Veteran's question about civil rights prompts armed response
Civilian savior mode activated!
I’ve been attending my local VFW, Post 9934 in Dana Point, for a few months. I’d even begun thinking of all the pomp and circumstance of the saluting, standing, motions, etc. as vaguely monastic. On November 8th, I finally got up the nerve to mention to the meeting that I write and that the Kindle version of my latest book, God is a Grunt, was on sale for just $3.
Emboldened, I emailed the Post Commander, Rick Jauregui, on November 22nd, asking “to have a conversation within our Post about work I do around fellow military families and the broken federal systems we veterans rely upon for support.” VFW does all kinds of legislative advocacy, so I saw no issue. Rick seemed open to it; he responded within hours, and we set a time to chat the following morning.
But then he calls me a few hours later, just as I was sitting down to, well, write. When I picked up, he sounded defensive and told me he didn’t think the Post was “the place” for that kind of thing. “What kind of thing?” I responded, “I asked to have a conversation.” He pushed harder, saying he didn’t think politics were appropriate… yadda, yadda, yadda. Which was weird, because VFW does all kinds of political advocacy for vets. Their motto is literally “Nobody does more for vets.” But then shit got even weirder.
He asked me if I was a professor at Duke, which is not exactly true but showed he was looking into me (which was only a little creepy). When I taught undergrads there in the Sping of 2017, I was told in no uncertain terms that I was “a special instructor.” So that was my story, always has been. Armed with that information, he suggested ‘the Post didn’t need [me'] instructing them on anything.’ It was clear he had some pre-formed opinions of me… He went on to ask me to lower my voice (I was sitting outside at a Starbucks AND I’m hard of hearing because, you know, combat) and told me I sounded angry. Then he said something I won’t forget because I am so insecure about my own writing; “I saw you with your book on the table; Don’t do that.”
Don’t talk about my work AS a veteran, FOR veterans, AT a veteran service organization meeting? Okay, boomer, I see what’s going on. I hung up and called a few friends immediately, because it sure felt like I was just kicked out of VFW. Or, if I wasn’t, I sure as shit wasn’t welcome to return. When I talked to Laura about it, she sent this email to Ricky the next day, November 23;
Laura's email to VFW Post 9934 Commander Rick Jauregui
Fast forward to this morning around noon. I was home between writing sessions and I hear someone at the door. It’s two police officers standing in front of a guy in civies, so I start recording. First just audio, then video. You might just have to watch to believe it;
Based on what the officers said, I assumed Rick sent Laura’s email, and then the sheriff just responded. From what they were saying, there was zero due diligence - they didn’t read Laura’s email, the mere fact that it contained the word “suicide” was enough to send armed officers to my apartment complex asking for me. It sure seemed like old Ricky was harassing me for our exchange over the phone because Laura makes NO insinuation that I was ever at risk.
The officers handed me a card with a case number, so I went to ask about getting a copy of the report from the Sheriff’s office, which is adjacent to the VFW office at Dana Point, CA City Hall. That’s where Laura and I met Captain Kirsten Monteleone, the chief officer (deputy?) there, and about six more officers, too.
Kirsten said Ricky met with her this morning, November 30th, and that SHE had initiated the armed well-check, not Ricky. Here is what she had to say;
I’m writing this post mostly to document the crazy ass shit I experience as a veteran trying to speak up for other veterans. Not a single officer I encountered today (two at my place of residence and 4-6 surrounding Kirsten) had any military service. Coincidence? I dunno, maybe.
The moral of the story? Don’t be a veteran. 🤷
