When I returned home from the Vietnam War in 1967, I soon became painfully aware I was no longer welcome in my own country. I was harassed, insulted, spit on and even assaulted simply due to my service to the very same country that was now against me. This was the welcome I and many other of my fellow veterans received from our fellow Americans on the left. I soon realized I had to hide my veteran status for my own safety and peace of mind. To this day, I do not wear the hats or sport the bumper sticker proclaiming my status as a Vietnam veteran.
Now, more than 50 years later I find myself in much the same situation, due to my choice of whom I support for president. If I were to place a Joe Biden sticker on my car, or a Biden sign on my lawn, little or nothing of consequence would occur. On the other hand, were I to dare to place a Donald Trump sticker on my car, it would soon be keyed and vandalized. If I were to place a Trump sign on my lawn I would be harassed and vilified. My house would undoubtedly be the target of vandalism and perhaps even set on fire. The same people who deprived me of my First Amendment rights are doing it again. This is not the country I proudly served. In many ways it has become the kind of ideology I fought against.
Robert J. Piasecki
Canyon Country
