Using Our Veterans

Tim Scott and Jim DeMint are like your grown-up children who take your money and ignore your advice; you don't hear from them all year and then send you a flowery birthday card telling you all the ways they love you.

It came as no surprise today to find emails from both proclaiming their devotion to our veterans.  I'll admit, I did not read them, because to be honest, whatever they say reeks of hypocrisy; the words never change, and it infuriates me.  So I'll spend my time sharing my thoughts with you rather than reading theirs.

These are two arrogant men who believe they have a special relationship with God.  They use their religion much the way they use our veterans.  Even Jesus had his differences with His Father, but DeMint and Scott have never had an opinion that God did not wholeheartedly endorse.

They both propound that they are fighting for "life" but resoundingly vote "no" to health care for all.  And they are against gun control of any kind; you have as much right to that assault rifle as to that 12-gauge you hunt deer with.

And they both hold two exceptions to how essential it is to reduce our debt.  The first is that no one with wealth should have to contribute a penny more than those without.  The second is that we should pay whatever the cost to arm ourselves.

Which brings me back to our soldiers.  These hypocrites have voted against jobs and training bills for veterans, health care bills for them and their families, help with housing.  They don't give a damn that soldiers who signed on have been sent over and over and over again, while their spouses have struggled alone to raise a family.  They speak of our need for military strength in terms of weapons, while ignoring a country fighting hunger, homelessness, poor education, inadequate health care.  That country, of course, being ours.

Yet they routinely send out the pretentious emails claiming their love of country and of the soldiers and veterans who have defended it.  And those who are fortunate enough to not have to endure the results of their cold-hearted congressional acts will wipe away tears and thank God for Jim DeMint and Tim Scott.

DeMint in a Vacuum

Proud to be from Jim DeMint country again today.  It was that strange Alice in Wonderland kind of experience that happens so often whenever someone from the republic party opens his mouth.


Checked my email, to find a message from Senator DeMint, dated today, Veterans Day.  In it, he goes on about how grateful we should all be to our troops who are risking their lives for us.  Blah, blah, blah.  Contemplated sending a reality based reply, then remembered that that would be like a thought being swallowed by a black hole, and hit delete.


A short while later, I was catching up on yesterday's news, and, quelle suprise, DeMint's name came up.


Seems that yesterday, the day before Veterans Day, Senator DeMint was the only no-vote on a bill to provide tax credits to employers who hire veterans.


Jim thinks this is a "democrat" plot to make him look bad.  And besides, it would be unfair to give an advantage to a guy who just returned from getting shot at defending our country.


Good to know that Jim DeMint has a sense of fair play, even though his command of the English language is questionable.


Actually, forgive my cynicism, but despite the fairy tale spun by the Heritage Foundation, many of the returning veterans are likely to be working class or poor, and many are persons of color.  If those coming back were well-connected, not only would they not be needing the government's help in getting a fair shake, but DeMint would be all over it, wanting to make sure we gave our veterans what they "deserve".


I don't believe that Jim DeMint is a racist.  I believe he is a class warrior.  He will fight and fight tirelessly for those who have, because in his mind, they (himself included) deserve what they have.


So, on the one hand, veterans, Jim DeMint thanks you for your service.  On the other hand, now that you're back, you're on your own.