As a veteran of the Iraq war and proud supporter of America’s combat-wounded veteran population, the pain I feel from the recent rash of police shootings in Dallas and Baton Rouge by two veterans eclipses the daily pain from the bullet still lodge in my skull. It cuts deep. Very deep. Not just because the shootings are plain wrong. The pain flows from the fact two of my fellow veterans are at the center of the hatred.
It breaks my heart they are a part of something I hold dear -- the distinction of being a US Veteran. They don't fit the mold of the millions of honorable Veterans that reject their hatred.
America's law enforcement and the scores of individuals that comprise our nation's 'Blue' protectors, keeps order, prevents anarchy and secure our daily safety, deserve much better. But the scorching racial fires -- the very root cause of these two shootings -- are fueled by ignorance, fanned by the flames of social media, and a body politic run amuck.
Instead of bridging gaps we daily experience a deepening racial divide. Now that divide has crept into utter disregard for the men and women in 'Blue'. And a disregard for the very liberties we cherish.
Let me assure you, some of the most commanding and effective leaders in today’s American military are black, Hispanic and white. In the ranks of the military, there are no special rules or regulations that dictate service members be treated differently based on their race. We're simply colorblind.
This mentality needs to carry over when a person exits the military and becomes a veteran. As a veteran of the American military we’re given tools to strengthen a team. As a veteran of the American military we develop skill-sets to solve problems (often not our own) as a team, sometimes at great sacrifice of both time and quality of life. As a veteran of the American military we have the ability to serve our communities proudly, using the tools from the military to remove boundaries, overcome adversity and show how todays troops apply justice, judgement, bearing, unselfishness and loyalty to life after the military.
Those two veterans that killed the police officers failed us; miserably.
We, as a nation and a brother/sisterhood ARE better than this. Don’t let the actions of these recent veteran attackers contaminate the deep-rooted sense of pride an America feels when they serve in the military, and how we view our veterans. We really are better than that. We really are colorblind. Let's pray our nation one day soon adopts that view.
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