Veterans Day

Guest Blog by Dena Ellis

Today I salute all American veterans for putting their lives on the line for the dream of freedom.  But that dream has become a nightmare for many.

Shackled to student loans, mortgages, credit card payments, crippling medical bills, and the never ending plethora of enticing products and services seductively lapdancing on screens across the US, Americans are far from free. 

Even our speech is muted at will according to corporate/government agendas.

As a mother, it breaks my heart that the US government has used and manipulated hundreds of thousands of young people for so many years for their own gain and secret agendas…almost always for economic reasons.

It is time that the people stand together and demand integrity for our armed forces.

For them to be used solely for peacekeeping and protection, not instigation and coercion on behalf of corporate and industry interests while under the guise of “national security” or other scaremongering propaganda.

What values define America?

Apparently our values are defined by where we put our money.

Values equate to priorities, and priorities equate to action.

Put our money where your mouth is, Uncle Sam. 

And we each need to put our money where our hearts are.

Our vets deserve better. 

WE deserve better.

We all need to stop acting out of fear and start acting out of love.

If the US government truly wants to honor veterans, then please step up to provide them with lifelong housing, compassionate mental health support, and quality healthcare (VA reform is crucial).

The loudest battle cries are those of mothers and vets who are used, abused, and homeless.

We don’t need more monuments…we need integrity and compassionate action. 

—Dena Smith Ellis
(Dedicated to all the men in my family who have served, including my dad, brother, uncles, and grandfather)

From Jim Albertini – Veteran Peace Activist:

Very good piece Dena. Mahalo.
Nov. 11th — Armistice Day –a day to end all wars and celebrate peace has been transformed into a day to glorify war.
Here is a tragic figure to ponder from the US empire wars for oil. More than 30,000 US vets have committed suicide since 9-11. That’s more than 4 times the number of US troops who died in combat. And it’s ongoing. 17 US vets are committing suicide every day. Moral of the story: Stop waging wars. Fund human needs, including health care for veterans, not the war machine of arms merchants of death.
No More Wars. Save the planet. The US military is the largest polluter, largest consumer of oil, and the largest emitter of CO2 on the planet. ENOUGH!