This is why we come to DU... - Democratic Underground

The Doctor.

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Thu Dec-04-08 01:39 AM
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This is why we come to DU...

Well, one of the many reasons... at least.

So I have a hankering for a late night beer (Bad Doc!), and I go to the corner gas station/Kwik-E-mart. I walk in, and there's a new face there. I say, "So this is the guy that replaced the jack-off?" (Yeah, they know me by now, and the jack-off was a rude little prick).

The regular guy, we'll call him 'Chuck', said, "Yeah, and not a moment too soon... I was gonna kick his ass".

And I believed him. I wanted to kick his ass too.

But I digress.

The new face was a young guy, we'll say 'Jim'. I started to lay into Chuck. I messed with him over how skinny he was and whether he could really 'kick ass' (It's a silly guy thing) and we even wound up outside so I could show him a little Judo. Turns out, the kid was fluid as all get-out and managed to escape being properly planted for di ashi-rai a few times, but I showed him the basics, and even showed him how to throw me in a modified o soto gari. Suffice it to say... he's hooked now. (Trust me, this stuff is WAY fun!)

Jim was watching, so I asked him what training he had.

He said he'd had some training in the army.

Ok, I'm interested.

I ask him about where he trained.

'Baghdad'

"With who?"

"An army master sargeant, a marine sniper, and a pathfinder."

I'd never heard of a 'pathfinder' before, but I assumed it was basically a ranger. He'd also said that the only sargeant he'd ever feared was a 5'3" woman who nearly beat him into the infirmary.

So we talked for a while about training. It's one of the reasons I'm glad I went through some of the stuff that I did... everyone who's ever gone through extreme hand to hand training can bond very quickly with anyone else who has. But what made things special is the fact that I come to DU.

After a whole lot of establishing brotherhood, after finding out that Jim was going to be a door gunner for his third tour (behind a mounted .50 cal in a Blackhawk), Jim said there was "only one thing he was afraid of"...

"Barack Obama as President"

"Really?", I said, "Why is that?"

"Because he wants to cut troop pay by 50%"

Oh... I shit you all not... this boy actually believed this.

I said, "Really... and where did you hear that?"

"Oh, from different places."

I took a deep breath. Chuck, who already knew that I was an awfully informed person, said "Ok, you're about to learn something." to Jim.

I said; "Look, there are a lot of people who want you to hate Obama... and I can't tell you, one way or the other, whether he's good news or bad yet." (yes, if you're smart, you'll go soft on the delivery) "but let me ask you; will any President be able to get away with something like that?"

"Hmmm... I doubt it."

"Well, you're right. Now here's the thing... I, a Republican, have always liked John McCain. He was my guy in 2000, and I didn't like Chimpy. What I've learned in the last few years might surprise you. Do you know..."

"Alright..."

{The following is distilled, but damned accurate...}

"Do you know what the Iraq Afghanistan Veterans for America rated the two candidates for their positions on legislation to help veterans, like you, this past year?"

"No."

"One of the candidates, who voted with the group that represents soldiers, represents you, got an 'A'. The other, who voted against the interests of veterans like yourself, got a 'D'.
I can tell by the look on your face that you already know what I'm about to tell you."

"I think so."

"Yep... even though I still think McCain is a hero, and he's a good guy who would have made an excellent President, he voted against veterans pay and benefits more than Obama did. That's a fact, and I encourage you to look it up for yourself.

"Hmmm..."

(What's funny is that he's playing with a pair of shears while I'm telling him this. I passed those sorts of tests long ago.)

"So", I say, "you were supposed to get a 3% increase in pay this last year... guess who dropped it down to 1.5%?"

"Well, we got 1.8%"

"You were supposed to get 3%"

"Yep... that's right."

"I think you already know what I'm about to say."

"Hmm.", he nodded.

After that, I went back to his service, where he'd been and asked him questions again. I found that he'd been a first volunteer at ground zero, that his family told him he couldn't be a soldier... but his grandfather told him otherwise. I'd found that he didn't learn until his grandfather's funeral that his grandfather was a veteran of Korea and Vietnam. I told him that he had great honor, and after shooting the shit for a little bit about 'the powers that be', and after he 'fessed to being suspicious of the Powers that Be, I told him his grandfather would be proud... "I think he would be.", he said. I shook his hand, thanked him for his service, and said; "I'm certain that he is."

I would not know enough If I did not come here.

After I shook his hand and got in my car, I realized, That is why I come to DU.