Hi! I am not a Veteran. I am an American, a flag waver and saluter, I put my hand over my heart for the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem.
Congress, the President, and the Supreme Court of the United States are creatures that derive their powers and their limits from Our Written Constitution.
Formalities out of the way, I find it is entirely inconceivable to me that The Supreme Court of the United States would abstain from taking the Schism v US case started in the Federal District Court Northern District of Florida (FDCNDF), where a Federal District Judge rules against even considering a specific plurality of Veterans as a class!
George Everett Day who, from what I can find, appears to have been a POW with Senator John McCain, was a lawyer and brought this case in the FDCNDF, but it appears because he is a Veteran too, his capacity as a lawyer was denied.
Maybe I speak jaded, maybe the notion that our nation has made commitments to soldiers, and even spread that around as a reason to join the military, that you can get free healthcare for life, as was promised to William O. Schism and Robert Reinlie, Plaintiffs, as well as other Veterans before and after these men served 20+ years in the military. But it the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, a twelve judge panel sitting en banc, affirmed the opinion of the FDCNDF.
One would think the United States Supreme Court would hear this case, would want to settle this issue once and for all. Again, Congress, President, and United States Supreme Court are created by the Constitution. Veterans take an Oath to “uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States” just like the members serving in each branch of government. But no! No! No! No! SCOTUS denies certiorari (search “02-1226” or “schism” here), you’ll note a grant of substitution of Schism’s wife noting “plaintiff is deceased” as SCOTUS then denies the writ of certiorari (writ of review). Apparently, there is no immunity by any of the branches of our government to be so elitist as to not hear a case brought by a Veteran where his wife, to keep the case alive and moving forward, thought it important enough to apply for substitution so SCOTUS would review the case.
Note the government’s brief against granting Schim’s writ of certiorari. Just another government organization and agency whose entire existence relies on our Troops that apparently are tossed aside once they become Veterans as they’re no longer bullet shields.
I am being too hard on the government you say? I mean they did provide Tricare, right? A system that Veterans have to PAY FOR, I mean, what’s more FREE than that right?
But, you see, the problem isn’t that government can’t afford it, or the cost etc. No matter what our budgets, there are 1700 VA hospitals, buildings standing with people inside to give care, and we’re already paying for them before the patient even comes into the building.
No, the problem is that our government has lost the fundamental understanding of the relationship here.
Governments go to war, and when the US Government ends up in war the sons and daughters of the American People are asked to defend their country. They were once drafted, but nonetheless the horrors of war, be they called “shell-shocked” to “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder” with or without the physical ails of loss, of limbs or friend(s), the scars are deep, are permanent, build character and/or suicide. The government who may have already asked us to serve will then ask our children, will make a “deal” a commitment to the person who is volunteering or enlisting for their own purposes. But in all cases the recruited to serve is doing the government a favor, is making a sacrifice of themselves, maybe on behalf of the family, or to the cause of their love for others, be they family, friends and/or merely their fellow Americans.
We owe them the bare minimum of free healthcare for life. No, the above paragraph isn’t an “eligibility statement.” It is a statement separate out what it appears the Welfare budget folks since President Lyndon Baines Johnson’s Great Society have mistakenly done, maybe in their zeal of hatred for the Vietnam War, a hatred that appears to persist into the modern day.
Veterans generally aren’t down and out folks looking for a handout (sure some are but maybe it’s because our system pools them together as though they are too, treats them the same or worse than others just looking for a handout). Veterans what was promised to them. Americans, all of us, we need to give them that and more. No matter how hard you’ve worked, nor how long, nor how much you’ve set aside for retirement, nor any of the rest of the plans you have for your life, they have no value whatsoever if America falls. Our Veterans were the soldiers who assured the future, which is the very present you live in right now! These people deserve our utmost gift for they made their utmost gift, their lives, available to our government in service to us!
Agree with the wars or not, our Veterans have secured this nation irrespective of our politicians, irrespective of political parties and ideologies. Our Veterans suffer merely being on Active Duty at any time during the duration of their service, whatever period of time that may be.
You may ask why this is so important to me, well, here’s a quote to a friend of mine who, by no fault of their own, had their “copay” end up in a collection. The quote is from a letter in response to Congressman Gosar of Arizona who my friend went to for help with relief from the United States Treasury collecting on his Veteran’s Administration debt which he had made timely payments on:
“…On November 14, 2017, he contacted us again with demands for refund of the 28% collection fees charged….”
A 28% fee is charged to our Veterans to collect their “copay.” In my friend’s case, the Veterans Administration failed to send a bill which led to him having to contact them and they immediately wanted a payment, which he paid. Nonetheless, his bill went to the US Treasury for this 28% fee, an amount instantly charged!
Solution
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Congress passes a law effective immediately that all Veterans receive 100% free healthcare for life, period!
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Congress amends the tax code and the IRS issues regulations that make a simple checkbox “Veteran” that verified against the 1040 Income Tax Form Filer instantly makes their wife’s income no longer a factor in determining the Veteran’s eligibility for their 100% free healthcare benefits.
Consider how many regulations will be wiped out, and how much intrusion and exploitation of our Veterans by myriad Federal and State government agencies will be wiped out by these two simple acts that should have been done a long time ago.
Consider how this mistreatment of Veterans, assuring them a part of the Welfare Budget, has violated their right to be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve for being available to make the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Let’s call it the Schism-Day Free Veteran Healthcare Act, in honor of William O. Schism the Plaintiff in the original case, and George Everette Day, the former POW who brought the Schism case.
It’s high time this nation who has given billions, even trillions of dollars throughout the rest of the world takes care of our Veterans who make that possible.
God Bless you and thank you for reading and sharing this. I urge you to do all you can to get this to President Donald J. Trump, House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Veterans Administration Head David Shulkin, and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin for our Veterans.
Thank you for your time,
See Also: The Right Way To Honor Veterans
