A Parable of Two Sons

Last updated on: May 27, 2015 at 12:47 am by Mark Shea

A Parable of Two Sons 2015-05-26T13:14:40-07:00 Mark Shea

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Here is a classy Memorial Day story:

During the surge in Iraq in 2008, Nathan Witmer led an Army scout platoon in a thicket of villages rife with insurgents and roadside bombs. What he really wants to do is direct.

Or maybe write — or produce.

“Anything with movies was always the dream,” said Mr. Witmer, who left active duty in 2010.

Like many troops leaving the military, he was steered instead toward jobs in government agencies that offered preferential hiring or with big corporations that recruited veterans, and he assumed his hope of working in show business would remain only that.

But after selling medical equipment for two years, he had the chance to join a five-week industry boot camp designed to bring young veterans into the television business. To his surprise, it was run by one of the Iraq war’s fiercest critics, Jon Stewart, the longtime host of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show.”

“It was actually inspirational,” said Mr. Witmer, who went on to work at Fox News and then found a job as a “Daily Show” associate field segment producer. “We hear ‘Thank you for your service’ all the time, but here was concrete action, people working to really make a difference. And it changed lives. I’m proof of that.”

“The Daily Show” developed the program over the last three years without publicizing it, but now, because Mr. Stewart is preparing to leave the show, he has taken it into the open, urging other shows to develop their own programs to bring more veterans into the industry.

“This is ready to franchise. Please steal our idea,” Mr. Stewart said in an interview at his Manhattan studio recently. “It isn’t charity. To be good in this business you have to bring in different voices from different places, and we have this wealth of experience that just wasn’t being tapped.”

Veterans are less likely to struggle to find work after war — their unemployment rate has been lower than the comparable civilian rate for years — but few land in the entertainment industry, according to the industry group Veterans in Film and Television.

120 veterans commit suicide every week. (17 a day)
• 1000 veterans attempt suicide in the VA each month.
• About 20 percent of the U.S. population committing suicide is our Veterans.
• Veterans who fought in Iraq, Afghanistan and other terrorism-related conflicts were four times more likely to commit suicide (18 to 24 age group)
• 33 percent of our nation’s homeless population consists of veterans (about 200,000 veterans)
• A higher percentage of post-Iraq and Afghanistan veterans suffered from PTSD than from any other previous war because of “stop loss” (an involuntary extension of service in the military), multiple tours, and greater prevalence of brain injuries

http://theveteranssupport.org/statistics

There was once a man who had two sons. To the elder, he said, “Go and help the troops in their struggle.” So the elder son got five draft deferments, put on a flag lapel pin, sought high office, ordered men into battle in an unjust war, stayed home, got rich, sent their jobs overseas, cut their benefits, said “Thank you for your service”, and drove past them in his limo as they sat homeless and begging on his way to Halliburton stockholder meetings.

To the younger son, the man said, “Go and help the troops in their struggle.” So the younger son went out, protested sending good men into a futile and unjust war, chronicled the lies and selfishness of the older brother, demanded the troops receive the care his selfish older brother denied soldiers returning from the war, and created a way for soldiers coming back from the war to find work, support their families, afford the medical treatment they needed for their PTSD, express their creativity and live happily ever after.

Which of the two sons did his father’s will?

Uncategorized

War Without End Amen

Works of Mercy

Previous Post

May 27, 2015

"Becoming a Better Confessor: Using the Virtues and Vices in the Confessional" conference this summer

Next Post

May 27, 2015 The News is Not that Some Trendy German Cardinal Wants to Re-Define Marriage

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 September 2006 June 2006 July 2005 April 2005 May 2002 April 2002 0000

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz