A letter to my Repub family and friends from this disabled vet. I posted this on FB.

[KBlagburn]

Last edited Tue Sep 25, 2012, 12:49 AM - Edit history (1)

To all my family and friends who think I am too political. I would like you to know something. This election is personal for me. For 30 years I have worked to provide for myself and my family, (mostly working 50 hour weeks) including 7 years in the United States Air Force. I paid my taxes and paid into Social Security and Medicare. During my time in the Air Force I was deployed to the middle east in support of Desert Shield/Desert Storm. I was one of thousands who returned a different person, both physically and mentally. Over the years my health has slowly deteriorated. I am now on 10 different medications and must use a cane to walk among other problems. I am no longer able to hold a full time job. Evey month I receive VA disability. I also receive my health care and medications through the VA. Mitt Romney has vowed to cut VA funding and other social services that many veterans rely on. President Obama has funded the VA and done more for veterans than any president in history. Mitt Romney believes that because I rely on the gov't that I am lazy and a mooch. President Obama believes that the gov't should give as much to our veterans as it has asked of them and taken from them. So yes this election is personal for me. My health and my future depend on it. I am the 47%.

[NYC_SKP]

1. K and R and thank you for your service, KBlagburn.

[Cane4Dems]

2. Thank you for your service!

[yellerpup]

3. You sacrifice is respected and honored, KBlagburn.

Taking care of our veterans is the lease we can do. Thanks for sharing your story on FB and here. People sometimes need to be reminded of the real and heavy price of war.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. Well said, my dear KBlagburn!

A grateful people will always support you and all our Veterans.

[Cracklin Charlie]

5. It is my honor

To help pay, through my taxes, for the medicine and any other services you may need. Thank you for your service to the United States. And thank you for sharing your letter.

[lady lib]

6. Please keep us updated on their responses. nt.

[KBlagburn]

10. I will. so far only those friends and family who support me have responded.

It was mostly for those who dont like my opinions and none of those have responded yet.

[The Wizard]

7. Any one who expects Rmoney

to treat the working class with any empathy hasn't been paying attention. And Lyin' Ryan is his wing man. They should be marched into the sea.

[garthranzz]

8. Thank you for your service

and your dedication.

As I told another veteran, you are far richer than Romney will ever be.

G-d bless you.

[Tumbulu]

9. Thank you for your sacrifices

Made on our behalf. And thank you for posting such a great letter on Facebook. I hope that it helps others understand what many of us- the 47% - feel about being belittled by about the biggest bully around.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

11. You mention you haven't heard from

some of your friends and family because in all liklihood they disagree with your politics. Could be, but my take is .... what CAN they say??? You served, you were impacted greatly and are now living out your life to the fullest extent you can. My hope for you and for the thousands who have returned from military duty and who will return as we wind down Afghanistan is that you all get EVERYTHING you need and then some.

Thank you for your service - it is an honor to read your story.

[KBlagburn]

12. WOW. thank all you guys. I never expected to be on the front page.

been here 11 years. Never had that happen before.

[DavidL]

48. You deserve the right to be on front page ANYTIME

you post here!

Now just keep posting such inspiring and self-revealing posts, we'll help you stay front page, as you help us think reasonably about what it means to be so blessed as we all are, being among like-thinking Democrats who care for our country.

And THANK YOU for all you have done, and continue to do for us.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

13. one tiny suggestion...

edit to change "to political" to "too political". One of those little errors people like me tune in on.

[KBlagburn]

15. Will do. good catch. thanks

[SleeplessinSoCal]

19. wishing you all the best.

[Cha]

14. Thank you so much for

writing the letter to your Repub family and friends, KBlagburn, and for sharing it with us! And, for your Service to our Nation.

[HopelesslyLiberal]

16. Any chance

We could get your Facebook link? I'd like to share this from the source.

[NeeDeep]

17. Good for you!

Sometimes standing up for the country is not in a far off battlefield. Sometimes it is right here, on American soil! If you feel that something is wrong, good for you, you are not alone. Freedom is not about explaining how you dislike (liberals, democrats, socialist or Obama) it's about how you can help Americans, regardless of standing or religion! Your conscience cannot be destroyed, in America it will live, for everyone!

[fun n serious]

18. Thank you.

I'm glad your health care is provided for you.

[Tennessee Gal]

20. Great letter! You have given them something to think about from the perspective of someone

they know. There may be many, many people who have not considered what this election could mean on a personal level to someone they like or admire. Perhaps you have opened their eyes and given them reason to reconsider their political positions, or at least given them reason to pause before spouting off something ridiculous like Romney does.

Thank you for your service.

[FailureToCommunicate]

21. Very well said, KBlagburn. Let us know the reaction of your family and friends

[DhhD]

26. If Romney wins and the VA is taken down, we will be asking our family to take over for the VA.

We need to see how our family feels about that right away.

[ip5683]

22. Attribution?

I'm always a little leery of unsigned, unattributed letters.

[arcane1]

23. No different than an unsigned, unattributed forum post n/t

[KBlagburn]

41. So there is no doubt. Here is a screen capture of my facebook timeline

[arcane1]

42. No worries, I know that. I was referring to the unattributed demand for attribution ;)

[amuse bouche]

24. It is from the person that posted it

P.S. --I'm sure you will see plenty of people here, 'leery' of you

[DollarBillHines]

27. You may find this hard to believe, but...

There are some very creative, coherent folks on this side of the fence.

He wrote the danged thing himself.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

28. Welcome to DU? Your first post is a slam? Hmm?

[pinto]

31. I believe it's attributable, as stated, to the op's author, KBlagburn.

[Indpndnt]

57. THIS is your first post?

Oh, really, now.



Great letter, OP! Honest and true.

[amuse bouche]

25. A wonderfully heartfelt letter

I'm very sorry you have so many health problems

[yesphan]

29. Thank you !

[flygal]

30. Thank you!

I wish you well. Thanks for trying to get that message out. Plus the entire military is not supporting republicans.
I'm the wife of a navy vet.

[hamsterjill]

32. Well said!

Thank you for your bravery and conviction for serving your country, and thank you again for your bravery and conviction for telling it like it is to your family and friends!

[PuppyBismark]

33. Mitt didn't even mention the war or veterans in his convention speech

That tells the whole story. He should have someone in his family serve in our armed forces and see how he likes it.

[magical thyme]

34. Thank you and bless you, Kblagburn

For all the decades I paid federal income taxes, I never once begrudged one cent that went to help others. I reached a point, at the peak of my career, when I paid a higher tax rate than Romney apparently does. I celebrated because I thought it meant I was successful. It never occurred to me to complain.

And then high tech crashed and after 9/11, my career crashed. I haven't earned enough money for some years now to pay federal income taxes. Although I pay payroll taxes, social security, fica, property taxes, sales taxes, etc. I, too, am now a "moocher" according to Romney.

Thank you for your service. I am proud to think that some of the federal income taxes I paid over the years went to help you and your family.

[AnnieK401]

35. Very moving.

[flpoljunkie]

36. That's a great letter!

Thanks for posting it.

[DaveJ]

37. I know what it's like having a Republican family

For me it feels like they are only half there, having to edit everything I say, can't talk to them fully without being ridiculed, people who I thought were good seeming to have very limited regard for other human beings who happen to approach life a little bit differently.

I've been laughed at so much that there really is no comfort zone at all with any of my relatives.

You showed a lot of bravery standing up for yourself.

[gademocrat7]

38. Thank you for your sacrifice and your service.

[southernyankeebelle]

39. Thank you for sharing your story. Pretty sad your relatives couldn't see what you already

had earned. Hopefully they will have to eat crow. Thank you for your service. I know it wasn't easy. War is truly hell. People who never have been in that situation will never understand it. I remember my own mother telling me when the americans bombed her country and the fear the civilians felt.

[oldsarge54]

40. Yep

We served at the same time, although I started a bit earlier, did 25 years in the AF, Nam through Gulf, and ten as a public school teacher. Also prematurely retired due to health. I guess the only difference is my E-7 retirement leaves me with enough income to put me in the 53%. However, as a native Texas, I would rather vote for a yaller dog than that elitist out of touch fool.

[mykpart]

43. Thank you and bravo!

I'm the widow of a disabled Vietnam vet whose story is much like yours. He worked for 30 years before his health, both physical and mental, rendered him no longer capable of working. And for the last 10 years of his life he didn't pay income taxes, but I told people that he had paid taxes with his blood and his health and his purple heart was his receipt for those taxes. And he paid so that someone else wouldn't have to. He died from complications of Agent Orange exposure, so I guess now I could say he paid with his life. While Mittens was in France doing "missionary" work, Mr. Mykpart was fighting for his rights to be rich.

My family thinks I'm too political too. Some people just don't get it.

[WoodyD]

44. To say that you rely on government

has it ass-backwards. Our government and our country rely on you and people like you. Thank you for your service. You've EARNED those benefits.

[lindysalsagal]

45. Beautiful

~snif~

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

46. Take that Mittens!

What the hell was Mittens doing during Desert Storm? Let me guess, being the Bain of our existence.

[NICO9000]

54. And his douchebag sons wouldn't ever deign to serve their country

I really hate these fuckers. Their entitlement makes me want to smack them silly.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

56. Leeches all of them n/t

[hwmnbn]

47. K&R

[ScottLand]

49. Thank you.

[OneGrassRoot]

50. Go, you!!!

[pandr32]

51. Valuing Veterans and their Families

Aside from blocking the Veteran's Jobs Bill the other day, the Republican party of late acts as if veterans are not even there...not one mention at the RNC. I think the reason for the latest slight is that the Republican party has gone corporatist 100%.

I put together the following list of what President Obama's administration has accomplished for veteran's and their families leading up to the recent bill that was killed by Senate Republicans:

As far as caring for our military goes Obama walks the walk. He began the withdrawal of all US troops from Iraq soon after taking office and now has ended the war in Iraq; he made sure the families of fallen veterans had their expenses covered to meet their loved one’s casket as it arrived at Dover AFB; he ended media blackout on war casualties; he ended the ‘stop-loss’ policy that had kept US military in Iraq and Afghanistan longer than their enlistment date; he ended the previous policy allowing for torture and as the result brought the US back in line with the Geneva convention; he made sure better body armor and equipment will be available to US troops; he has put the US Navy on regular patrols of the Somali Coast and authorized the raid on the Bin Laden compound in Pakistan—finally killing Bin Laden (incidentally, previously Mitt Romney had said in 2007 "It's not worth moving heaven and earth, spending billions of dollars just trying to catch one person."; he has increased pay and benefits to US military personnel; he has improved housing for military personnel and has enacted federal hiring opportunities for military spouses; he has improved conditions at military hospitals; he has begun to restructure the military to a more modern fighting force 20 years after the Cold War ended—this includes new technology and cyber units; he ended Bush’s policy of no-bid military contracts; he has authorized construction of new veterans’ health centers; he has authorized many drone, US Predator strikes, and raids that have taken out many senior Al Qaida—seriously crippling their organization; he added allowances for disabled veterans for specially adapted automobiles, and added special independent living services; he added special job training and placement services for homeless veterans with children and expanded care options for all homeless veterans; he has expanded health care services for women veterans, and expanded services to all veterans in rural areas; he has expanded counseling services for veterans and for women veterans that have suffered sexual trauma; he has granted eligibility of VA counseling services to family members; he ended the “don’t ask, don’t tell policy”; he has shown that the US military can effectively partner with other nations’ military (like France) without taking the leadership position and incurring high costs to the US with lives and dollars.

God bless you and thank you for your service.

[ThingsGottaChange]

52. Thank You

for your service and your words.

[Moostache]

53. K&R and a big thank you for your service.

I find it beyond disgraceful when the chicken hawk NEO-CON's try to wrap themselves in "experience" or "toughness" on the one hand and then do everything possible to welch on the deal offered to men and women in uniform - namely that when your service is through, your country will not forget you!

May you continue to receive everything you need to survive and live and may you receive it from the goodness of a truly grateful nation and not EVER be made to feel badly about receiving anything from us who did NOT serve. Again, my many thanks to you and your brothers and sisters in uniform who did what was asked in my stead. I won't forget and I won't let others either!

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

55. BTW....

...thanks a bunch for your service. You're the best.