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What to do when this pops up in your comments?  

Empathize with the sentiment and let it slide?  

Think about your brothers that just died. And wonder:
if they would let it slide...?  
What would they say...?  
Or what would their families say...?

Think about your kids eligible for service in a few years.  


Would that be an acceptable argument if he or she was killed in the same situation?

 

We need to have this discussion as a community because this argument is literally killing us.

Matthew Griffin Combat Flip Flops

What I raised my hand for:

I, Matthew Griffin, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God." (Title 10, US Code; Act of 5 May 1960 replacing the wording first adopted in 1789, with amendment effective 5 October 1962).

Matthew Griffin | Combat Flip Flops

This is what I did not raise my hand for:

Being sent to an endless series of unconstitutional wars, with rules of engagement that provide advantage to the enemy, and being forced to execute a plan that only results in the cycle repeating itself. 

To return home to a country that doesn’t care about the wars we’re fighting in, finding cities plagued with murder rates higher than the death rates of the conflict zone we just left, and leadership that washes their hands of responsibility by pointing to the other side.

Being held accountable to the laws that our leadership is above.

Watching the world burn with my brothers and sisters being thrown in the flame.

Let’s go back to the words that we swore with regards to armed conflict.  

What the Constitution Says:

The War Powers Resolution (also known as the War Powers Resolution of 1973 or the War Powers Act) (50 U.S.C. 1541–1548)[1] is a federal law intended to check the president's power to commit the United States to an armed conflict without the consent of the U.S. Congress. The Resolution was adopted in the form of a United States Congress joint resolution. It provides that the U.S. President can send U.S. Armed Forces into action abroad only by declaration of war by Congress, "statutory authorization," or in case of "a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces."

 

Read this part again:  
in case of "a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces."

 

Thanks to the GWOT, our government has the power to take our tax dollars (see our video on the how much money you’re spending here), send our service members into harms way WITHOUT CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL, force them to execute a ridiculously poor plan, and not take care of veterans properly when they come home.  

You see the irony in this, right?

 

In case you were wondering:

Five wars have been declared by Congress under their constitutional power to do so: the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War, the Spanish–American War, World War I, and World War II.[1]

 

What this means:

I don’t think that any of us signed up for the debacle that started in 2001 and should have ended in 2003.  But once we were in it, we were committed to fulfilling our duties to the best of our ability.  For the ones of us that made it out, it’s our job to address the issue,  stand up for our service members,  and hold our lawmakers accountable.

 

[Click to Find Your Representative]

 

If they got re-elected, tell them to get their act straight. 

If they’re newly elected, let them know your priorities. 

Please Vote.  
Call your representatives.  
Help service members and families.   

End this cycle and make the oath meaningful again.

Matthew Griffin | Donald Lee | Combat Flip Flops

"Congressional Power to Declare War". The people's Guide to the United States Constitution. The people's Guide to the United States Constitution. Retrieved 28 August 2013.

Matthew Griffin

Comments

I’ve spent the last few days reading this over and over. I can’t express how much I agree. Another thing I see online is opposition to the troops. Invariably by people who would never serve, claiming to oppose the MIC, and as likely too cowardly to dare put their life on the line for anything.

For anyone who wants a good read on this, read “War is a Racket” by Smedly Butler, a two MOH recipient Marine.

Hate the war, not the warrior.

— Jesse

you nailed it. i’m a thirty year marine on retainer with 2.5 wars (central america in the 80’s apparently didn’t count) under my belt. i’ve sent young men, in body bags, home to their mothers. my family has six marines. now, we’ve got two military age males coming up and sniffing around the usmc. well, my family is done. for now. until this gets sorted out we’ll provide no more volunteers. again, your comments are well said indeed!

sgm

— steve morgan

Well said Griff.

— Bryon

Our system is broken. There’s a lot that frustrates me about our Government, and while some of it is because I’ve seen first hand the flaws in our healthcare and education systems, I have sat back and watched my country send its troops to die in a war that nobody cares about any longer. I’m sickened by the blatant disregard this country shows it’s troops and how we blindly follow a government that has proven time and time again to be significantly flawed. Thank you for writing this; it’s a perspective that needs to be respected!

— Ellen

Can you add a TWITTER share button to your posts please? Can you tweet it to me to share @kategillieart

Thank you. Love the post.

— Kate Gillie

Hey Bro, What you expressed on the above comment was deep and it got to my core. The Oath of Service is about the most noble promise any American can try to uphold. It has no limits. I understand how you feel with our fellow brothers in arms dying and no one giving a care on why they died. If a few of us could draw up a Five Paragraph Op-Order on how to bring this onto the national stage and spark a conversation, I’m all in. I will support my fellow Combat Veterans on this worthy cause. You guys can count me in…

— Sal Beltran-Soto