Veterans’ license plates.  Have you noticed the veritable plethoration* of veteran’s license plates over the last three or four years? 

  

Patriotism is in vogue since the attack of 9/11, and the military has occupied a position of positive attention, even honor, in our national psyche.  For a couple of reasons: we were determined to avoid the horrendous mistake of the Vietnam era where the troops were scapegoats; we are propagandized to be afraid – very afraid.  

   

Well, I could expound at length of each of those subjects.  But I digress.  Just don’t get me started. 

  

I must confess: I broke down and got my plates a couple of years ago, so I have made my humble contribution to the plethoration* of such plates on the highways and driveways.  

 

One reason is that my good neighbor across the street had Bush/Cheney signs in their yard.  I had Kerry (not my first choice, but Doc Dean went unexpectedly into ‘campainful’ cardiac arrest) and in the best tradition of our escalating one-upmanship I thought the plates would put an exclamation mark on my sign (the best they could do was to sport yellow ribbon pasty and a couple of Old Glories flapping in the breeze on their vehicle – they did not have the prerequisite DD-214 for plates).

  

Well, as we are all too painfully aware today, my plates did not get our man elected, even though he was a decorated Vietnam veteran and the Bush/Cheney ticket could not find their DD-214s anywhere. 

  

And I found that my DD-214 did not give me any special license to be heard over my neighbors across the street either.  And that is as it should be.   

   

It was a surprise to me when my plates arrived in the mail within about half the time the DOD said it would take.  The plates are more expensive than the standard issue – maybe that was for express delivery (just kidding).  I knew going in that the plates cost extra, because they are of course specially made.  But to my surprise, I got a front as well as a rear plate for each of our two vehicles.  Now if you live here in Arizona, you know that the standard issue is one rear plate per vehicle.  You can imagine my glee at being special – you can see me coming and going.  Well worth the additional coin!   

   

But of course the cycle will advance and the sale of veterans’ license plates will taper off.  Complacency will once again set in.  With the additional cost involved and attention to the military wearing thin, the military will once again sink into its “urchin in the closet” status until the household of America comes screaming for it to once again save the nation!

       

I guess that is about enough random rumination about veterans’ license plates in the state of Arizona, and the fact that it is a privilege to wear the plates, and how that is no license for special treatment over my fellow citizens that have not had the opportunity to serve in the military – even if I think they are easily lead down the garden path by the fear mongers.

   

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Plethoration: 1. the dynamic version of the static condition of a plethora.  2. the process of becoming yet a greater veritable plethora.  Note: Webster does not know of this word as yet, but I hereby submit it as a candidate for his venerable best seller, his dictionary.  

   

  

PS. I had been under the impression that one had to have been an Arizona resident at the time of service, but that is not so.  FYI for you vets out there, all you need above and beyond the regular requirements for licensing your vehicle in the state of Arizona is your DD-214.  My service took place far-far-away and long-long-ago before I had even visited Arizona.  If that has been a show stopper for you, let me assure you it is not in fact a problem.