Veterans and Gold Star Families now have free entrance to federal lands.  Starting this past Veteran’s Day (11/11/2020), America will now be giving some of the bravest amongst us a due reward for their service and sacrifice. United States Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt has said, “We are granting Veterans and Gold Star Families free access to… the lands they fought to protect.”

Gold Star Families are defined as those families who have had a loved one die while in service of the United States Armed Forces during war or armed conflict.

As veteran suicide rates are higher than the national average (some even saying 22 veterans complete suicide a day), this move by the Department of the Interior is fitting way to help honor our veterans and their families. Experiencing the rawness of nature created by God can help with depression.  Therefore, beyond being simply a kind gesture, this reward to our veterans may actively help mood disorders amongst this population.

Nature is God’s gift and is part of his revelation.  Although the special revelation of the Bible is necessary and valuable, God still reveals his character and goodness through the natural world.  Let us pray that veterans and Gold Star Families take advantage of this opportunity.

There are some who say that conservatives and free-market supporters are being inconsistent when they praise increased veterans’ benefits.  True, conservatives are generally against the increasing of the scope of government.  However, conservatives are not against the concept of “the laborer deserves his wage” (Luke 10:7; I Timothy 5:18).  In fact, that is exactly what conservatives support and advocate: hard work and appropriate wages with minimal government intervention. 

A veteran has earned his wages by spending a significant amount of time in service of Uncle Sam.  Furthermore, soldiers deserve to be paid well and to be well rewarded.  A society that does not honor its soldiers and does not provide for them will soon find that it does not have soldiers when a need arises. Therefore, there is no inconsistency on the part of the capitalist in this regard.

Mitchell D. Cochran is from Midland, Texas and is a graduate of Lubbock Christian University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. He is currently attending Calvary University for his Master of Arts in Biblical Counseling Mitchell currently resides in Lubbock, Texas with his wife Katherine.