By Senator Tom Brewer
Last week we observed another Veterans Day that was viewed through the lens of a national election. Our President is the Commander in Chief of our armed forces. It is incredibly important who the President of the United States happens to be, especially if you are a member the military. Having a commander-in-chief who has a deep affection for the troops, and a Secretary of Defense who has “been there, done that” makes me very hopeful and optimistic for our country.
I do worry about the gap between those Americans who appreciate our military, and those who do not. It concerns me the degree to which the average American has become disconnected from America’s Armed Forces. Most Americans today don’t have a personal relationship with anyone who wears the uniform. Statistically, less than one percent of the population is in the US military. It makes me sad to see American’s ignorance of what our men and women in uniform do on our behalf.
A majority of Americans today can’t look at a map and identify the countries where the American military is currently deployed. Many can’t name the branches of the military, or explain the historical significance of the wars the nation has fought, or the importance of the freedoms we enjoy as a result. I worry that the wars we’ve fought over the last twenty-plus years have required zero sacrifice from the civilian population. This causes a profound lack of understanding in ordinary Americans. The public lack of understanding leads people to zero awareness.
If Americans don’t understand what our military is doing on their behalf, how can the American people ever show gratitude for the sacrifices our military has made? The tyranny of simple math indicates the American public is slowly moving towards ambivalence as it relates to the military. Zero gratitude is what happened after Vietnam. It took a generation of work to repair the damage Vietnam caused to our military. Zero gratitude from the public is a clear and present danger to our many freedoms. The problem is not limited to our military. Consider:
One percent of our population now feeds 350 million people three times a day. How many Americans actually understand that? The modern farmer and rancher faces incredible challenges and is often misunderstood by all those who rely upon his expertise. Skilled workers like teachers and first responders are also a tiny part of our population, who do incredibly important things we all depend on.
There’s an obvious difference between a veteran who died serving this country, and a veteran who did not. We must memorialize the dead, and remember those who paid the ultimate price. But we should also remember the decision that lead them to that sacrifice – the decision to wear the uniform in the first place. Those who died fighting for our country assumed the exact same risk as those who fought but survived. It’s the risk we should memorialize – as well as the sacrifice. We depend on a tiny part of our society being willing to take that risk.
The assumption of risk is the thing our freedom depends upon most. Not death itself – but rather, the willingness to accept the risk of dying. On this Veterans Day I pray we never run out of Americans willing to accept this risk.
Please contact my office with any comments, questions, or concerns. Email me at tbrewer@leg.ne.gov, mail a letter to Sen. Tom Brewer, Room #1423, P.O. Box 94604, Lincoln, NE 68509, or call us at (402) 471-2628.