I'm Not Done Yet (RNC Part 2)

I wanted to make sure that this incident that happened at the RNC got specific attention, mainly, because it hit me hard on a very personal level. Many know that the military are supposed to keep a tidy separation between our military service and our political beliefs (especially when those political beliefs differ with the Commander-in-Chief). Many of us go years without being able to adequately express our disdain for government decisions. You don’t know what kind of freedoms you have until you lose them…

Ron Paul supporter speaks out in uniform while on Active Duty. We in the military knew his next stop would be NJP.

Enter the Maine delegation. 7 of the 10 delegates that were unseated from the Maine delegation were military veterans. I don’t care if they were supporting Gingrich, Santorum, Palin, whatever. They had earned the right to sit as a voting member of that RNC and have their voice heard. They were elected out of the largest State convention in the history of Maine. They went through the entire process of going to caucus, and moving up through the convention system to have their voice heard at the RNC. Not good enough apparently. The saddest part of this story, to me, is the parading around of service members under the banner “Support our Troops.” Have you ever heard a politician say they don’t support the troops? Of course not.

But do they support us? Maybe financially. They talk about military benefits, and what they are willing to pay the men and women that have suffered tragic injuries and disabilities. All financial incentives… but they don’t stand with us. Standing with us means giving us a Congressional Declaration of War. In 10 years, the Congress has passed tons of legislation, but not a War Declaration. This is important because it outlines where a Congressional Rep/ Senator stands on the issue of war. We keep being told that this war must be fought and that everything is at stake…. So why not declare it? Right now only one man is accountable in terms of the war overseas. The President. I can’t even begin to tell you how dangerous giving that kind of accountability and responsibility to one man is… besides the founders already did it. Declaring war at the congressional level makes them accountable to their War vote and to the people. What is happening now is a single-man is bearing the judgment for his decisions. The congress has washed its hands of this bloody mess. It was never meant to be that way. Sure, the President’s opinion matters when it comes to acts of war. But the power to make that determination resides in the Congress.

So when I see fellow vets being ousted by the RNC. It hits me. You won’t allow us to speak out while active duty, you don’t stand behind us and declare wars, and when we get out and participate in politics to have our voices heard. You ignore us. And for what? So you didn't have to call out Ron Paul's vote count? You say you support our troops? That starts with listening to them. The Maine delegation had it right, “SHAME ON THEM!”

Maine Delegation in solidarity after 10 of them were unseated by the RNC