Should Veterans Be Treated with Reverence or Pity?

During World War II, most nations wouldn’t allow the media to focus on casualties as a way of stoking an anti-war or enemy-assisting movement, but Vietnam changed all that, leaving the public demoralized and troops at the front supported less well.

     Mainstream media today leaves the public conflicted and confused about the value of military veterans.  On military holidays, the media treats all veterans with reverence, as having walked on hallowed ground.   Others praise the discipline, maturity, and skill-abundance of veterans when entering the marketplace or going back to college.

     There’s also a way, however, of killing with kindness, at least enough to fool most people.  A recent public event intended to make sure veterans apply for government “benefits” had the speaker greet those attending with “you are all heroes” (with or without medals or hazardous duty).

      Aside from national holidays, however, nightly television viewers are subjected to one “public service” spot after another which portrays veterans as abject losers—now seen as suicidal, homeless, and constantly in need of a personal crisis line.  Even wounded veterans don’t seem to be cared for adequately by the government, but are now in need of charity.

      Has the anti-war, anti-military movement just changed tactics?