Supporting Our Troops

Who doesn’t remember with horror that awful day and mourn the enormous loss of life on 9/11? We sure do. Our hearts go out to everyone who was affected and to those who continue to be affected, including the first responders who suffer from medical ailments they developed in trying to save lives on that day.

If you’re reading this today, on 9/11, you probably have read hundreds of Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram posts from people or companies commemorating the 9/11 terrorist attack on our nation. Maybe the posts are about their personal memories of the tragic day. Maybe they’re about thinking about those who lost their lives. Many of them will be heartfelt and poignant. But we guarantee you that several of them will comment on supporting our men and women in the military and supporting our troops.

So why is that upsetting? Here’s the point of this column in a nutshell: Stop saying “support the troops” . . . if you don’t really support the troops or what they are fighting for, especially on a day like 9/11.

You know who supports what our military stands for? People like the individual in this video and the people in the images that follow:

The military is comprised of people who volunteer to commit their lives toward serving the greater good. They risk their lives to protect those of us back home. They risk their lives to ensure that we can maintain our way of life based upon ideals that our nation values. They are selflessness personified. Their actions speak for them.

Too many of us back home utter empty slogans like “support the troops” and miss the whole point of what has made our nation so great. Our nation isn’t about who chants U.S.A. the loudest or who retweets a hashtag the most times. It’s about actions that we undertake to help our fellow citizens. It’s about coming together and uniting to make our country better for ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities. Our country is on the pedestal it is because everyday Americans have sacrificed their time, money, energy, and at times their lives and limbs for one another. But we’ve lost that collective focus. We’ve become better at selfishness than selflessness, all while failing to look in the mirror as we comment on the world around us.

We here at RW are not Trump fans, but how many people slammed Melania Trump for wearing heels to get on a plane to go feed people at a hurricane shelter? Now how many of those same people doing the criticizing lifted a finger to help hurricane victims?

So stop saying “support the troops” if you spend your life thinking only of yourself and not the society of which you are a part.

Stop saying “support the troops” if you haven’t undertaken one moment of your time to help a veteran.

Stop saying “support the troops” if you, while running to be our nation’s Commander In Chief, attempted to shame a U.S. prisoner of war like John McCain.

Stop saying “support the troops” if you are a sports entity whose ownership is comprised of people who blackball a quarterback like Colin Kaepernick, who donated $900k of his money toward helping his fellow citizens, because you feel he disrespected the United States flag. You should really stop saying “support the troops” if you’re part of that same entity, which was caught charging the U.S. military millions of dollars to put on flag ceremonies at your stadiums.

Stop saying “support the troops” if you are a politician who doesn’t leap to vote for, or votes against, committing funds to those same troops via adequate healthcare and other benefits that they most assuredly have earned. And don’t get us started on how much hand wringing it took to get Congress to pass a bill to aid 9/11 first responders.

Do you really want to support the troops? Here’s a link to donate to the Wounded Warrior Project, which serves veterans and service members who incurred a physical or mental injury, illness, or wound, co-incident to their military service on or after September 11, 2001 and their families.

While you’re at it, you can also donate to support those who have been affected by the hurricanes that have wreaked havoc on our country. Here’s one charity you can send aid to for those affected by Hurricane Harvey. There are plenty of worthy organizations out there helping those who have been victimized by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

It doesn’t just have to be in tragic times or after national disasters either. You can do what the troops do and try to use every day as an opportunity to serve the greater good. No matter what city you live in, there are organizations and individuals who need your help. Volunteer at a local community center. Give back to a school. Help build houses for the homeless. The list goes on and on as there are so many among us who commit their lives to these great causes. Join their ranks.

To conclude, our troops are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to serve others and unfortunately. Our first responders do the same, whether they’re in uniform or just fellow citizens lending a hand to those in need. So let’s support those who represent the best among us and let’s heed their call to serve the greater good. You don’t even have to wear a flag pin or use a hashtag to do it.