Are you a Vet of any War? If you are.....would you support "Occupy Wall Street?"

[KoKo]

Would you stand with folks you think might be "not like you" and take back America? Do you even see any issues that you could support about the "99% of Americans who have been "Fucked Over?"

Are there any vets from any wars still here on DU who might want to talk about this? If you are new to protest....what do you hope to achieve. If you are "old" to protest...what can you offer that might guide the newbies forward from mistakes of the past?

Anyone care about this?

Respectfully, koko

[county worker]

1. I am a Vietnam vet and I don't understand what you are saying.

Are you saying vets are not a part of the 99%?

[KoKo]

2. Then...tell me how I could make my post clearer to you?

Thanks!

[county worker]

9. I don't know if you realize but vets are more likely to be homeless and unemployed.

Vets are more likely to abuse alcohol and drugs and suffer from mental illness and more likely to attempt suicide.

Since I came home in March of 1968, I have been addicted to drugs and alcohol, I have been married and divorced, I have been bankrupt, I have been homeless, I have been clinically depressed and still take meds for mental illness. I am about to get checked out for agent orange poisoning. I have lost or fired from just about every job I've had. I am doing better now but I sure the hell am part of the 99%!

My advice for anyone is this. There are no guarantees that the things you try will work out the way you want them to but if you don't try anything there is a guarantee that nothing will work as you want it to. So don't give up, keep trying because it takes a long time and a lot of effort to make things work.

I have taken part in our local occupy meet ups.

[county worker]

10. Just saying, the right always talks about war and the military as if they own it.

I think we have proven time an again that we have more vets here than freerepublic has. They are mostly chicken hawks. Anyone who brags about the military or brags that they support the troops probably is a chicken hawk and I think that includes most of the repukes.

[Skittles]

3. are you assuming vets/combat vets are naturally repuke?

[Texasgal]

4. Basically yes.

Looks that way to me anyway.

Broad brushes suck.

[southernyankeebelle]

6. They think that however, in my family we have over 62 yr of honorable service

in the military which include wars. All are retired senior enlisted men grunts and all democrats.

[Rabblevox]

5. As a vet (though non-combat) You're implications disturb me...

You make the implications that vets naturally "don't like people like them", have trouble identifying with the 99%, have bailed from DU, and/or are "new to protest".

Nothing could be further from the truth. Google "Ken O'Keefe Marine".

Vet's are no smarter, tougher or insightful than anyone else. We're just...vets. The only thing that unites us is that we wore the uniform. Some willingly, some not.

[trof]

7. They're not "not like me".

They ARE me.
Yes, I'm a veteran, though I didn't serve in any combat.
But I served.
Absolutely I stand with them.

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. Go down to the occupation

My local has a good number of them.

Oh and they see me as a sister too

[Cal Carpenter]

11. Not a vet but here's a story from Occupy Chicago

I've been to a couple Occupy sites including Zuccotti and there are a lot of vets (and even active duty) there.

Below is a pic I took at Occupy Chicago. He gave me permission since he had his bandanna over his face but I've cropped the top of his face out anyway.

He is in the reserves and WANTS more active duty because he needs the work but he can't get it because there are so many fresh, new recruits due to the unemployment situation. A far cry from several years ago when the military was lowering it's standards in order to get more warm bodies signed up...

Anyway, he and I agreed to disagree on some major fundamentals of foreign and economic policy but he knew just like I did that we are both part of the 99%, that we are ultimately on the same side.

[11 Bravo]

12. Yes, and yes. And why the fuck you would assume that the protesters are "not like you" ...

("you" being "me" in this case, correct?) is a matter to be addressed between you and your own personal demons.

[Scuba]

13. Your very first sentence is the problem. We are you....

..Yes, I'm a vet (no combat, fortunately). I've been protesting for 40 years. I am the 99%, same as you. It never occurred to me that the other protesters are "not like me".