Veterans Corner

Commentary by John Kearns, USCG Ret., chiefkearns@gmail.com

AMERICAN REFUGEES:

“ref·u·gee (re-fyu̇-jē): one that flees, especially: a person who flees to a their country or power to escape danger, homelessness, starvation or persecution.”

Has anyone noticed how intense the TV ads have become for donating to veterans, the homeless, crippled children, drug addicts, hunger, pets, and a whole list of others in need? Only $19.99 a month, $24.00 a month, $11.00 a month, and the lists go on. One might ask “Why the big increase?” Why the sudden need to help those in America that our government has chosen to ignore? Why have American citizens become our new class of refugees?

The quick answer is that Federal, State, County, and City resources, as well as the Red Cross, homeless shelters, homeless veteran shelters, dog and cat pounds, and medical clinics are all overwhelmed by Biden’s open border. While the federal government pours billions of our tax dollars to house and supports millions of illegals, funds dry up for state and local organizations, especially private charities that just three years ago were taking care of Americans in need. All these charities asking for money are doing so for two reasons one - money previously available through federal programs is drying up to fuel the new political agenda, and two - State, County, Local, and private are being forced to use what they must feed, house and medically care for millions of illegals arriving, overwhelming some towns and communities.

One may disagree that our veterans and own homeless have become refugees, but look closely at the meaning. We took a million young men and women over the past 15 years, trained them for war, untrained them from the values they learned all their life. We sent them to war, not any kind of war, but a terror war. Their missions were brutal enough, but they had to live and witness the barbarism of the indigenous tribes to whom life means nothing. A mindset where it is better to torture the life out of someone than kill them outright.

Over a million young Americans came home with this embedded in their subconscious.

Granted, the VA does its best to help, but they need to be asked, the proper forms need to be completed and young military veterans have to relive the very thing to strangers they wanted to escape. It puts them in a place to face homelessness, starvation, or persecution. Many are too proud to share the hell with family members out of embarrassment.

Two big factors help young veterans return and thrive. One is family, it may be hard what they are going through, but understanding them, not the mission they had is imperative. The second is the VFW, American Legion, Amvets, Marine Corps League, and other service organizations. It created a place for older vets to interact with new homecomings and talk to someone who had been there and knew to step in when needed. Our nation created millions of warrior refugees with no outlet to bring them back into society. When our Service Organizations are needed the most, they are in the most need themselves.

The music department was approved to use the middle school for the spring band concert on May 11, and the spring choral concert on May 12, both from 6 to 8:30 p.m.

In reports, athletic committee chairman Matthew vonFrisch noted that it is near time for spring sports. He said there is interest in the open baseball coach position. He also reported that school staff created a ‘trainer space’ off the basketball floor so the trainer can work on a student in privacy. The donated carpets, ball racks and water cooler jugs (from Medico Realty) have arrived, and the teams have their warm-up jerseys.

A fundraiser is underway for the softball team. Banners are being sold to hang on the fences along the softball field.

Property committee chairman Thomas Connors Jr. asked about plans for field upgrades (waiting for spring), and noted the parts to repair the second boiler are still on order.

There was a lengthy discussion about the Carbon County Technical Institute and waiting lists it has for a handful of programs. There was an example of one Weatherly Area student who wanted to be in the welding program, but there was no room. Connors, who serves as the District’s representative on the CCTI board, says the school is intending to expand. The WA School District is sending more students this year, at an increased cost of near $40,000. There was also a discussion about CCTI’s annual budget, and that it has a budget balance of $6,334,930 - over 100% of its operations budget. There was also the beginning of a discussion on the Intermediate Unit’s budget of $118 million.

Total student count as of January 3 is 620, with 182 of those in the high school.