Over the last couple of years, we’ve seen no shortage of atrocities endured by our military forces and their families. And no, I’m not talking about war and physical maladies so much as what has been done to undermine our military and leave them out the in the cold.
And that’s precisely why it might surprise some of you that First Lady Jill Biden is actually doing something good for our service members.
On Saturday, Dr. Jill met with military families on the White House lawn for a workout. And yes, I mean a workout, as in jumping jacks, push-ups, etc. According to Jill, the effort put into the exercise was supposed to emphasize that even the children in these families have to make sacrifices, whether they want to or not.
The event was part of a larger pro-military series called Joining Forces hosted by Jill Biden to support veteran families, caregivers, and survivors. Of course, it is noted that it’s just in time to celebrate National Military Appreciation Month, which occurs in May.
As Jill said to the crowd, “Sharing a workout might seem like a small thing, but when it comes to honoring our military, and veteran families, caregivers, and survivors, it’s often the little things that make a difference.”
This month, she also opened a temporary art exhibit focusing on the lives of military children at the White House. The display includes ten mini “suitcases,” each designed by military and veteran children. The idea was to portray their lives as such and what it might mean for them to move as frequently as some do.
As the White House said, there are more than 2 million children in connection with veterans, active-duty service members, National Guard, and reservists in the United States. And, on average, each child moves about six to nine times before they graduate high school, with most changing schools at least three times more often than non-military connected children.
As a daughter and mother to military service members, Biden says she understands this quite well, which is part of the reason she’s holding events like this. According to her, these kids and family members are unknowingly serving and making rather big sacrifices for their country, all without ever signing up or wearing a uniform.
Well, I can’t argue with that, not in the least. And I do appreciate Dr. Jill finally acknowledging that and making an effort to give back to those.
However, for me, and what I can imagine is a large portion of the military community, it’s all too little too late.
I mean, this is the same family that caused the death of 13 military service members with its disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. And since then, while the Biden administration hasn’t made a massive move to put service members in physical harm’s way, such as would happen during war, it definitely hasn’t done much to help them out or honor them.
Under Biden, military morale has spiraled. This has resulted in all (and yes, I mean all) military branches not being able to meet enlistment quotas or requirements and a military and veteran suicide rate that has only increased exponentially. And yet, Biden’s solution to both is practically non-existent.
One idea is to ban personal firearms for all those in the military under the age of 25. As you can imagine, this has and will do little to stop the suicide rate from climbing. I mean, for starters, these are men and women who are given firearms to train with and use on a regular basis. Then again, they could always just borrow a slightly older friend’s weapon.
But like I said, at least Jill is paying attention to the children…