Masked Agents Diminish Honorable Men and Women in Uniform
I am a Vietnam veteran. I was a Vietnam veteran when that was a dirty word through no fault of my own except for having served.
It has taken five decades to rehabilitate and reclaim the rightful and honorable place of veterans in the public discourse.
I am genuinely concerned that the images that the nation and world are witnessing of paramilitary masked heavily armed individuals roaming the streets executing military style raids without due process will reflect poorly on the rank and file who have nothing to do with these disturbing actions.
I know first-hand the sad statistics of alcohol and substance abuse among the veteran population at large of my generation.
I also know that the incidents of joblessness and homelessness among veterans is an ever present and generationally transcendent stubborn statistic that walks hand in hand with the absolutely heartbreaking incidents of suicide among veterans and that the phenomenon of PTSD among the children and spouses of veterans is real.
None of these, not one of these, is helped by the perceived perception that this nation's service members are somehow associated with the actions of the individuals, who, under color of authority, are guilty of in this unprecedented era. This is an era where the President intends our cities and streets to be training grounds so far as the people of good will might be concerned, if the general public cannot correctly discern what’s going on and who is doing it and misconstrue the facts, that these actions are not being committed by the rank and file but are being carried out by others instead from different agencies not under the command and control of the Pentagon.
And therein lies the difference where the shadow of doubt, suspicion, and fear reside beyond the lines of social demarcation that should not be held and laid as blame against those who came to serve and not rule who wear the uniform.
When to do so would undo five decades of rapprochement between The People and their citizen soldiers who would and continue to protect them from beyond the shadows of freedoms shining still.
Stewart Resmer, Wayne, Vietnam Veteran.
