Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Veterans Push to End Government Shutdown
This article is about how various veteran groups are becoming upset with the government shutdown. The main reason veterans are becoming upset is because they are not receiving benefits that they are entitled to. An example of this is that veterans who receive disability and GI Bill benefits are not receiving their payments and so those veterans who rely on those payments are going broke and struggling to make ends meet. Veterans are expressing their frustration by holding a protest at the National Wold War II memorial in an attempt to convince the government to conclude the shutdown.
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In my opinion (and I assume everyone else's), this shutdown has gone on for far too long. The men and women who risked their lives for this country perhaps deserve the money more then any other group. The government has a responsibility to care for the people it put in harms way. The fact that these veterans could be put under a financial and health strain because of party lines is ridiculous to me. I hope the republicans and the democrats come to their senses and realize the government shutdown affects more then just their political careers. For veterans and Americans it could be the final push into financial ruin.
ReplyDeleteIn class, we've talked about federalism, and the state and national governments having equal power. I think this article especially shows how drastically we've drifted towards the unitary side, not in the sense that we dont have state governments, but that the citizens are extremely reliant on the US government for support
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ReplyDeleteAnd it would be extremely foolish for anyone to think the states would have a chance of functioning without the national government, just because it has ultimate strength, even if that's not what the founding fathers intended.
On another note, I don't know how some of these politicians are dealing with the moral weight of their decision to shut the government down, since it's affecting so many people negatively.
I agree completely with Emily Meyer. The government shutdown has and will continue to cause a ripple effect in the economy. This reminds me of the Bonus March of the 1930s where WWII veterans marched in Washington demanding advances of their service bonuses. Although the circumstances and causes aren't that similar, this is another case where the people are turning to the government for help but the government is offering little to nothing in return. Should the shutdown continue for much longer, the veterans won't be the only ones who won't be receiving their benefits. Social security recipients may also experience this as well.
ReplyDeleteIt is reprehensible that the veterans are in any danger of not seeing the payments that they earned. These are the same people who have fought and died for this nation—almost everybody would agree that the politicians need to get veterans benefits running again regardless of the status of negotiations during the government shutdown. Veterans have earned these benefits and have paid a great cost. Veterans do not only pay in arms and limbs, but also in the form of impaired mental ability and mental health. I would say, however, that this is very different from the Bonus March. The Bonus March was over benefits that were not due yet—these benefits, however, will be due in the coming days (as opposed to years for the Bonus March).
ReplyDeletePoliticians are putting themselves and their own agendas against what is right. These veterans deserve their benefits. They have served this great nation and gave the ultimate sacrifice; we are forever in their debt. These veterans deserve everything: healthcare, compensation, etc. For them not to receive any of this because of stubborn politicians who want nothing but their agenda's played out is not only wrong, but an embarrassment to this country.
ReplyDeletePoliticians needed to realize that their child-like behavior seriously conflicted with many other people's lives, in this case veterans. While the government was shut down disabled veterans were unable to pay their bills just because of a disagreement between parties. Even though the government was re-opened, I can imagine that there are still repercussions that are negatively affecting our veterans who were brave enough to fight for us. The next time the parties argue, they need to remember that their actions don't just involve themselves.
ReplyDeleteIt's obviously a bad situation not to be able to pay our veterans, especially with the long-lasting effects that many of them have experienced due to time in combat. I agree with everyone else condemning the shutdown and the intransigence that caused it. However, I don't think there should be a special exception made to fund the VA during the shutdown. The House's motivation was purely political and ignored the less emotional but equally important aspects of the harm caused by the shutdown.
ReplyDeleteI think its horrible that the brave men and women that served our country are in this situation. However, I do think that Emily Evenden brings up an interesting point in that there are a lot of people that are reliant on the u.s. government. And I think that this article is a good example on how reliant people can be with our government. I do understand, that people like these veterans, deserve the support for their service.
ReplyDeleteIt makes me so sad to hear about how certain groups have been affected by the shutdown, especially the veterans. They come home from serving our country, all battered and scarred not only mentally, but physically, and at they very LEAST they deserve their money to pay the bills. I really hope that the democrats and republicans who caused this shutdown realize the individuals they have impacted.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that veterans are not receiving benefits due to the government shutdown is ridiculous. Those who served our country should not be subject to this kind of political battle. If President Obama and Congress are still receiving their paychecks, then the veterans should definitely be receiving their benefits too. After all without our armed forces fighting for the freedom of the United States we would have no government to be shutdown in the first place. It is sickening to think that the men and women who fought honorably for this country have a possibility of not being able to pay their own bills.
ReplyDeleteYou're completely right, Ally. The politicians have been acting like children and it is unfair that those they represent may not receive the benefits they need. It saddens me that these representatives are barely being affected by their decision, while the Veterans, those that fought for us, suffer. They were elected by the people, for the people. Not by the people, for themselves.
ReplyDeleteI think it's ridiculous that veterans were not receiving benefits that they had earned. Veterans put their lives on the line in tough conditions, and many suffer from mental disorders and physical handicaps. I am glad that they will now get their benefits again, but veterans should never have to worry about making ends meet on the bare minimum. Politicians need to look outside their privileged positions and take care of those in need.
ReplyDeleteOf course the shutdown is over now, but that was seriously unfair to the veterans. I had family that was veterans, although they are dead now, they lived solely off of their checks while they were alive. I couldn't imagine how they would have survived if they had been alive during the shutdown. Not having national parks is one thing, but when people have no source of income because they are legally not allowed to work is another. I'm seriously glad that the shutdown is now over for the veterans' sake
ReplyDeleteThe effects of a government shutdown are really seen in personal experiences. It isn't just that government workers get a little behind in their work or that the NASA website is down, but people's lives are potentially at stake. The fact that the solution is not a permanent one could create constant fear for people. These people may think about trying to save money in case this occurs again. These veterans have done a service for our country, and at the moment they have to stress about the money they thought was coming, on top of their daily stresses.
ReplyDeleteI don't think anyone is in support of these ripple-effect problems from the shutdown. When examining the personally affected lives of people without jobs and benefits who are struggling to get dinner because of furloughs, it isn't appealing. But, some people view the shutdown in the big picture sense as necessary. These officials need to loo at the American people they are representing and put their immature party-centered views behind them to do what's best.
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