Veterans' Day is a weird sort of day for me to recognize, because I don't feel like I'm honoring our servicemembers to treat them as a monolith with an easy catchphrase like, "I support the troops." This morning, I saw a segment on CNN about a young man getting the Medal of Honor, who said quite candidly that he was angry to be getting it, because it comes at such a cost. Some generic, feelgood, unqualified, blanket statement about supporting the troops doesn't get at that complicated reality; its vagueness feels like cowardice.
On the other hand, I don't feel like I'm particularly honoring them by pointing out that among the troops are war criminals and thieves and miscreants who harm their fellow soldiers, whose behavior I categorically do not want to support, or by using this day to talk about my objections to the
Which always leaves me not really knowing what to say.
So I'll just say this: Thank you to all the women and men who have served this country with decency in a military capacity, who have been willing to risk their lives to defend its borders, resources, and people.
And this: When I write about social justice issues every day, I'm advocating for veterans.
I'm advocating for veterans whose bodies and/or minds were changed by war when I write about disability. I'm advocating for veterans who were sexually assaulted when I write about the rape culture. I'm advocating for veterans who were not allowed to serve openly when I write about LGBTQI rights. I'm advocating for veterans who are denied opportunity and equal pay when I write about gender equality. I'm advocate for veterans who are not getting adequate healthcare, who are homeless, who are unemployed, when I write about funding a comprehensive social safety net. Whenever I'm writing about people in need in the US, I'm necessarily writing about veterans.
If we remember that, every day really is Veterans' Day.
[I recommend NPR's coverage here and this piece at Campus Progress.]
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