THE FIST BUMP FROM HELL
Of modern languages, English is arguably the most flexible and adaptable. When
unable to come up with its own new word where required, it simply “borrows” from
another language, without shame. Consequently, there are near endless ways to
describe near endless things, both good, bad and in-between.
However, when it comes
to today’s GOP, the English language is left scratching its head to describe how mind-
blowingly disgusting they truly are. And in that respect, the GOP’s disdain for the
country’s veterans just went even lower, if that’s possible. And that’s regarding the
PACT act pantomime that Republican Senators thought a great idea to inflict on some
of our nation’s most vulnerable citizens.
PACT is the Promise to Address Comprehensive act. That legislation, among other
things, is designed to provide additional medical care for veterans who have fallen prey
to burn pit emissions (burn pits are areas of a military base or encampment where
waste is disposed of by burning). For many of those veterans who have done sustained
burn pit work, the side-effects of exposure to dust, toxins and smoke have resulted in
serious medical conditions, including respiratory and nerve damage as well as cancer.
Approximately three million US veterans have had burn pit exposure, and even that’s a
conservative estimate.
PACT has now made it through Congress and sits on Biden’s desk for his approval.
However, that wasn’t before it was previously rejected by the Senate, with 25 GOP
senators voting against. That group of pen-pushing warriors, headed up by human oil-
slick Ted Cruz and jock-itch in human form Rand Paul, were appalled by the “socialism
in disguise” nature of the proposed legislation. They bleated about the bill containing
“unnecessary pork” – their code for unnecessary other spending. Be that the case or
not, they were still giving a very stiff middle finger to burn pit veterans across the land.
For a party that is supposedly so pro-military, pro-veteran and patriotic on steroids, the
GOP sure is doing its best to make out otherwise.
Why is that? Well, burn pit cancer
riddled veterans, and any other veterans when it comes to that, are to be applauded
and saluted for their service and their sacrifice. But there is one fundamental clause in
that particular contract of patriotism. And that's when it comes to cost. That was 100%
evident when Cruz, Paul and their Senatorial buddies actually fist bumped in celebration
of blocking the passage of the act, something that was caught on camera.
The howls of understandable outrage about that despicable and celebration were
understandably deafening. Within a matter of days, the PACT act finally passed as
some of the 25 GOP Senators came to their senses and voted in favor. “Some” is
italicized as astonishingly, 11 Republican Senators still voted against it.
How low can a party actually go? Since selling its soul to embrace the cult of Trump, the