A Short letter to congress

Dear congress, I realize the chances of any of you reading this is slim but perhaps the folks at the NSA could relay this message to you.....


First the simple statement; You are toying with my life. Not just my life, but the life of my family, and many other disabled veterans. It's interesting to note that you have made sure the military is still getting paid,wouldn't want a bunch of unhappy, still active, combat veterans on your hands, which is well and good, and that those furloughed will get back pay, which is also well and good, but you are refusing to honor your commitment to all of us disabled veterans. From what I understand the house voted to continue funding the VA but the senate refused to even consider it. Mind telling me why?


Those of us who are disabled veterans already paid the price for serving the country and protecting your sorry backsides, yet while we will likely not get paid, and our hospitals and clinics get shut down, you will still be receiving your pay and benefits. This is wrong on so many levels.


Sadly I get it. You are so worried about how you will look to your constituents or to the radical factions in your parties that you are willing to sell me and mine down the river just to save face. You talk up a storm and try to be all sympathetic while the cameras are rolling or when you are with a friendly crowd but the bottom line is that you are all hiding behind a mask of sympathy while the truth is that none of you really give a care, you have your agenda and your pride and to hell with anything that will get in the way.


And why should you care? You're still getting paid. You will still be able to keep a roof over your head and food on the table, even if this goes on for months, and the worst pain that you are likely to see is perhaps not getting re elected ,but that's OK too because you will just move on to some lobbying group or write your memoirs. Bottom line is that if you do nothing it isn't going to hurt you.


For those of us who live in the real world, those of us who live from pay check to paycheck, your reality is not even remotely close to ours. This is going to hurt ,and hurt bad ,but I suppose that’s what you want; Cause pain and then blame the other side. Great, meanwhile we suffer.


Simply put; If we don't get paid, we won't be keeping a roof over our heads or food on the table. We will literally become a homeless veteran family and likely it won't just be us, it will hit thousands of families. You see my wife and I balanced our budget, unlike congress, and have determined that we are about to reach our limit. Unlike you though, we can't negotiate for more funding, we can't just opt out to not pay our debts. I can't go to the bank and ask them to lend me more money so that I can pay them what I already owe. By stopping our pay you are telling all of us that our sacrifice and the sacrifices of all disabled veterans is worthless to you. We only matter as a political tool. Just remember most of us vote, and if I am sleeping in a card board box eating only what I can find out of a trash bin. I won't forget and I will make damn sure no one else will either.


This is reality; this is no game.