General Discussion

I've been offended... as a Veteran, and as an American. Granted, today it doesn't take much to get my dander up... not after living through 10 years of trump and his particular love of cruelty and sadism. But these commercials to me simply monetize our veterans. They tell me the U.S. government, which sent them to war, doesn't think enough of them enough to bind up their wounds and make them whole. These commercials tell me the government is simply throwing our veterans to the corporate wolves, that's all their service was worth.

Like so many other veterans of all the different wars we've fought, I've had to listen to trump denigrate and degrade us. And then, out of the other side of his mouth, "honor" us as "warriors"... like the best thing you can aspire to is the ability to kill another human being. There is no love of country coming out of his mouth... no ideal like freedom and democracy for everyone... just killing. Sometimes it takes a stronger warrior to know when to walk away, and when to give all in a fight.

But I also see these commercials as evocative of what is becoming big business in the U.S. - the beggarization of the country. People with medical bills, or other situations where they're caught up short using GoFundMe like older folks might have used loan companies. I don't blame them for trying this route... I've had to resort to it once, myself. But it's getting to be put out there more as a option for people to use, and it's still backed by corporate entities.

I admit I wear my heart on my sleeve. The suffering around me, or shown to me on the screen, gets to me big time. I will actually leave the room when one of the ASPCA commercials come on. And the cancer hospitals for kids. It just seems like we're getting pushed into boxes by marketers and then our feelings played on to the worst degree.

When I worked and had money, I did give monthly to the ASPCA. But knowing they can't be everywhere, and that a good portion of my donations was headed to corporate and administrative offices, I did my own work and rescued critters on my own. I paid vet bills and had surgeries for animals in dire distress and THEN worked to find them forever homes. These commercials make it seem like all you have to do is throw money at the business advertising and all the ills will be gone. It's a salve; the work afterwards is what's important.