Our veterans
This week we give special thought to our Veterans.
In 2026 the U.S. spent $1.04 trillion in direct military costs: $961.6 billion in Pentagon appropriations under the FY2026 NDAA with $152.3 billion added by budget reconciliation. That is $2,885 for every man, woman and child in the U.S.
Have you seen pictures of bombed out cities this year? The damage to the environment by the military is beyond measure: the rubble, debris in the air, farmland no longer usable, polluted water. The environmental damage caused by the mining and manufacturing and testing of weapons is immeasurable.
Our veterans suffer physical and emotional pain. Their families suffer through agonizing hours as their loved ones cry out in pain through seemingly endless days and nights.
In 2024, there were 6,488 suicides among Veterans, on average 17.7 per day.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is currently the sixth most common VA disability claim and the number one most prevalent service-connected mental health condition among veterans.
It is time for our country to invest more in diplomacy and less in war.
Whether you call it Armistice Day (a formal agreement to end fighting) or Veterans Day, honor our veterans by not asking millions more to pay the price.