Folks, I’m sipping my coffee and reading about a cartoon that’s got some congressman’s undies in a twist. Apparently, a satirical cartoon depicting bureaucrats and media with rifles aimed at US veterans has prompted Rep. Mike Bost to call for an investigation into the Veterans of Foreign Wars. I mean, come on, it’s a cartoon, right? But I guess when you’re a politician, you’ve got to take these things very seriously.
So, the VFW has been using this cartoon in different variations since the 1930s to protest efforts to cut veterans benefits. The most recent version features a pair of men in business suits, labeled “bureaucrats” and “media,” pointing rifles at two veterans in military fatigues. I can see how some people might find it a bit provocative, but it’s clearly meant to be a symbolic representation of the consequences veterans face when Congress targets their benefits.
The VFW says it rolled out the T-shirts with this cartoon on June 30, with the proceeds meant to fund veterans mental health and suicide prevention initiatives. But the next day, Bost wrote to VA Secretary Doug Collins, criticizing the image and asking him to investigate the VFW. I’m not sure what’s more surprising, the fact that Bost is taking this so seriously or that he thinks the VA should be investigating a veterans advocacy group for exercising its free speech.
Bost and his colleague, Rep. Jack Bergman, claim that the imagery “can reasonably be interpreted as glorifying or normalizing political violence.” But the VFW says it’s just a symbolic representation of the consequences veterans face when Congress targets their benefits. I think it’s a bit of a stretch to say that this cartoon is promoting violence, but hey, I’m no expert.
The VFW has come out swinging against Bost’s letter, saying that it’s an attempt to silence them for opposing his bill. And other veterans advocacy groups, like the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, are backing them up. It’s getting pretty interesting, folks.
As I’m reading through this, I’m thinking to myself, “Is this really what we’re spending our time on?” I mean, there are some serious issues facing our country, and we’re arguing over a cartoon. But I guess that’s just the way the cookie crumbles sometimes.
In the end, it’s unclear how the VA will respond to Bost’s letter. But one thing’s for sure, this whole debacle has got everyone talking. And as I finish my coffee, I’ve got to say, it’s been a wild ride. The VFW’s general counsel, John Muckelbauer, said it best: “That should concern every veteran.” Indeed it should, folks. Indeed it should. And who knows, maybe someday we’ll look back on this and laugh, thinking, “Remember that time a cartoon almost started a war?” 😂
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
