I also disagree with the governor’s approach to the financial meltdown in California state government when he uses a veteran’s bill to halt everything and throw sand in the gear box bringing the ship of state to a "dead in the water" status.   He is worried about spending money he does not have and he uses a veteran’s bill to make that point.

But there is something we need to look at here.  It is something deeper, more chronic, more basic than a governor using a veteran’s bill to bring legislation to a halt.  We need to understand that even on the state or municipal level or township or burrough or ward/precinct level, we have no real voice in these matters.  To state this simply, no one fears us. 

Why is that?

I am not sure.  Certainly on a national level veterans have some considerable input through the funny hat veterans’ organizations that claim to represent us and our needs.  Sometimes they actually do represent us and our needs.  Sometimes.

But once we get down to the state, county, burough, ward/precinct or township level claiming veterans rights or pushing forward veterans status is pretty much like being the only paratrooper at the Navy Ball.  When you tell everyone what your background is they are apt to say, "Huh?  Did you get lost?  Let me show you the way out!"  To state this simply, we pretty much do not matter at that level.  And that is our fault.

Why did we let this happen?  Where are the state level funny hat veterans organizations that are supposed to monitor and resist this sort of indifference to our needs?  Where are the local funny hat veterans’ lodges and clubs and posts that are supposed to meet this arrogance and indifference head on?  Is everybody too busy having a Schlitz and watching the local ball club win/lose another game down at the local post bar?  Where are the funny hat organizations and grass roots veterans actions on this level of government?

I am sorry.  I don’t want start anything here.  But this is a direct result of posts and lodges and clubs being nothing more than bars where veterans make up some of the crowd and locals make up the bulk of the business.  This is why we have no power at the state level.  We have not earned it.  We have not worked for it.

We are too busy drinking to "our old shipmates" or "the Old Corps" or remembering our friends from forty years ago when it was all "death from above" or "anchors aweigh" or even, God forbid, "Semper Paratus".  Yeah, you know what?  People have a tendency to get what they deserve.  In the end, life has a tendency to even itself out.

The Governor of California used a veterans’ bill to bring government spending to a halt precisely because it would bring national attention to the plight of California finances.

And we can do nothing to stop this because we have spent generations drinking and dart boarding and shuffleboarding and "sports barring" our rights as veterans away. 

We have done this to ourselves. 

Have another drink.  And then tell another story about "when I was in the Service we……."

CWO3 Tom Barnes, USCG (Ret.)