Thread by @Dr_RShatsky

#4thofjuly2022 A 🧵. I come from a military family. My father wanted to go to medical school, but his parents were Yiddish speaking USSR immigrants who came to Ellis Island. He couldn’t afford to go.

So when he was 18 he enlisted. He was a child prodigy and graduated from high school at 14 and college at 18. He loved the #ARMY . It has always been a great source of pride for him.

He stayed in the #Army and did neurosurgery residency at Walter Reed. We moved to The Presido in San Francisco when it was still a military base and lived there.

My father has always been a staunch supporter of this country and patriot, but at 78 years old he recently said to me he was sad and embarrassed. My family came to the US for freedom and opportunities and recently he has watched us descend back towards the fascism we escaped.

The rise of nationalism, of anti-semitism, of xenophobia, homophobia,bigotry, racism. Of anti-intellectualism, of pseudoscience. Of general hatred. Of gun violence. It’s all the opposite of what we sought out and similar to what we fled.

So my veteran father and my military family is wary today. Wary of what we see foreshadowed given where we’ve been. So to my friends, patients, followers, loved ones. I say be careful. This country is in crisis and we are headed in the wrong direction. Be kind to one another.

I wrote this post partially because I see military families commenting about the country like they have some monopoly on sentiments of where we are at right and insinuating that to be worried or unhappy with the country is unpatriotic.

I disagree. Standing up for what you believe is right. THAT is patriotic. Being kind. Being charitable. Protecting and caring for those who have less than you. THAT is patriotic. Respecting ALL people regardless of race, religion, gender, gender identity, country of origin.

THAT is patriotic. #4thofjuly2022 🇺🇸