(This post may contain disputed claims. We make no assertions as to the validity of the information presented by our Opinion Columnist. We are an opinion blog, not a traditional news outlet, and this post should be treated as such. Enjoy.)After stubborn Democrats willfully shut down the government, one Michigan grocery store owner decided to issue an offer to the U.S. Coast Guard impacted by the shutdown. It puts liberals to shame.
Despite gleefully offering up $12 billion in extra funding for foreign aid, congressional Democrats stubbornly refuse to give American citizens $5 billion to build a wall for our own national security. Instead, they determined that they would rather shut down the government than work with President Donald Trump, a move that has dire consequences on all fronts.
Although the shutdown doesn’t at all affect the overwhelming wealth of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose net worth is at least $29.3 million, or the fat paychecks of her congressional cohorts, Democrats have knowingly moved forward with the federal halt, leaving tens of thousands of U.S. Coast Guard members wondering if they will have enough money to survive.
Thanks to President Trump’s concern and quick thinking, his administration managed to come up with the $75 million needed to fulfill the service members’ payroll by tapping into unused funding last week. Unfortunately, this is only a temporary solution as the Democrats remain obstinate in their persistent refusal to allow the U.S. to protect its own borders.
Seeing that our elected officials aren’t going to take care of our armed forces, despite all they do for us, one grocery store owner decided to take matters into his own hands. Bayside Market in Traverse City, Michigan, has made a broadcast aimed at members of the Coast Guard that exposes the congressional Democrats’ appalling narcissism.
Dan Summers, who is the food an beverage consultant at Bayside Market, announced on December 31 that the store is offering free groceries to all members of the Coast Guard who have been affected by the government shutdown. Summers explained that all service members have to do to receive their necessities is show their identification card and they’ll be immediately assisted, according to WPBN-TV.
“We know they’re not getting paychecks right now, but that’s not gonna stop them from going out and helping me if I’m swimming out there in the freezing waters and screw something up,” Summers explained. “They are there to help us, and we want to be there to help them, too.”
Summers told reporters that the market is able to offer free groceries thanks to financial and consumable contributions from surrounding businesses and customers. Now, they’ve received so many donations that they have set up an account for Coast Guard members to ensure they are taken care of.
“We’re trying to do everything we can to help,” says Summers. “They can come in and pick out whatever they need and just draw from the account until it’s gone and when it’s gone it’ll be 25% off.”
According to an armed forces agent, this is just what members of the armed forces need in such times of uncertainty.
“There are not going to be any military people that are going to come and say ‘hey I need help’,” says Debra Ankerson, American Red Cross Service to Armed forces Agent. “They don’t do that, not out of training but just out of professionalism, and that’s why we need to go up to them.”
Of course, Ankerson explained that, while even the brave men and women of the Armed Forces need help from time to time, they might not be as eager to ask for help. She revealed several different ways that friends and neighbors can assist them during these times, making them feel appreciated instead of seeming like they’re just receiving handouts.
“Buy them a gift card, take them groceries, offer to watch their children, give them diapers or formula – whatever it takes,” says Ankerson. “That’s what we are supposed to do, they are here for us and we need to be there for them in any way we can and just be a big support system to them.”
Our service members perform some of the most difficult, selfless jobs in our nation, leaving their own families to ensure that ours are protected. Still, they are often the first to be negatively affected by the decisions of our elected officials, some of whom don’t give a second thought to these men and women as they reside comfortably in their million-dollar mansions.
Our government officials are not going to take care of our service members. As such, it is the responsibility of the American people to show their appreciation and support by meeting the basic needs of these men and women.
