I read the following post on the CVMA website. I sent a request to the author asking if I could re-post it within our chapter and he agreed. You might ask yourself "Why is this a PRO issue"? My answer is simple, if we see ourselves acting out when we meet, although it may be innocently, it is safe to say that someone else may see that in a different perspective. The Brother that wrote this obviously experienced disagreements during Nationals, no surprise there, right? Most families disagree on certain issues all of the time. However, I concur with his thesis that at the end of the day we are still a family and we do care, protect and love each other and the Vets we vowed to support. We should never forget that! You may have already seen this but let's read again and apply it from our individual perspective. So the following was his post:

I have been reading a ton of post about Nationals. Lots of complaints, finger pointing, and even more Brother turning on Brother. CVMA is a large group, with size comes issues, with size comes problems, but also with size comes strength in numbers. So here is my take on it all. I do not care if someone chooses not to vote. I do not care if someone does not agree with a decision by whom ever is on the National Board. I do not care if someone does not join in for every event offered. I do not care if someone takes issue with others not always donating to every Vet helping Vet program. I do not care if someone does not attend meetings, rides, etc. I only have so many days in my life to care about things. I do not wish to fill them with all the items I do not care about. I am proud to tell others I belong to CVMA. I personally think I have the finest group of officers running my chapter ever assembled. I leave the politics up to them to deal with. Do I always agree with their decisions, NO!, but that is the greatest part about it. If we always agreed then how boring would it be? When a stranger walks up to me and shakes my hand or gives a big hug when they see me wearing a CVMA vest or shirt and introduce themselves as a CVMA member, there is no mention of the things I do not care about, there is only the feeling of belonging to a group that is making a difference one Vet at a time. I have to remind myself from time to time, I am a FM of CVMA. A group that is a minor percentage of those that served. Some asked to be in combat, some had it thrust upon them, others had a bit of both. I am no better than those that do not have the 214's to gain FM status. I gladly embrace the SM's because without them, there is absolutely no way the job could have been done by any of us. As I am fond of telling others who tell me they served but not really because they were never in combat....The FACT is if you were called you would have gone....That speaks volumes to me on the character of a person. The Aux members, many of whom never served....have my highest respect. They support us not only in the good times but also the bad times. For some its a shoulder to lean on when you cant walk alone, for others its the kick in the rear end to get up and keep walking when we think we cant walk another step. So if you do not mind, I am going to mow the lawn, take a shower, put on my favorite CVMA shirt and take my wife out to dinner, and if I am very lucky, I will be able to give another Vet the head nod of "I DO NOT CARE" about the small stuff that honestly will not change what time the sun rises tomorrow...but also at the same time...its the same nod that says "I SEE YOU AND I FOR ONE AM GRATEFUL FOR WHAT YOU DID".....

From my personal perspective it hits pretty close to home! Thanks for following this forum.......BULRDR