LETTERS

Pseudo patriotism and equal rights

Posted 6/6/18

To the Editor: Once again Memorial Day has come and gone, leaving behind a hint of fading pseudo patriotism that will soon fade quickly into disinterest and apathy. Once the parades have ended and the various festivities have been blown away the

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LETTERS

Pseudo patriotism and equal rights

Posted

To the Editor:

Once again Memorial Day has come and gone, leaving behind a hint of fading pseudo patriotism that will soon fade quickly into disinterest and apathy.

Once the parades have ended and the various festivities have been blown away the politicians, the socialist media, the pseudo patriots and the alleged champions of the underdog will crawl back under their rocks and wait another year to appear, like the groundhog in Pennsylvania, or possibly just a few months until Veterans Day.

Meanwhile, for the next 365 days homeless veterans, disenfranchised veterans, ignored veterans and PTSD survivors will be left to their own devices and sadness. These are men and women who sacrificed part of their lives to proudly serve the country that they believed had treated them with kindness and respect. Most had simple lives but good lives and felt that they should give back to the nation that kept them safe and sound. Personally, I don’t believe I owe my country anything and it does not owe me a thing. I served for over 30 years and was in combat situations twice, in Vietnam and Iraq. But there is one fact of life in this country that truly tells us what our nation thinks of us; it is called Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP). CRDP allows military retirees to receive both military retired pay and Veterans Affairs (VA) compensation if their disability is rated at 50%. If not, they must choose one or the other.

So in retrospect, a person can come to this country, legally or other, and receive benefits they never worked for, while a person who sacrificed their lives for their country is forced into an either or situation. So much for equal rights in America.

John Cervone

North Providence

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