Abandoned Homefront

Abandoned Homefront

This article in the Boston Globe got me thinking...

I have been volunteering at the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans for about 18 months now, and I have come to know some of the people there quite well. What started as a rather uncomfortable, seemingly forced attempt at volunteering has actually turned into an enjoyable experience where everyday, someone manages to enlighten me with their diverse experiences. Just today, I was enlightened by a flamboyantly friendly gentleman named Steve, who taught me about the literature of J.R. Tolkien.

Nevertheless, the dichotomy in my everyday life is fascinating in a sense that during the day, I work with immensely privileged and brilliant scientists and by the time I reach the shelter, I encounter those that have seemingly hit the trough in their lives. For one reason or another, they are in the shelter – unable to gain solid economic footing and forced to co-exist with a large group of men in a common area – all of whom share a unique bond in serving in the greatest military force in the world. Yet, these men and women are largely bright and cheerful – seemingly content at the fact that they are among their peers – despite the apparent hard times that may have recently befallen them.

These are the same men and women who were once at the front line defending this country from all threats – foreign and domestic. Many of them come from more socially disadvantaged backgrounds. Therefore, probability is that many face difficult transitions to civilian lives – resulting in their ultimate fate inside the walls of the shelter. Aside from the government subsidized shelter, it makes me wonder how the United States Government actually provides for its soldiers after they return from combat. Is there a pension involved? Are there career advancement opportunities in the private sector for those former soldiers who risk their lives at the front line?

Given our current situation in Iraq, I begin to question the merit of war – especially having to deal with the aftermath of the soldiers when they return to civilian life (granted the number of soldiers in the shelter is minimal compared to the vast size of the US Army). It seems to me that largely disadvantaged young men and women join the all-volunteer military in order to get out and see the world. For many, it is their only opportunity to move away from the poor conditions that may have plagued their lives growing up. Yet, these soldiers have absolutely no opinion when it comes to their deployment because they are bounded by the military credo – an oath if you will – to abide by the orders passed onto them from higher ranked officers. Lower ranked officers are supposed to abide by their superior’s orders; no questions asked.

As one moves up the military chain of command, the one at the top is the commander in chief - who by all means - has stood at the other end of the socio-economic spectrum for all of his life. For the most part, he has no idea as to the concerns of those who serve in the military. It is this same military that is currently being used as an occupying force in Iraq; and for what? Bush went to war under false pretenses in order to protect the interests of the multi-national corporations and the wealthy elite that essentially paid his way into office. In return, they ask that he fabricate a non-existent threat in order create a sense of urgency so that these corporations can increase profits and reward the shareholders (i.e. Halliburton). Four years, 3,300 American deaths, and an imminent civil war in Iraq later, we discover that these corporations are still generating fantastic profits. Their leaders and shareholders are very much content with their lives…but who is ultimately paying the price to preserve the American way of life?

Not only are funds being diverted to meet the increasing need to protect our soldiers abroad, these same funds are being siphoned from the very social programs that provide the basic necessities not covered by private enterprises; necessities such as public education, social empowerment, crime prevention, etc.

This type of thinking ultimately brings me back to the shelter. As I serve one homeless veteran after another every week – greeting them and seeing the looks on their faces – I can’t help but wonder if they ever stopped to think about how the government has essentially failed them. They fought to preserve the principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In reality, though, they were used as pawns to protect the interests of a wealthy social elite that holds the power in this country. This same elite indirectly guided our soldiers to war in the Middle East. While many die overseas, and many more suffer emotionally as a result of their tragic loss, where do we begin to find justice for those who die to protect our country from a justification that was fabricated?