Warrior's Forgotten and A Nation Lost

There’s a patch that’s commonly seen on the back of old veteran’s biker jackets, or sometimes hanging at a local V.A. hospital. The patch has a quote that always rung in my head with a certain truth because so many people disregard our nations warriors, and our country is so much the worse for it. The patch reads “A nation that forgets its defenders is a nation soon forgotten.” Our government has sent them off to foreign wars under the lie that they are defending freedom and then, leave them to rot, or label them as terrorists when they return.

In Wisconsin a combat vet named Rich Clewien is experiencing this now, as I write this article. Rich has no criminal record and was discharged honorably from the United States Army. He purchased ten acres of land in rural Wisconsin where him and his wife both work for the state corrections department. Rich built a makeshift shooting range on his property which is perfectly legal to do. His neighbors however were offended and called law enforcement. Despite officers finding no evidence of wrongdoing and filing no charges, his neighbors continued the unnecessary harassment by filing a civil suit against him. The suit alleges that Rich is creating a public nuisance which is a complaint that is nearly impossible to defend against. Again, it should be noted that Mr. Clewien has broken no law at this point.

We live in a time where constant propaganda has created an environment of irrational fear and mistrust of people who own firearms. Most of us remember being eleven or twelve and taking hunter safety classes at the local rod and gun club. These days, children are suspended from school and mass chaos ensues when children bite pop tarts in gun shapes. In Colorado, a teenage boy was suspended from school for going to a shooting range with his mother.

The country’s attitude towards firearms certainly has changed. There is a concentrated effort to manipulate the young minds of America into an anti-gun mindset. Eric Holder, Obamas former attorney general, said that people need to be brainwashed into thinking differently about guns. America has traditionally been a warrior culture where firearm ownership has been considered our birthright and as much a part of American heritage as apple pie. If they want to disarm us, then they must first change our minds. This is being accomplished in any number of ways. The schools are continually running shooter on campus drills which, along with the spectacular media coverage of actual school shootings, creates a state of panic in our children. These children will grow up being tomorrow’s gun control advocates.

Without a doubt the most dangerous development of the gun control agenda is the spreading plague of red flag laws, or extreme risk protection orders. Ever since Donald Trump said on live television, “take the guns first go and then go to court,”, states have been passing them at an increasingly alarming rate. Many of these states are headed up by republican majorities as well. Under most of these laws a person can have their guns confiscated on the mere suggestion that they may pose a danger to themselves or others. There is no forewarning, no trial, no charges filed. Just an accusation based on fear. The term “a threat to themselves or others” itself is so vague and is ripe for abuse. Some of these laws even consider a recent purchase of a gun or ammunition to be a warning sign. Ultimately, the goal of red flag laws is to do exactly what Eric Holder suggested, create a constant fear of gun ownership to the point where simply owning a gun can have one labeled as potentially dangerous.

Wisconsin does not currently have a red flag law, though one has been introduced in 2019. This doesn’t matter for Mr. Clewien because the state is acting as if they do. Marquette County Judge Chad Hendee, on behalf of the suing party, has ordered him to release his V.A. medical files, which are protected by federal HIPPA laws. The judge has also order Mr. Clewien to provide an inventory of his firearms and all receipts for purchased ammunition. The judge cannot do this, it is a violation of the fourth amendment. If Mr. Clewien fails to provide this information by March first, he will be held in contempt of court.

Judge Hendee says that “a good judge listens well and treats all people fairly and equally without drawing immediate conclusions” (Allen, 2019). It seems to me that he is extremely biased against war veterans. Mr. Clewien has broken no laws and served his country honorably under the sincere belief he was defending their freedom, unaware of how the country has slowly changed. He is being treated like he is dangerous simply because he was in the service and he likes to shoot. With today’s increasingly hostile attitude towards the constitution, the bill of rights and gun ownership; along with the engineered mistrust brought about by divide and conquer tactics, this could happen to any one of us at any time.

The Plight of the American Vet….

Warriors in search of honor,

     in a war where there was none.

     Home to the ungrateful,

    labeled, they took his gun.

    A soldier in search of faith,

    his religion been replaced,

    Comes home from all the fighting

             To a completely different place.

              Fighters search for peace,

              war rages in their head.

              Goes back to those that sent them,

              homeless without a bed.

             Young men search for truth

              among men who only lie.

              We fought your war, yet you forsake us,

              may I ask you why?