With each United States (U.S.) federal election cycle, I hear politicians associated with Republicans, Democrats, and independent parties using military veterans as political pawns—a supposedly monolithic group of individuals who served a nation and who are now presumably subject to the whims of bureaucratic actors.
Party X may declare that more funding is needed for unhoused veterans. Countering the move, party Y then announces that not only is addition capital required, female veterans in specific are apparently more impacted by houselessness and therefore require more resources.
Party X states that the veteran suicide rate is astonishing. Party Y foregoes a gambit though adds to this claim that both veteran suicide and homicide rates are worrisome, and therefore so-called weapons of war (i.e., the AR-15 platform) must be banned.
Thus, each party carelessly plays a game of chess using veterans as political pawns. There’s one obvious problem with such behavior. Veterans aren’t mere political pawns for governmental agenda advancement.
Truth be told, U.S. military veterans aren’t even a monolith. When I enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1996 and was discharged from active duty service in 2007, my service wasn’t with the intention to continue being moved around a proverbial chess board following my enlistment.
Understandably, I was used at the will of bureaucratic actors when in the Corps, because what I signed up for was essentially indentured servitude. Nevertheless, I didn’t sign a contract accepting terms for thereafter being used as a pawn regarding politicians or political parties.
And while I’m grateful for the veteran benefits I’ve received – many of which have been advocated by politicians – I’m not interested in maneuvering on a chessboard against veterans on the opposing side of the board (e.g., funding for male versus female veterans).
Moreover, I consider it distasteful to position veterans on the board in moves to further strip away continually deteriorating civil liberties as it is (e.g., red flag laws and people unhelpfully assuming that veterans are particularly dangerous). Nevertheless, I’m not self-disturbed about this matter.
Thanks to committed and daily practice of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I don’t upset myself with irrational beliefs about partisan actors using military veterans as political pawns. In fact, I can tolerate and accept that I have no control and little influence regarding this issue.
How can I be so sure of this proposal? Recall how I began this post. With each U.S. federal election cycle, I hear politicians associated with Republicans, Democrats, and independent parties using military veterans as political pawns.
If I couldn’t tolerate being used as a pawn against my will, how is it that I’m still able to carry on about my day when bureaucrats in Washington D.C. are continuously positioning me on a chessboard? I may not like or love what’s being done, though I accept my inability to change it.
Besides, I have more important matters to which I can attend, like helping clients understand, believe in, and practice REBT. Given this relatively brief post on how to tolerate and accept disagreeable matters, what lesson might you take from this entry?
Can you fathom the practice of unconditionally accepting the limits of your abilities while increasing your level of resilience regarding undesirable circumstances? If you’d like to know more about how to practice the REBT techniques addressed herein, I’m here to help.
If you’re looking for a provider who works to help you understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life—helping you to sharpen your critical thinking skills, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.
As a psychotherapist, I’m pleased to help people with an assortment of issues ranging from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.
At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply helping you to feel better, I want to help you get better!
Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW
References:
Hollings, D. (2022, May 17). Circle of concern. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/circle-of-concern
Hollings, D. (2022, March 15). Disclaimer. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/disclaimer
Hollings, D. (2024, April 2). Four major irrational beliefs. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/four-major-irrational-beliefs
Hollings, D. (2023, October 12). Get better. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/get-better
Hollings, D. (n.d.). Hollings Therapy, LLC [Official website]. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/
Hollings, D. (2023, September 19). Life coaching. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/life-coaching
Hollings, D. (2022, December 9). Like it, love it, accept it. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/like-it-love-it-accept-it
Hollings, D. (2022, December 2). Low frustration tolerance. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/low-frustration-tolerance
Hollings, D. (2022, June 29). Nationwide mental health crisis? Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/nationwide-mental-health-crisis
Hollings, D. (2023, September 3). On feelings. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/on-feelings
Hollings, D. (2023, April 24). On truth. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/on-truth
Hollings, D. (2022, March 24). Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT). Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/rational-emotive-behavior-therapy-rebt
Hollings, D. (2024, May 8). Resilience. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/resilience
Hollings, D. (2022, November 1). Self-disturbance. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/self-disturbance
Hollings, D. (2022, October 7). Should, must, and ought. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/should-must-and-ought
Hollings, D. (2023, February 16). Tna. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/tna
Hollings, D. (2022, July 11). Unconditional acceptance. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/unconditional-acceptance
Hollings, D. (2024, January 16). Understanding, belief, and practice. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/understanding-belief-and-practice
Schaffer, L. M. (2019, March 21). Can you back out of joining the military? FindLaw. Retrieved from https://www.findlaw.com/legalblogs/law-and-life/can-you-back-out-of-joining-the-military/
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