I am usually not one to criticize, at least not heavily, in print the decisions of our military leaders. Today, however, I was confronted with a situation that I simply have to vent about. The powers that be here at my long-term residence of Fort Bragg, NC have decided that due to the current fiscal climate it is an unjustifiable expense to hold our annual Fourth of July celebration this year. In all the years I have been here (since 1994) the celebration has never been cancelled before. Hell, even last year a torrential downpour and high winds only halted the celebration for just a short while until the storm was over. Right after that, business as usual.
Citing the lame-ass excuse that they:
The decision was driven, in part, by overtime costs associated with the festivities
Overtime cost that exceed $120,000 for the day. I remember a time on Fort Bragg, and in the military in general, when we soldiers were tasked with the duties of supporting post-wide events. Civilians and their salaries were not a part of the costs of doing business. I am not in any way putting down the contributions of our civilian workforce and the support they have provided us during these last 12 years of war, but if we have moved to the point of a professional military service where we cannot support ourselves and our festivities in-house with our troops, then we have indeed fallen far below the standard.
We, the current and past service members and our families and friends, have paid the costs in blood, sweat and tears for the last 237 years of this country’s history. We have answered every call since before the Declaration of Independence was signed. That day would never had been celebrated if it were not for the sacrifices our military members have made. Even in times of war, when we have been off in foreign lands we have had our families back home joining in the celebration of the day of the founding of our country.
It is with a sad heart that I have to hear the excuses stemming from the ineptitude of our elected officials, officials from both sides of the aisle. It is a travesty that we, Americans, have fallen so low as to repeatedly elect, and re-elect those who we have little to no faith in and a distinct lack of trust for. Repeatedly, we have given up more and more freedom, and this year we will feel the pinch of our irresponsibility; not only will we have to feel the effects of our governments inability to stop spending, come to consensus for the good of the people they represent, and their overall disdain for our ability to live our lives for ourselves, now we are not going to be able to see a celebration of our former greatness. A celebration we deserve to have for all the lives we have given in support of it all these years.
In 1776, our Founding Fathers reached down and grabbed their balls, placed their signatures on the greatest document ever written in our history and gave a big “FUCK YOU” to a tyrant across the sea. We stood up an Army and a country without the benefit of taxation yet today we cannot even celebrate that great day from 237 years ago because a bunch of dumb fuckers cannot balance a checkbook. A federal income tax became law 100 years ago this month and still with all the money they suck out of our paychecks each month for taxes and fees to be an American we still cannot throw a party.
I have a petition on “We the People“. Please sign it and lets send the criminal enterprise a message that we at least deserve our day. Especially when there can be parties hosted with celebrities and music and dancing off of our dime.
No Kool-aid Zone 