We all know the routine.
We get the parades on Veterans Day. We get the yellow ribbons tied around oak trees. We get the reflexive “thank you for your service” from politicians looking for a photo op, and handshake deals promising that America will always take care of her own.
But what happens when the parade route clears out? What happens when the uniform comes off, and the injuries, both the visible scars and the invisible wounds of modern warfare, start to settle in?
Silence. Or worse: a battle against bureaucracy that feels harder than combat.
I am writing this post today because, quite frankly, I am exhausted. And I know I am not alone.
Many of us feel cheated, disrespected, and belittled by the very system designed to support us. We fought the wars designed by the elite, far removed from the consequences we brought home in our broken bodies and minds. Yet, when we ask for the care we were promised, our own government treats us like an adversary.
Did you know that the Schedule for Rating Disabilities, the very metric that determines our worth in the eyes of the VA, has not seen a comprehensive overhaul since the 1940s? Think about that. They are evaluating injuries from 21st-century warfare using a system built before the invention of the microwave.
By ignoring this, Congress is actively suppressing the compensation veterans deserve. They are balancing the budget on the backs of the wounded.
Today, I decided I was done waiting for them to do the right thing. I wrote an Open Letter to Congress to call out the hypocrisy and demand a system that is fair, accessible, and free of fraud, both in the VA and in Washington.
Below is that letter. But this isn’t just my voice; it is the voice of every veteran who is tired of fighting the country they swore to defend.
An Open Letter to Congress: Stop Fighting the Veterans Who Fought for You
To the Members of the United States Congress:
I am writing this letter not just as a constituent, but as a Veteran who is tired. We are tired of the platitudes, the parades, and the empty “thank you for your service” handshakes that vanish the moment we ask for the care we earned.
We feel cheated, disrespected, and belittled by the very government we swore to protect.
For decades, you have sent us to fight your wars. You sent us into conflicts decided by the elite, far removed from the consequences that we bring home in our bodies and our minds. We did our part. We stood our ground. But when we returned, wounded and weary, we found that our own government had decided to fight us.
The hypocrisy is staggering. You have no trouble finding the budget to send us into harm’s way, yet you pinch pennies when it comes to the cost of our survival at home.
Specifically, the Department of Veterans Affairs and Congressional oversight have failed to modernize the system that defines our worth. The Schedule for Rating Disabilities has not seen a comprehensive, holistic overhaul since the 1940s. You are rating modern injuries and modern warfare trauma on a scale designed for a world that no longer exists. By ignoring this outdated metric, you are actively suppressing the compensation and care veterans deserve. You are saving money on the backs of the broken.
We are demanding a system that is accessible, fair, and transparent for all veterans. We are not asking for handouts; we are asking for the contract to be honored.
Crucially, we demand to be part of the process and decision-making. We are finished entrusting our well-being to the elite, as they have never had our best interests at heart. Real reform requires the voices of those who served, not just top-down directives from those who have never walked in our boots.
Furthermore, we are calling for accountability, not just from the veteran, but from you. We want fraud weeded out, root and stem. This means eliminating fraud within the VA system to ensure resources go to those who truly need them, but it also means rooting out the fraud, waste, and abuse within our own government that prevents these funds from reaching us.
We are done waiting. We are done navigating a maze designed to make us give up.
We are tired of you fighting us, when we fought for you.
Fix the rating scale. Include us in the process. Root out the corruption. Honor your obligation.
Sincerely,
[Your Name] [Your Branch of Service] [Your State/District]
A Call to Action: Make Them Listen
One letter is easy for a staffer on Capitol Hill to delete. Ten thousand letters are harder to ignore.
If reading that letter made your blood boil because you know exactly the frustration I’m talking about, I need you to stand with me. Whether you are a veteran, a family member, a caregiver, or just a patriot who believes promises should be kept, take action today.
Here is how you can help:
Copy the letter above.
Find your Representative: Use this link to Congress.gov to find the email addresses for your specific House Representative and your two Senators.
Personalize it: Copy the text into an email. At the bottom, sign your name. If you aren’t a veteran but care about one, change the signature line to “Concerned Family Member” or “Patriot.”
Send it.
We kept our end of the bargain. It’s time to force them to keep theirs. Share this post. Send the letter. Let’s make them hear us.