Quote:
Originally Posted by garett
I really don't want to start a flamewar here but the only difference between charity and government assistance is that government assistance comes under the threat of violence. The "begging" part is common to both. So yeah, he wants Veterans in need of assistance to receive it from those who offer it voluntarily, rather than from those who have no choice in the matter. And IMO there is more dignity to be had in receiving voluntary charity than taking it from people who wouldn't want to help me if they had a choice in the matter.
Edit: On the other hand this does open a door for a long discussion on what government's responsibility to soldiers and veterans is. There *is* a huge difference between health care for injured veterans and health care for the general public when it comes to the role of government. But that discussion also must lead into the morality of taxation, the role of government in general and whether or not a single, centralized army paid for through tax dollars is the only, or best, solution for national defense.
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A little while back we had a thread about military health care and I was wondering what a person did or didn't get if they were in the military.
I feel if a person goes into the military and is hurt/injured in any way while they are in there we should at the very least offer them basic medical care for their wound/injury for as long as they need it. If that means the rest of their life, so be it. Even if they weren't hurt in combat and just fell off a curb or something, I still say they should get it. By joining the military they are saying that if called upon they will go into combat for us which makes it different than a lot of jobs.
However, If a person joins and serves 3-4 years then leaves and has no problems, never gets hurt and never was in combat then we should offer them some care until they get a job and can get their own, but probably not for life. I know they couldn't have gone to war at any time, but they didn't and they never got hurt in anyway doing their job. That said it is a job that is 24/7 and controls your life in most ways so we should reward them for that in some way. By giving them free health care until they get a job or can provide their own when they get out I think we are helping them and out and helping them make the transition into the regular world.
The idea of an injured vet having to lean on a charity to get help turns my stomach. I have seen a lot of charity organizations and know how hard up for money they are. A girl I dated worked for a group that provided shelters, counseling and assistance for battered women and they had to fund-raise non-stop just to make ends meet. When we start doing that with our vet's health care I think we will see a big reduction in those who are willing to go in and serve. At least now you know if you get hurt or disabled they will take care of you. If it becomes something where they just toss you on the mercy of others, it will become a whole different story.