I've kind of held back, I've been more worried about helping my father keep our home. I have held back how I truly feel on some issues not to offend anyone who might be willing to help but with this weeks news of being denied help from the mortgage company and it looking more likely we will lose our home and finding out my father has a lump on his lungs (after watching Ruth suffer for 3 years fighting cancer) I feel that I have nothing left to lose and won't be holding back anymore.
I have republican friends and there are good rational republicans but sadly their voices are buried by the hatred and bigotry of the not so silent minority. In the same vein I have no problem with religion (of any kind) unless that religion is used to discriminate or harm someone than it offends me. That being said with over 10K views to try and help my father on gofundme and 30 donations I realized that it isn't getting any attention and really wonder if it's because I'm just trying to help a man who put on the uniform to defend America after he lost his wife (of 50 years) and veteran son (bronze medal recipient in Desert Storm). It's not flashy like someone killing a black kid like the ferguson cop or George Zimmerman to get racists fired up or a pizza place that hates gay people to get bible thumpers fired up and feeling persecuted. That fact that a veteran can't get the attention as a racist or bigot really upset me but I have held back until now with nothing to lose there is no point.
I've always thought America can be better, that's why I left the republican party in 2004 (or should I say it left me) but this year I honestly feel like America is on the way out. When I see the rise of Donald Trump I can honestly say I now see how Hitler rose to power in Germany. Imagine all the anti-Muslim talk replaced with Jews or Christians and ask yourself how acceptable it is really but in America today human life isn't valued anymore that's why people throw money at a murderer or gun sales go up after 20 children are slaughtered.
This is not what my brother and father fought for, they didn't put their lives on the line so we could take freedoms away from people. My father had a hell of a time getting a photo ID and would have missed the last election if a judge didn't put Pennsylvania voter ID law on hold. Today it's Transexuals/Mexicans/Muslims and before that it was African Americans and Gays - last time I checked we were all American, we all bleed and all have family and friends who love us.
I only hope America gets back to a time of valuing human life, when there is a shooting instead of running to a camera and screaming "more guns" take a moment to realize that someone lost a child, parent or sibling and think for a second if it was your family how would you feel.
This election seems simple to me we can either keep worrying about me, me, me or decide enough is enough and it's time to realize when America does well we all do well. Every Christmas and Thanksgiving we always had left overs and we delivered them to elderly neighbors so they didn't have to eat meals on wheels or go hungry, it was a small gesture and just natural but than again maybe that was the way I war raised. Family and community were always more important than my bank account and while that might be part of the reason we're about to be homeless I would not change it for the world. Helping someone else in need is the greatest feeling in the world, it might just be giving them socks when they're cold or dinner when they're hungry but to them it means the world.
It's We the People not Me and my bank account, it's a lesson we have forgot and I only pray it's not to late.
This Memorial day thank you to all those who put on the uniform and served and to their families. To those we lost and those still fighting... Please consider just giving 5 dollars to help a disabled veteran who lost his wife (cancer) and son (also a veteran) now struggles with medical and funeral bills and is about to loose his home www.gofundme.com/robertstreich
Help Robert — Help A Veteran