free stuff. Can you imagine once the world thinks they’re also going to win a lottery ticket on top of everything else? We may as well build the high-speed train into Mexico instead of Bakersfield. I don’t know how much more stupid this insidious administration can get, but apparently, they can.
Yet when a soldier loses his or her life, while also defending the millions who are in the country illegally, their spouse gets $100,000 (tax free). Simple math translates that 10 soldiers have to die to match the amount of money Biden’s administration is willing to just hand over to people who don’t even speak the language and were supposedly separated at the border they shouldn’t have been crossing in the first place.
The average pay for a soldier is about $30,000.00 a year. Again, simple math says it would take about 33 soldiers to earn that million dollars. Hardly seems fair.
And they’re usually separated from their families over long periods of time as well. As many as 160,000 active duty military members are having trouble feeding their families. That works out to about 29% of the troops in the junior enlisted ranks face what they call “food insecurity.” To exemplify even more, the son of a good friend joined the Marines a little over a year ago, he makes $16,000 a year and pays for his own uniform.
While our soldiers are all over the world doing their jobs, the border is being flooded every day and night. Just because the media isn’t reporting it doesn’t mean it stopped. We need to refocus.
When we say, “Thank you for your service.” it would certainly mean even more if they didn’t have to compete for dollars going to strangers. The moral of the story: You’re better off breaking our laws because the pay is so much better.
Henry Schulte
The author lives in Solvang.
