Don’t Ignore the Elderly and the Vets [OPINION]

Throughout the campaign, I've heard an awful lot about giving free stuff to people but very little about the people who truly earned free stuff.

What's up with that?

Free healthcare and free housing for illegal immigrants. Hell, free health care for all working-age adults. Free college. Student loan forgiveness. Reparations for descendants of slaves and Native Americans. Free daycare. Open borders. The list goes on and on.

The Democrats running for president have covered most of the bases in pandering to special interests, promising free everything, including a free pass into America should you decide that waiting in line is so not you. Everything for free, free, free. Unless, of course, you are elderly or a veteran.

Have you heard any of the candidates address the needs of our elderly and our vets? What are they being offered? Not much. The elderly and the veterans are being largely ignored as we debate the "rights" of illegal immigrants. By the way, the rights of the unborn are being ignored as well.

I talk to elderly folks on my radio program who have seen little or nothing for years in the way of a bump in their benefits to help with any cost of living increase. Yet candidates promise housing for illegals. Veterans who have served their country tell me their medical benefits are a tangled mess, oftentimes leaving them struggling to pay co-pays and prescription costs. Yet the candidates talk about free health care for illegals.

This is insane.

Anyone who is elderly, or has an elderly parent, and all of our veterans need to pay close attention to the priorities being laid out by these politicians. No one should rank higher than our seniors and vets. No one. To ignore them or place them behind another demographic is just plain wrong.

Seniors and veterans, do not let the politicians bamboozle you in another election cycle. Stand up for your rights. You have a vote. Use it for the candidates who have a plan to move you to the front of the line–where you belong.

Veterans and senior are the truly forgotten men and women.

Barry Richard is the host of The Barry Richard Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. Contact him at barry@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @BarryJRichard58. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.