This place is hella cold, and we are having some difficulty dealing with the incredible apathy we encountered here. Our signs and our flag, indeed, our very beings, were ignored, and it built up into a sense of frustration with the civilian population. Is it any wonder that 22 veterans killed themselves today, when the daily SCORN of the public is experienced by folks who are already having difficulty with post deployment life, even when it is years, even decades after our service?
The base line citizen of our country is essentially a frightened wage slave. They are afraid of so many things, on a DAILY basis, indeed, their entire existence is based on fear. The time honored American Tradition of adventure and risk taking has to my eyes been completely wiped out of the American consciousness. It has been sublimated into movies and sports, video games....yeah, I got a high "kill score" on the GAME. Oh I lost money on the GAME...
People are AFRAID of vets because of this climate of fear.
I ask the reader to consider whether or not Americans, just 20 or 30 or 50 years ago would have let a bona fide veteran freeze in hunger on the side of the road.
Christ, we just needed a ride. So we dont trust our vets, they might flip out and kill us. So there are the two dudes, trying to hitch a ride out of town, and there are the hundreds of people, alone in their trucks or cars with plenty of room, averting their eyes from us. Is it any wonder that as the hours melt by, we get increasingly pissed off? Really?
They are all there waving the flag and "supporting the troops" (supporting the WAR) and they cant give a vet a ride?
I can handle it, my buddy has a harder time, he cannot understand why the people ignore us....so many bums and hustlers USE the vet thing to get a buck or two. It makes it hard for the REAL vet....and then when an actual veteran IS having an "issue" it drives the people further away....
King City is nothing. Completely unremarkable with the exception of the freezing temperature. There is nothing here for us, and we must press southward. Right now we are waiting for the buddy, and we will be able to RnR for a minute before busting ass down to SLO.
Thats all for tonight.