Focus on Veterans, Not Trump

+WonderfulWildLife

Well, I'm not a Donald Trump defender, but his comments about John McCain’s war hero status are all so over combed. 

He did say McCain was a war hero, just not in the usual way a person would state that fact. 

I think this exposes that Republicans are desperate to get him to stop by any means necessary, and I believe they'll pay for it on the front end and the back end regardless of the present repercussions from his comments. 

The GOP has the WORST track record for supporting veterans. 

Trump has that much right. 

Democrats’ track record isn’t that much better. 

Project ARCH (http://www.va.gov/health/arch/), the pilot program to help veterans access care quicker and closer to their homes, is great on paper but when you ask actual veterans that have tried to use this and other recently enacted programs, the results are not all positive and multiple issues abound, including the VA not making timely payments for services rendered at non-VA facilities.

Those that didn't become prisoners are just as much heroes. Trump is right about that. 

Trump might be inarticulate about everything he says, but there's this ‘holier than thou’ approach to some veterans, and it hasn't helped other vets receive benefits after they served our country in good faith, now has it?

+WonderfulWorld

I have a friend today that is driving three hours just to get blood work drawn at the closest VA to her. That’s as ridiculous as it is ineffective and inefficient. A colossal waste of her time and resources. 

People want to slam Trump for his comments. I really think it's far too easy to slam someone for an inarticulate criticism of one person by applying it to everyone else that has a similar background.

Truth is that McCain is a war hero. It is true about his service during the war and while he was in captivity, that much should be undeniable. Does that mean people cannot criticize him or the outcomes of his efforts for veterans? 

Then, there are people that I have constantly heard over the last decade that declare if you are not a veteran that you can have no say against the opinion of a veteran or about war or about foreign policy or about a whole host of issues. 

Others take this declaration a step further with Trump since he had three student deferments and one medical deferment during the same Vietnam War that McCain became a POW.

Isn't saying someone doesn't have the right to disparage or criticize someone or some idea because of actions or inactions they took decades ago run perpendicular against their right to freedom of speech and expression? 

Again, for me, this isn't about defending Trump. This is actually about veterans. Trump is a great distraction, and, everyone wants to pile on Trump because of the way he chose to criticize McCain. 

Meanwhile, actual veterans aren't receiving actual benefits in a timely manner. Actual veterans are committing suicide at an alarming rate. 

+AmazingWorld

Actual veterans are being left behind by politicians who would rather quibble about a few disparaging words as opposed to pay for services for those who gave service to our country at great cost to not only themselves, but to their families and to their communities. 

Focus on the veterans, not on Trump.