This is nothing personal against you guys, but I almost hate seeing posts like this and this kind of mindset as much as I hate seeing posts like OP made.
It wasn't that long ago in history where vets were being treated like absolute trash. Then veterans started having the government actually honor (SOME) of their promises they made when getting kids to sign up to risk their lives and health. That didn't really last that long. The government never stops looking for a way to screw over veterans. But now there is another push to make veterans seem like scum bag grifters and freeloaders. By newer online "financial consultants", younger people that hate America public opinion, and sadly even by other veterans who want to gate keep.
I have seen some veterans I didn't think should get disability get it. I have seen people get higher ratings they probably should have a lower rating. I have seen people try hard as hell to scam and totally lie.
But way MORE OFTEN I have seen: people get lower ratings then they should, people get no rating when they should, VA pull ratings for no good reason, VA remove legitimate disabilities from their programs, VA stall until veterans die, VA doctors treat vets like shit, Govt and VA talk about how they can reduce costs that pay for veterans, veterans kill themselves because they get jerked around in the VA system, etc etc etc. I'm sorry, but the ways the VA and govt. have screwed over vets could go on for ever, and I have seen way more examples of that.
Another thing I have seen way more of: govt fraud, foreign aid fraud, Somali and other immigrant fraud, food stamp/ebt fraud, workman's comp fraud, social security fraud, social security disability fraud, disabled child entitlement program fraud, (again) etc etc etc. So, when I see people (even veterans) start railing about veterans getting too high of ratings on disability, I think people are out of their minds choosing that to be the hill to die on and thing to rail against at this point in society.
Another thing that feels like an absurd gate keeping idea is the constant trope that only certain "types" of veterans deserve VA disability. Only if you were injured in actual combat. Only if you were SOF, or a ranger, or combat arms. Or whatever other thing that sets tiers and precludes other veterans. I'm sorry, but get off your high horse. I don't care if a service member was injured in training at JRTC or something else. I have met vets that were involved in vehicle rollovers and had life long crippling injuries from training like that and during routine jumps and many other things that wouldn't meet your silly criteria.
It's not a normal job, that's why the government has to promise so much to get people to sign up, and even with that, they only manage to get 1%-2% of the population to participate at any one time. Only about 6% of the US has ever agreed to do it ever. But yeah, let's start in that sector of society to try and shame them and make sure they don't "take too much". That's definitely the biggest problem group in American society.
Yeah, OP wanting people to give him a free hunt to Africa is douchey. Trying to go after veterans like they are the "real" problem in America, and the ones "taking too much" is also something I hate to see as well. And it seems to me it is becoming more of a prevalent trope, especially with younger people who hate America and some veterans that want to gate keep.
I think you missed the part where I typed "I went to the VA for evaluation, as I sat there with Men who visibly had endured literal hell, I walked out & never went back." .... Where in my comment did I disparage Veterans?
I do not want to derail this thread, however you are monumentally misunderstanding my view.
The facts are my view is as
@Mtn_Infantry stated in his initial comment, and to paraphrase - I signed my name and that choice was mine alone.
I cannot speak to the reason why others joined, but I did it in 1990 when it was "peacetime" & literally pissed my Daddy off! I thought he was gonna stomp a hole in me, and so much so I told him in front of my Grandmother, hoping she might save me. With a look of extreme disappointment, I'd never seen & a voice I'd never heard from him, he said one thing, "Why?!". My reply, "Because I wanna know if I got what it takes." He shook his head and walked away ..... See, my Daddy was vehemently against military service, he lived through the terrible times during & after the Vietnam conflict. He lost dam near all his Friends, plus he knew and regularly preached to me about the corruption that was/is the MIC. Despite, I was young, dumb & wanted a challenge, so I signed up. Then "peacetime" was no more.
There was a lot of positives while I served, but there was just as much bad. I got a challenge, but it came at a price, but the facts are I didn't pay in as much as others. The facts are I went in for selfish reasons, not for some altruistic ideology of service to my country! No, it was because I wanted to find out if I was tough enough. What I found out was, I was an idiot, and my Daddy was right! Then my selfish endeavor got booted and I got a heaping helping of humble crow pie. I was no longer there for myself, nor "my country" I was there for my Brothers.
Facts are, I appreciate when someone finds out I served and says, "Thank you, for your service" , but actually I don't need it, nor do I care for it. As I stated, I volunteered for selfish reasons.
Moreover, I don't need a lecture on the gov't/MIC corruption, the corporatocracy or the failings that define the VA, because I know, and more than most. I've spent over 30yrs in the gub'ment - its a shit show & voting won't fix it.
Furthermore, I am part of a Veteran out reach group in my region, in addition to frequent visits to the regional Veterans Home near me. I see the good & the bad.
If a Veteran gets a disability, AMEN! They deserve it, full stop!
In my previous comment, I'll admit I probably shouldn't have made it. The thing is, I know how stressed the VA system is, and supposedly I qualify for a disability, but I just can't put myself in the Q , knowing there could be a Veteran with more or worse going on. If that offended you, well, I don't know what else to say .... I guess you had to be there.
I'll end with this, I appreciate your sentiment, there are Veterans who deserve it, and you are a gentleman for voicing how you see it.
