What I see in our time is that many veterans of our military do not receive the respect that they deserve. This disrespect can come in multiple ways. The ways that I have noticed most are that they get denied jobs that they are highly qualified for and disabled veterans do not receive the proper medical treatment that they need, whether it is for mental or physical disabilities. I strongly believe that this is a complete injustice. How can people not respect the men and women who write a check for up-to and including their life to serve and protect each and every person who live in this country? “There can be no doubt about it: we need a new worldview. And we need it now” (Chittister 5).

What I think needs to be done to help this situation and create a new worldview is to make more people aware that this injustice is happening. I also believe that if people are willing to share their story, that would be the best way to get the message across. I was well aware that this was happening, but until a customer came into my work and shared his story with me, I didn’t feel all of the emotion behind it.

As I started speaking with this customer, somehow the topic that he was in the Army for 31 years came up. Since I am part of a military family, I couldn’t wait to hear what he had to say. He began by telling me he was an Army Ranger for most of his active career and once he changed to reserves, he trained men and women before they got deployed to either Iraq or Afghanistan. If anyone is unfamiliar with the military, being an Army Ranger requires countless hours of extensive and intense training, only a select few get chosen, and it is a special force unit. This was extremely impressive for me to hear. Unfortunately, the conversation took a drastic turn. He told me that once he retired, he went to the Rhode Island State Police and asked if he could be accepted into the academy to become a state trooper, and on many occasions they denied him despite his incredible capabilities. He said he had multiple years of schooling as well as numerous awards from different accomplishments in the military. This immediately broke my heart and somewhat confused me. How can all of these amazing and impressive accomplishments not matter? Since that day, I cannot get this troublesome and heartbreaking thought out of my mind.

Because I personally heard this man’s story, I am directly affected and know I have to act in some way. I am going to try and share this story with as many people as I can so they can be aware of this injustice as well. I plan on taking action and one of my ideas was writing a letter to Congress. My hope is that once some members in Congress read the letter, they will see it as an injustice as well and will try to prevent more injustices from happening within their states. I am also hoping that when I share this story, more people will get inspired like myself and want to join me in taking action. If more people write, I think that may help Congress to see that it is an important matter, which appears as an injustice and disrespect to veterans for many people. It may not seem like a large step forward in getting justice or achieving anything, however, it is a start. “Sometimes small acts significantly affect a large group of people. But even when they don’t, they can have a big influence, maybe on just one individual” (Salwen 21).

I have also had personal experiences with the disabled veterans. When I see physically disabled veterans, it is extremely humbling. Seeing a person without a limb, or limbs, makes people realize how selfless they are. They made the choice to serve and protect every person in this country and because of that, they may not be able to walk ever again. These are people who deserve respect from everyone because of their decision, yet they do not always receive it. The most amazing part is that many of them do not regret the decision they made and are happy that they were able to serve us and make a difference.

Countless times I have been in public and mentally disabled veterans will break down or overreact because of what, to us, seem like the simplest everyday occurrences. I know one of the most common things that can bother them is just the sound of a gun or explosion in a video game. After seeing all that they see in war, I can’t imagine how damaging and difficult that must be for them. Other times I’m not quite sure what causes them to break down. I never really know how to react either. Without experiencing what it is like to be in the middle of war, it is impossible to understand and comprehend.

Our family friend’s nephew currently serves in the United States Air Force and last year, he was affected mentally because of his job. He is part of security for his base in El Paso, Texas and he got a call one night about a wife who was being beaten to death by her husband. When he arrived on the scene, the man had already beaten his wife unconscious with a sledgehammer. Our family friend was with his partner and they ordered the man to drop his weapon and put his hands over his head. He refused to do so and threw the sledgehammer at his partner, his partner fell to the ground, and his gun fell out of his hand towards the man. The man proceeded to pick up the gun and point it at our family friend. He then ordered him to put the gun down and when he refused, he had to make the decision to shoot him. The man ended up dying the next day in the hospital, but his wife was fortunate to survive.
When I heard this story, I immediately thought of how much of a hero our family friend was to have saved a woman’s life who was a mother to a young child. Shortly after, I realized that he had to kill another man to do so and how traumatic that must have been. Although he made the correct decision, he still had to take someone’s life. I asked if he was okay and his aunt told me he was in counseling for it as well as other safety procedures, which were under way to make sure he did not harm himself in any way because of his mental state. After getting to know him from parties during the summer when our families were together and knowing how kind of a person he is, all I could do was pray in hope that he would be okay. No one ever wants to see our family or friends hurt physically nor mentally.

This story also made me think of another perspective. Why is it that our friend receives the counseling he deserves; yet the veterans who are retired don’t always receive the medical attention they need? This doesn’t make sense to me because whether a person is actively serving or has previously served, he or she still gave their life to this country for a certain amount of time.

This is a topic that I am thoroughly passionate and concerned about. Since my favorite thing to do is volunteer my time to help people, I would love to be able to serve those who served for me. “The mighty are those who spend their strength to create and heal” (Chittister 9). I want to help create more job possibilities for the retired veterans and help heal the suffering of the disabled veterans.

I have always told myself that before I die, if I can accomplish one thing, it would be to change someone’s life for the better. I plan on being able to conquer this goal through these actions. Not only do I want to help the veterans in need, but I also want to make more people aware of these injustices going on around us. The core question I ask everyone is; why should the disabled and unemployed veterans be punished for the act of selflessness they chose? It is time that we all have a new worldview; to start treating each other with compassion and respect. “We must begin, all of us, to put the tree of life back together again” (Chittister 9).