If We're Willing to Spend Millions on a Military Parade to honor the uniform..

We must show greater commitment to the person who wore it.

I do not pay for TV but I know a guy.

CNN was not covering the 250th Army parade in its entirety, although I was certain they said they would. So I went to FOX, which I will watch very infrequently but usually to actually see the President or hear what “others” are saying.

Now look, I’m not a fan of the man but I live in reality. What is going on in our country, specifically in Los Angeles surrounding ICE raids is absolutely abhorrent.

That said, while I may take umbrage with this White House administration, I do still like the idea of celebrating the Army. I love the feeling of Patriotism.

In difficult times, the shared notion of Patriotism can be uplifting, it does not have to be unifying but there should be room for celebrating the 250th birthday of our Army. I tried to watch on C Span, thanks to some X user who reminded me I could watch a less ostentatious presentation over there.

I know a guy.

But his TV service failed me, CSPAN wouldn’t load. I guess you get what you pay for.

Back to watching on FOX.

Back to rolling my eyes at the horrible camera work and the fawning commentators. Really, was there not a better camera man available on a Saturday?

Aside from those thoughts, I didn’t think the parade was that problematic when it was all said and done. There were also millions gathered at “No King” rallies around the country, exercising their right to protest. I get that timing but where was this energy when it was time to get out the vote? I’ve been apart of a few protests myself and respect the organization. However, its enough with the shouting and fighting, especially in light of recent political violence. It’s time to focus together, so we can achieve real progress.

Now the hard truth.

If we are willing to spend millions on a military parade to honor the uniform, then we must show equal if not greater commitment to honoring the person who wore it. Patriotism is not just flags and flyovers—it’s follow-through. An estimated $5 to $6 billion a year is quietly wasted within the Department of Veterans Affairs due to improper purchases, a lack of competitive bidding, and systemic oversight failures. That money could provide full healthcare for over 400,000 veterans each year—enough to cover nearly one in ten VA patients, or every homeless veteran in America many times over.

It’s not enough to celebrate service; we have to support those who’ve served with competence, care, and accountability. If we don’t fix the cracks in the system that greets veterans when they return—cracks filled with bureaucracy, inefficiency, and neglect—then a parade becomes little more than political theater. True respect comes not just from the pageantry, but from policies that prove veterans are a priority long after the music stops. If we’re going to spend millions in tribute, let’s make sure to honor our troops where it counts:

When they come home.