Insult to Injury
Upon leaving the army
the country gained
one more scrounger.
Swapping medals for disability
bullets for cuts.
Comments
Hi Chris
Great poem and so true in these times! Loved your turn at the Tudor,Wigan last Thurs too!
Yes, says so much in few words.
Thx Isobel, Winston, M.C, Laura...appreciated.
Hey Isobel, the issues involved are not what the government would have us believe I'm afraid. It's not about checks and balances, its about, well cuts. It's about cutting the welfare of those most vulnerable in society. Welfare and not benefits ;). That is why so many differing groups have been protesting. It's also why this act has been refused by the House of Lords seven times in two weeks!
If you look into it more via independent sources you'll see why the house of Lords has had such a problem with it.
Winston, understood and appreciated.
M.C, yes very much so.
Hey Laura, I think we agree on all this. Glad you felt the poem worked.
P.S. wrote this off the phone so sorry if there are any odd glitches.
My Best
Chris
Same as Neil - 'bullets for cuts' is a fucking GREAT line Chris, 'scuse my french, like.
I'm not going to get embroiled in another monster political thread here, but I know that I share more of your beliefs, Chris. Good poem, and I applaud your following post.
Cuts that wound.
Yes, I liked this short one Chris. Because of its word combinations and imagery regardless of any current government policy. Win
Powerful stuff Chris - you get your message across really well.
I'm not very well versed in the rights and wrongs of the proposed changes. Just tried to look them up. From what I could see, the government was trying to introduce more tests to make sure that people were indeed disabled, a few years down the line. I personally can't see anything wrong in that. Any system needs to build in cross checks, verification. That isn't to say that all disabled people are deemed scroungers. All systems are abused by a minority though.
My mum once did an evening course with a lady who was deemed disabled so given a disability car. She never had the use of it though. My mum ended up giving her lifts to save her waiting for the bus. Her husband used the car to go to work in... see what I mean?
The feedback is appreciated- thx
Hi Neil, I was going for the gut, so it helps to know it seemed to hit the mark.
Hi Rachel, I agree, though I think the country faces a situation this government cares little for those on the wrong side of the divide.
Disability, incapacity- both are lumped in with the umberella term benefits. And if we played word association right now, thanks to our government, national newspapers and media; the word most associated with benefits would be- cheat.
In this context (an injured returning soldier) it appears impossible to levy that word or logic, yet if an injured soldier returns to this country/civvy street and is disabled, collects benefits; he falls into the one tarred, all tarred category doesn't he?
The word association, targeting of benefits by the gorvernment and the loaded feeling of resentment in the country; it can't make an allowance for one good man or woman.
Of course this also brings up the emotive question; what difference is it how or where you get/become disabled? To which most would say; it doesn't matter. Furthering the logic, it doesn't matter if you are a soldier or faced trauma in the womb, faced your woes on cancers battlefield, lost your stability to depression or far away polio.
I think this context and that of the soldier helps to consider the issue in a more heroic light or at least from the point of view of the genuine individual. It is true, sad and wrong in the literal sense that this has and will be happending to soldiers returned and returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. But in the universal sense; all disabled people are soldiers one way or another- aren't they?
very good co. i know a soldier who after 20 years exemplary service with the british army was told to work voluntary while he learned his civilian job. i think this a disgrace. after serving as a soldier if you are lucky enough to still have all your limbs, then a job guaruntee should be a given. some disagree, i say fuck them they only have an opinion cos our soldiers have fought for it. rightly or wrongly with no army wed all be speaking german and i would be dead.
Very powerful. 'bullets for cuts'. Very strong gut thumping stuff.
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Tommy Carroll
Thu 10th Jan 2019 05:39
... And so it goes on.
Cheers Chris
Tommy
re 'Insult to Injury'
posted January 2012