31 Days in the Moment - Disabled Veterans and Illiterate Snitches

10 October 2014

A very frustrating thing happened at the local Walmart yesterday and I missed posting about it. We have a handicapped tag for our car because David, Sr. is disabled due to his diabetes. The truck parked in front of us was a disabled veteran. He earned the Bronze Star Medal of Valor! These tags always stand out to us. There are lots of Purple Hearts around here.

Anyway, a Walmart worker was in front of this truck writing down the tag number, truck type, etc. We approached her and David said to her, "Are you giving this veteran a huge discount?" In reality, we knew he was probably about to be in trouble for something. We were right. The worker told us that someone had reported him for being parked in a handicapped parking space. This got us a bit riled up. Though he didn't have a placard like what folks hang from their rear-view mirrors, he had a front and back tag that showed him as a Bronze Star Medal of Valor winner. On the bottom of the front tag it also clearly said "Disabled Veteran". While that wasn't so clear on the back tag because the car dealership tag bracket covered over that line of the veteran's tag, the person that reported this hero should have checked more closely before he or she made an accusation that was unfounded. Even the Walmart worker that was writing down his tag number hadn't bothered to actually read his tag. I pointed out to her, "Yes, he is disabled. There it is right there on his tag 'Disabled Veteran'".

She thanked me for pointing it out to her. She should have paid attention in the first place. I shouldn't have had to point it out to her. Is the whole world illiterate or what? If a legally blind man and a majorly distracted mother of a Marine and a sailor can see that the tag said "Disabled Veteran" on it from inside our own car, a young 20-something should have been able to read it while standing right at it!

We waited there for the veteran to come back to his vehicle. We didn't tell him about what had happened, but we did thank him for his service. These folks should always be thanked, even if one doesn't believe in war or fighting. They willingly put their lives on the line, risk dying for our freedom and the rights of others.

Someone wants to turn him in for parking illegally just because they can't read?

Good grief!

Even a day later, this still irritates us to think about. Some probably think we're sensitive to these things because our sons are in service. While that does make me a bit more "misty" lately, these are feelings that we've both had for years. The veterans are not appreciated enough by this society and many are downright disrespected.

Today, David, Jr., went to the school again to meet up with an old friend that he missed on Monday. They went out to lunch together. We went on to the city to pick our oldest daughter up for the weekend. Our youngest was late again coming out of the theater class. This is typical for the week before a performance. This poor girl has had a hard time the last few days. First, she cut her finger on the fan in her room and then she cut it again on a prop in the theater. It is getting lots of attention from the other theater gang. Folks were debating whether it needed stitches or not. Her daddy was an EMT and he doesn't think so. I don't know one way or another. She didn't think it needed them. The two nursing students had differing opinions; one says it does need them, the other one says it doesn't. She didn't want to go to the doctor about it and trusts her daddy's opinion on it.

Davey also got a hair cut today. He said it was getting too long. I couldn't see that, but I'm not a drill instructor or a sergeant and I gather they pick right up on that.

This time is passing far too quickly. Davey leaves very early Tuesday morning to go back to San Diego.







Bronze Star image is in the public domain. It was found at: Bronze Star Medal.