_Jeff Moore_

String Cheese Incident percussionist Jason Hann has posted a heartfelt statement on the band’s Facebook page today, sharing his thoughts on Veteran’s Day and relating the sentiments to the recent election and the feelings of fear and disenfranchisement that have followed for many people.

Hann, who joined the Navy for a stint as a teenager after graduating high school, spoke on the diversity of those with whom he served and how they all trusted each other, no matter their differing backgrounds or beliefs.

“In any kind of emergency (ship fire, man overboard, collision, sea rescue,…) it was always reaffirmed how much we had to trust and rely on each other, regardless of personal prejudices,” Hann says. “We took pride in knowing that we would help whomever wore the uniform and, yes, give our life in a situation that may require that sacrifice.”

Hann also speaks on the importance of educating oneself to the issues relating to politics and elections, independent of media bias. “Your vote absolutely counts at every level,” he says. “Your ability to think critically on issues that lazy pundits and social media warriors reduce to memes and bumperstickers, is of the utmost importance. This past election shows that more than anything.”

The musician ends the note by asking fans to rally together and oppose any hate that might come to them or those around them and to honor veterans, the “most diverse makeup of any part of our government,” today.

Read the full post below:

Veteran’s day is a celebration of all US military veterans.

As a former Navy sailor, I’m proud of my service and met an incredible cross section of people while I served. As a young kid 17 years old out of high school, it was a shock to suddenly work and live and have my life depend on people from all different ethnicities, ages, backgrounds.

In any kind of emergency (ship fire, man overboard, collision, sea rescue,…) it was always reaffirmed how much we had to trust and rely on each other, regardless of personal prejudices. We took pride in knowing that we would help whomever wore the uniform and, yes, give our life in a situation that may require that sacrifice.

Anyone that has seen my posts knows that while I support our Veterans through and through, I don’t support many of the policies that send our Veterans into harm’s way. Despite atrocious policy decisions at times, there is a mentality among veterans that, no matter the situation, your first instinct is to take care of the other person in uniform that may also be sacrificing their life for you.

After seeing the horrors of war, most veterans can only communicate with another veteran to deal with, or try to make sense of what they felt like they had to do or see. I, thankfully, did not have to deal with that horror, but my time on the ship was filled with many nights shooting the shit with Vietnam Veterans who screamed in the middle of the night in the sleeping quarters, or joined me on watch duties cause they don’t know how to sleep, or just needed someone to talk with about things that they couldn’t talk to their family about.

In this post, I continue those sentiments of support for our Veterans but with a different urgency for the future. I haven’t seen this kind of violent national reaction to a Presidential election in my lifetime. In thinking about this day for Veterans, I feel like the best way to honor their service is to take the time to educate yourself and participate in our elections.

Those cynical to the process are clearly not watching how much money and effort is spent on suppressing and obstructing your vote. That is how “they” continue to make the process discouraging. The only thing that overcomes that obstruction is for you to be active, if it is even just voting and taking time to be aware of issues – on your own, without the 24/7 news yelling it at you. Your vote absolutely counts at every level. Your ability to think critically on issues that lazy pundits and social media warriors reduce to memes and bumperstickers, is of the utmost importance. This past election shows that more than anything.

As for my own personal opinion, I urge you to join with Bernie Sanders sentiment when he warns that if “Trump takes people’s anger and turns it against Muslims, Hispanics, African Americans, and women (I add “LGBTQ”), we will be his worst nightmare”!!!

We Veterans are the most diverse makeup in any part of our Government. Honor that when you honor them today.