I feel compelled, during this serious reign of ignorance and
insolence and insanity, to write something.
And I don't even really know what to write, to be honest. It is not likely that this information will
be new to anyone who reads it. Because everyone
knows someone affected by the
government shutdown. There are so many
directions to look, so many points to be made...so I'm just going to share my
story and my feelings.
My husband is a Staff Sergeant in the United States Army. I am a disabled Army veteran. I am seven months pregnant with our second
child, and I have two wonderful stepchildren.
Currently, my husband is out of the country, as are many others. If his return ticket had not already been
purchased, he would be required to remain out of the country until the government
reopened.
Most of the country is upset at the government shutdown. Congress' approval rating is at 10%. Hell, I currently like oral surgery and scrubbing toilets more than I like the government. Like many families, we are a household dependent upon two
incomes. My husband's earnings, thank
goodness, have been secured (albeit secured last minute). The Veterans Affairs office has said that
they are capable of dispersing one more round of payment, and after that will
be unable to make any more until the government is reopened. The same is being said of VA educational
benefits, I'm hearing.
A good friend of mine is now furloughed from his government
job. He has a wife and two
children. This morning, I read many
jokes on our local installation's Facebook page regarding the craziness ensuing
on other posts due to things like commissary closures and shifts in the capabilities
of silly, inconsequential things like Military Treatment Facilities and Armed
Forces academies.
We have worked without water and food. We have worked without showers. We have worked without sleep, and at times without
medical attention. A large number of us
have worked and lived below the poverty line and without our loved ones in
order to provide for this country. We
are students. Neighbors. Friends.
Daughters, sons, wives, husbands, and parents. We are members of every community spanning
the United States.
We are not a family whose vacation to Yellowstone has been
interrupted. We are not a small business
whose loan has been postponed. We are a
cog in a vast group of people who have worked and will continue to work tirelessly
and selflessly.
And we expect the same in return.
