Stop attacking our heroes

OPINION – Patriotism is front and center in this year’s election and that’s a good thing. How we serve our country and how we seek to make it better should be at the heart of our political debates. But this election has also seen the continuation of a troubling trend: attacking those who serve. It’s deeply unpatriotic and we should call it out.

When we talk about service, we honor the men and women who have served in our Armed Forces – but service to the country is not limited to military veterans. Teachers in the classroom, firefighters on the front lines, nurses in our hospitals, volunteers in soup kitchens and countless others serve our country every day. They deserve our respect. But former President Donald Trump frequently attempts to diminish them.

While Vice President Harris praised former Senator and war hero John McCain, President Trump routinely mocked him. The former President called veterans “suckers and losers,” and skipped out on a ceremony to honor the Greatest Generation that fought in World War II because it was raining. When Governor Tim Walz was nominated to serve as Vice President, Trump and his running mate J.D. Vance wasted no time in attacking him for his two decades of service in the National Guard. It was their first line of attack.

It’s not just veterans. On the campaign trail, Trump’s team suggested that Governor Walz “never held a real job in his life” despite his decades of service as a teacher and coach. It would be awful if these attacks were limited to just harsh words on the campaign trail. And frankly, such ridiculous and hateful statements should be easy to ignore. But this isn’t about a few offensive talking points. Republicans are attacking those who serve with both their words and their deeds.

The Trump agenda – Project 2025 – would decimate veterans’ health care. While in office, Trump’s proposed budget would have dramatically cut AmeriCorps – a program giving tens of thousands of citizens the chance to serve their community here at home. The Trump plans to gut the Department of Education would be a direct attack on schools and teachers, effectively depriving them of the resources and funding they use to serve our kids.

Democrats are doing things differently under the banner of service. Governor Gavin Newsom helped California create the largest domestic service force in the nation and offered students new ways to serve their state and graduate with less student debt. Eleven Democratic Governors have created state-level Climate Corps and President Biden recently created the American Climate Corps to mobilize a new generation of Americans to step up and tackle this existential crisis together.

These kinds of programs help foster exactly the kind of authentic civic pride in service that our country needs. We need more leaders like this who celebrate and inspire Americans to serve, whether it’s on a carrier or in the classroom. And when people make sacrifices to serve their country, they should be celebrated and rewarded, not attacked.

We don’t think Donald Trump and the Republican party will change the way they talk about service anytime soon. But we look forward to the day when a spirit of service is no longer politicized. We believe that when our leaders serve by example, and use their platforms to share their best ideas for inspiring others to do the same, nothing could be more patriotic.

Until then, voters have a choice between Republicans like Donald Trump who attack those who serve, and Democrats like Kamala Harris and Tim Walz who seek to build a future where service is honored and respected. Americans will make their own decision, but we believe that politicians who attack veterans, teachers and those who serve have not earned our votes.

Maybe more importantly, if you’ve worn a uniform, respect someone who has worn a uniform, or have served your country in any way – big or small – we hope you will join us in calling out despicable attacks on our heroes.  It’s time to build a country where we respect service and look out for one another, even when we disagree.

Rusty Hicks is a Navy Veteran and Chair of the California Democratic Party. Josh Fryday is a Navy Veteran and former Mayor of his hometown, Novato.