The militia is also to be the defender of the Constitution from an illegal
government like the one that we have now. Right now the greatest danger to
the Constitution is the government itself. The civilians that cause wars are
Congress and the industries that profit from war. I cannot speak for all
veterans but this veteran did not find war attractive, my job as a volunteer
fireman gave me enough of an adrenaline rush.

stcfarms, you are right about the well-trained militia…since there are factions in
the world who would do Americans harm from their ideology which is difficult to
negotiate, this country needs to be ready for any assault.  I wonder though if civilians
not minding their own business is the problem of the need for war.  Each and every war
has its own variables that decide what the war was for.  A study of the history of war
would give an overview of the causes of war.  Since America has not had a draft since the
70s, the call to war, for whatever reason, has been with a volunteer military.  Many
volunteered with the idea that there would be some future for them when they mustered
out.  Many had no idea they would be engaged in any real battle.  But they served and
for most of them, served bravely, and too many have lost their lives.  However, of those
who survived, there were also many, interviewed by journalists, who said they enjoyed
war, they thrilled with the danger.  There was a romance about it, a sense of power.  I
was amazed that anyone could feel that way, but there it was.  This was not just a few. 
The industry that produces board war games, computerized war games is huge.  There is
a mystique about being involved in war that is found attractive.  It seems a psychological
thing.  I don’t know as I am not a researcher or scientist of things about war.

Whatever is the case, this government made promises to these people who put their lives
at risk for the safety of their country and the rest of the country ought to speak loudly
on their behalf for that government to honor those promises immediately.  We know the
reason for the delay in anything the government does.  It is to move the National Wealth
around from one thing to another to keep it afloat.  If you can think of a way to make the
government pay their debt to these soldiers, please let those of us interested know. 

What happened to Bledsoe’s brother is a travesty.  I wish we could do something about it. 
He has reason to be bitter.  I hope some way he can come to terms with the wrong that
was done him and will find a way to make a decent life.

Perhaps if civilians would learn to mind their own business there would be no
need for war. Perhaps if those that support war were the ones made to fight
the wars the madness would stop. Perhaps if the government does not keep
it’s promises the veterans will get together for one more war.

The Constitution calls for a well trained militia to keep and bear arms, that
well trained militia can only be the veterans. The well trained militia has taken
an oath to defend the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic. It
seems that we have been remiss in our duties as the government has not
followed the Constitution in 233 years. The enemy is the government, both
parties, all branches at all levels.

Shrub and co spent eight yrs destoying every gov’t agency that provides assistance to US citizens.  Now, Repug are blocking Obama appointments for secondary managment positions that can start to rebuild these agencies.  Most of these agencies won’t get fixed before in Obama’s first term.

We’re the only “civilized” country that does not have universal health care or publically funded higher education. We are also the nation that spends the most money on militarism and has the highest percentage of our population under arms. The GI Bill is a recruiting tool that gets young people to enlist in our armed forces. Let’s drop the phoney patriotic fiction that they’re “serving our country.” They’re not. Every young person should have access to publically funded higher education without having to risk their lives overseas for it.

When guys were interviewed right after they signed up for a branch of military service, everyone
of them mentioned the benefit of higher or extended education as the major attraction.  As the
soldiers rotate out of the service from the Iraq theater, then those who would be coming from
Afghanistan, this country needs to honor that bargain.  It is one of the finer programs this
country has provided for its soldiers.  It is owed to them.  Besides when these people rejoin
society, will they be unemployed or can they be students learning a career?  It would be the
worst kind of message if these people languished over the direction their lives will take once war
is no longer occupying their minds and bodies.  There ought to be a rapid solution to anything
that is holding up the distribution of education awards of tuition, books and living expenses
without any further delay.  It is an embarrassment that this government cannot get the VA to
take whatever steps would be required to establish a functioning system and to establish that at
once.  If it is a matter of entering data by hand, then more employees able to do that ought to
be hired and by that a new job created for someone needing it.  There is a cascade of benefits
that could happen by just that simple act of manning the IT problem adequately.