POW Acronym Claimed By Environmental Group

POW

Benjamin KrauseThe environmentalist group Protect Our Winters has laid claim to the POW acronym, the longstanding acronym associated with Prisoner of War and highlighted on flags across the country.

This seems ironic since many environmentalists are considered anti-veteran, and the environmentalist group calls itself “the leading climate advocacy group for the snowsports community.” Instead of worrying about those combat soldiers left behind, POW now references a group of anti-global warming snowboarders.

READ: About Protect Our Winters

POSSIBLE POW TRADEMARK ISSUE

One concerned veteran brought this to my attention over Christmas. At first it seemed innocuous until I thought through the implications. What if Protect Our Winters attempts to trademark the POW acronym? Would such an action prevent veterans groups from using POW on flags, posters and magazines?

I know you are probably saying, “Well since Protect Our Winters did not invent POW, they probably cannot trademark it.” Maybe, but in this age of slippery slopes regarding ownership of words, one can never tell how a crafty attorney might sculpt a successful argument.

Three years ago, the US Patent Office approved a trademark for the Department of Veterans Affairs for the term “GI Bill.” Everyone at my law school thought that was strange since VA did not invent the term. Last I checked, Congress invented “GI Bill” and as such it should be forever part of the public domain.

RELATED: VA Registers “GI Bill” As A Trademark

Instead, VA was granted the trademark as part of Executive Order 13607 to supposedly prevent unsavory advertisers from using it.

On April 26, 2012, President Obama signed Executive Order 13607, directing the VA, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Education to undertake a number of measures to “stop deceptive and misleading” promotional efforts that target the GI Bill educational benefits of Servicemembers, Veterans, and eligible family members and survivors. One of the key components of the order was for VA to register the term “GI Bill” as a trademark in order to protect individuals and ensure they are directed to the right resources to make informed decisions.

Even if such a trademark outcome were not possible in any manner, it certainly is concerning that a nonprofit not related to veterans or prisoners of war would assume the acronym.

WHAT ABOUT POW RESPECT?

Now, POW stands for Protect Our Winters. I am personally disappointed about the usurpation of POW by a group of environmentalist snowboarders. Certain things are sacred here, and I suspect any group could have come up with a name not synonymous with the suffering of Prisoners of War.

Let’s hope they do not come up with some crafty way to trademark POW like the executive branch revoked GI Bill from the commons and awarded it as property of VA.

What do you think? Cool with the new POW? Should some things be sacred… like POW?

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23 Comments

  1. Why? I am 100% service connected and according to the VA I am first in line for medical services. The absolute sick thing is the Vets from the previous wars and the POW’s come behind me for service at the VA. Now that just twisted. They should come BEFORE me, if not for treatment, then at least out of respect.

    I mean does ANYONE see something wrong with this list besides me? WHY should a POW or a Purple Heart or a CMOH winner have to wait behind me for treatment just because I have a 100% service connected rating. They should at the very least be equal with my priority group or be ahead of me in my priority group. This is just WRONG on so many levels.

    Priority Group 1

    Veterans with service-connected disabilities rated 50% or more disabling, or
    Veterans determined by VA to be unemployable due to service-connected conditions

    Priority Group 2

    Veterans with service-connected disabilities rated 30% or 40% disabling

    Priority Group 3

    Veterans who are Former Prisoners of War (POWs)
    Veterans awarded a Purple Heart medal
    Veterans whose discharge was for a disability that was incurred or aggravated in the line of duty
    Veterans with VA-rated service-connected disabilities 10% or 20% disabling
    Veterans awarded special eligibility classification under Title 38, U.S.C., § 1151, “benefits for individuals disabled by treatment or vocational rehabilitation”
    Veterans awarded the Medal Of Honor (MOH)

    Priority Group 4

    Veterans who are receiving aid and attendance or housebound benefits
    Veterans who have been determined by VA to be catastrophically disabled

    Back to Top
    Priority Group 5

    Nonservice-connected Veterans and noncompensable service-connected Veterans rated 0% disabled by VA with annual income below the VA’s and geographically (based on your resident zip code) adjusted income limits.
    Veterans receiving VA pension benefits
    Veterans eligible for Medicaid programs

    Priority Group 6

    Compensable 0% service-connected Veterans
    Veterans exposed to Ionizing Radiation during atmospheric testing or during the occupation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
    Project 112/SHAD participants
    Veterans who served in the Republic of Vietnam between January 9,1962 and May 7,1975
    Veterans of the Persian Gulf War who served between August 2, 1990 and November 11, 1998
    *Veterans who served on active duty at Camp Lejeune for not fewer than 30 days beginning August 1, 1953 and ending December 31, 1987
    Veterans who served in a theater of combat operations after November 11, 1998 as follows:
    Currently enrolled Veterans and new enrollees who were discharged from active duty on or after January 28, 2003, are eligible for the enhanced benefits for 5 years post discharge.
    Combat Veterans who were discharged between January 2009 and January 2011, and did not enroll in the VA health care during their 5 year period of eligibility have an additional one year to enroll and receive care. The additional one-year eligibility period began February 12, 2015 with the signing of the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for America Veterans Act.

    Note: At the end of this enhanced enrollment priority group placement time period Veterans will be assigned to the highest Priority Group their unique eligibility status at that time qualifies for.

    *Note: While eligible for Priority Group (PG) 6; until system changes are implemented you would be assigned to PG 7 or 8 depending on your income.
    Priority Group 7

    Veterans with gross household income below the geographically-adjusted income limits (GMT) for their resident location and who agree to pay copays

    Back to Top
    Priority Group 8

    Veterans with gross household income above the VA and the geographically-adjusted income limits for their resident location and who agrees to pay copays

    Veterans eligible for enrollment:

    Noncompensable 0% service-connected:

    Subpriority a: Enrolled as of January 16, 2003, and who have remained enrolled since that date and/or placed in this sub priority due to changed eligibility status
    Subpriority b: Enrolled on or after June 15, 2009 whose income exceeds the current VA or geographic income limits by 10% or less

    Nonservice-connected and:

    Subpriority c: Enrolled as of January 16, 2003, and who have remained enrolled since that date and/or placed in this sub priority due to changed eligibility status
    Subpriority d: Enrolled on or after June 15, 2009 whose income exceeds the current VA or geographic income limits by 10% or less

    Veterans not eligible for enrollment:

    Veterans not meeting the criteria above:

    Subpriority e: Noncompensable 0% service-connected (eligible for care of their SC condition only)
    Subpriority g: Nonservice-connected

  2. 01/14/2016

    Dear Benjamin Krause,

    The Five D’s.

    And that is one of them.

    Don’t waste your time.

    Let someone else fight that battle.

    Thank you for flagging it!

    Sincerely,

    Don Karg

  3. tiny bit Off Topic but also completely germane: Today’s Daily Caller has a great article on how the VA AFGE Union is NOT following the rules by giving Veterans preference in hiring VA Jobs. Quite the opposite actually, and this article explains this. I have a friend in another State that has a very part time with no benefits job in a basement at a VA through some County Homeless Program. He is an educated Veteran with degrees and more but you think the VA would ever call him back when applying for these jobs? Nope. Nepotism runs wild at the VA…and the photo that goes along with this article really gives you an idea of where the preference lay in jobs at the VA. If you are related to anyone on that stage you have a better chance of getting a VA Job over any Veteran. The VA and AFGE are blatantly interpreting the LAW the way they want and by doing so, continue to hire ignorant asses at the VA instead of qualified Veterans:

    “https://dailycaller.com/2016/01/14/va-labor-contract-favors-union-bureaucrats-over-vets-for-jobs/”

    1. Yes this is so true in rural communities.you will see family members and friends hiring each other.

      This makes for a very hostile work environment.you make one mad and they will make your life hell.

      The bad part also is they transfer to other VA facilities and they bring their friends or family members with them to work and the cycle gets worse.

      If they don’t shut down the VA. They should clean house and demote of fire all middle and upper management and cross reference how many employees under them are childhood friends or family and start a new.

      Or pass regulations where management can not hire anyone related to them or their friends or family of their friends.

      Have to get rid of the good old guys club. They care about nothing but power and they will destroy an organization pretty fast when they do this.

      Who’s going to stop them.no one they do.will and have covered up for each other in the past and will continue.until a good house cleaning is completed.

  4. Somethings should remain “sacred” but in the corporation of America,everything is for sale or hijacked thru codified language, etc;trademarks/patents and lawsuits.
    If anyone looked at the Board of Directors page, you would have seen that the David Rockefeller Fund and Harvard University is on their board.

    The good ole boys,(The Order) still have the last say and war is still a racket.

  5. Ben and Jerry ice cream are one Corp. behind this travesty. Is there a more anti-American company in USA?
    Thanks for putting this out there.

  6. Why would anyone here think a bunch of Snow Sport people would give a flying fuck about real POWs? We are talking about a bunch of clowns who probably have no idea where Vietnam or Korea are on a map, let alone that American died and were imprisoned there. Must have been a slow news day. I guess no one at the V.A. was raped, beaten, murdered, denied care, or received a 250K Bonus for getting demoted. Someone just needs to kick these clowns in the blank space where there millennial balls should be. Put away your snowboard, raise your right hand , go fight in Afghanistaniraqsyria and then come home and get it in the ass by the V.A. Someone needs to change that meaning of that acronym from Veterans Affairs to Vicious Assholes.

  7. Dear Mr. Krause:

    All I have to say about Protect Our Winters, is I am not concerned so much about the plagiarism of our symbolic meaning to it because we all know the origin of the motto, nor about Starbucks anti-war feelings, and I sure they did not mean any harm by that, in the context of what we experienced during the Vietnam war against our servicemen; who were derided as baby killers, this unfortunately was deliberately directed at our servicemen specifically, not the war, I think this, what Starbucks did was more of a genuine disdain for war, because I sure most of the clientele were american servicemen if American soldiers are so addicted to Starbuck’s coffee as I am, it would have been to Cambodian terrorists as well if they would have been patrons, and in this case it was to make an impression in our government being that our government being the most powerful in the world and naturally ,influential, to stop the war if they would so desire.

    I think that is the reason because I as a 100% disabled of the Korean War have done all they can to help me, I would even say they have gone beyond what they would be expected, and this despite the fact that I wear a cap saying Korea Veteran on it, which I wear since I have become a self-proclaimed advocate for veterans.

    Yours for God and Country
    Frank P. Calderon

  8. Personally I think some POW would show them the error of their ways if one ever ran in to these nitwits.
    They should call their group:
    All
    Super
    Serious
    Climate
    Lemmings
    Out
    Whining
    Non
    Stop

  9. Sacred.nothing is sacred any more in this country. As one politician said.ISIS would not be able to destroy this country but

    Our own people will.you hear it all the time our elected officials are Neil and void.

    They have abandon their post and are thinking about themselves and not all the citizens.

    It has been noted that Americans citizens are not picking their elected officials.the elected officials are picking their citizens of their local area and will only do what they can to ensure those small group of people are taken care of.

    This ensures that the elected official would be voted in again. Our elected officials as a whole would let this country fall apart as long as they .the elected official stays in power and gets a nice pay check.

    I believe if they are able to stay in office for so many years.they will get a pay check for the rest of their lives.

    Until veterans go to Washington in numbers to defend themselves.nothing will ever change.VA must be notified by the thousands.enough is enough and employees must be held accountable for their misdeeds.

    1. True and I’ve been saying that and seeing it daily. Nothing is sacred today and today good is bad and bad good.

      All this started way back with far left activism and the thing tanks “To offend, to bombard and ruin the sacred cows of America. Including any and all cultural beliefs from marriage, church, free speech” and the list was endless. “To confuse, divide, distract to destroy.”

      I should have kept all those circa 60-70s flyers and literature the SDS (Students for a Democratic Society) (Debbs Society) (CPOA Communist Party of America)(Marx-Feminist and many others) and all the rest of the communist movements going on locally, and i suppose elsewhere in America. More-so in my lefty college town of pure corruption and un-American attitudes.

      POW is just one acronym stolen with intent and purpose. Political Correctness, thought and speech controls were already in Ivy League colleges and growing as planned. Our flag is now flying backwards according to the old standards or Constitution but today it means ‘into war.’ The history of really why is never discussed. Another is the “In God We Trust to the attacks on Christian symbols and Xmas time stuff disappearing like the Manger scene and no crosses allowed in the White House but other religious symbols are or on the National Lawn. COMMUNITARIANISM would spread over the nation thanks to social engineering the young and college style brain-washing and activism. More issues were mentioned and worked well as we can see today, even if some people didn’t get the opportunity to read and be at certain events to think back and today see how right they were and what we live in and with in American life today. Just like we were warned by Smedley Butler and Eisenhower about war and corruption…few listened to or care to go back and see how far the American public has bought into ‘the game of ruination of our nation and cultural fabric.”

      Big city and rural VA centers can be and are full of activist like it or not. Most vets sit and take abuse and worse because we don’t dare stand up to nonsense or any of the special interest groups or “movements” flowing through college towns and those so-called medicine teaching schools for which we are their Guinea pigs and gold fish in a bowl to toy with or mess up.

      A VA hospital that allows such groups to come play vendor or sell their wares so they hate us but our money is good for junk.

      Starbucks is there but I would rather drink piss than support those who support MoveOn or some anti or Un-American agendas.

      The unions like SEIU, etc. How did the US Gov decide to use one of the most American hating, racist against White people, admitted globalist and communitarian groups in our country take over our care or have positions they claim “nearly impossible to be fired from so we don’t have to do much but ‘saunter'”

      Like it or not the subtle to very obvious, to use a leftist term.. racist.. attitudes and abuse is too rampant to keep being silent about or watch some torn up combat vet sit and take stupidity, abuse of all sorts, just to sit and take it not wanting to be labeled, folder flagged as warned about, or having the gossip and retribution teams go on the attack. Or afraid of being arrested on federal land or forced into a nut ward for making a fuss or whatever the liars want to report on some poor guy or female.

      Why are far left wing activist news papers or rags (NUVO) allowed to be freely given at supposedly politics free hospitals that are supposed to be there for our health not abuse, torture or targets for the many kinds of activist.

      The VA nor all the machines involved will never change. We are against too much wealthy elite country clubber corruption, against too many modern activist, youth that don’t care and most don’t know what POW-MIA is since most think it’s a band or something. Veterans working at the VA will do whatever to keep their jobs which has been shown time and time again. No whistle blowers will come from Indiana for sure since their agendas is NOT our best health care and such but more about activism, big city living, the cliques, their teams, the unions, and etc. And too many vets not wanting to be known or get involved even after seeing abuse and neglect day after day. They will only support their own.

  10. McCain could care less about the VA what makes you think he gives a flying shit about the POW ????????

    1. @Hondo
      I was being facetious on what McCain would say or believe!
      He could care less over what happens to veterans. He’s proven that on numerous occasions.
      The majority of our elected and appointed officials defend themselves and the VA. They don’t want to stop their meal tickets!

      1. I figured as much Elf. I don’t begrudge McCain for what he’s earned in life he’s been to hell.

        What bites me in the 6 is his unwillingness to publicly stand up and show his contempt for what’s happening at the VA and to his fellow POW’s.

        How can he turn his back on the guys who kept him alive???

      2. @Hondo-

        Easy answer: McCain married into the Coors Beer Dynasty and with his no less than -6- estates within the USA and ones in Europe, he obviously has forgotten his “roots”.
        Those “roots” are regurgitated and abused like clockwork though any time he has come up for re-election.

        Hell, the Phoenix VAMC is ground zero for much scandal with VA and is IN HIS STATE, but have you heard his outspoken voice against the atrocities the VA continues to commit day after day, week and after week? Nope. I am willing to bet that McCain’s visits to the Phoenix VA in past have been solely for reelection purposes and highly doubt he utilizes the VAMC in any capacity.

        I have respect for what John McCain went though as a P.O.W. and fellow Veteran…BUT…I have just as much disrespect for his forgetting the rest of the troops that could use advocacy from his privilege and position in Congress. McCain also is not new to this silver spoon thing, as he comes from a line of Admirals and Officer types…so we enlisted are just worker bees to him apparently.

        McCain should be a poster child for TERM LIMITS.

  11. They should change that from Protect Our Winters to Protect Our Summer’s. That way it can go from POW to POS which stands for pieces of shit. They can then go fly a giant white flag and embroidery the logo of a big green turd in the center of it.

  12. These environmentalists are indeed for the most part pretty anti-Veteran and alarmingly anti-patriotic, thus, largely anti-war, but yet have no clue how the USA maintains our freedoms let alone acquired them…the ‘Hipsters’ simply want anything and everything they desire and they want it now…never mind whom they annoy. If there was a draft reinstituted, they would all mostly hide in their momma’s basement as long as she can brew Starbucks and make them feel right at home with Starbuck’s overt anti-war and anti-Veteran stance.

    I propose that these never wearing deodorant hipster environmentalist snowboarders change their anagram to reflect their true identities and attitudes with: S.H.L.E.P.S.= Snide Hipster Lazy Environmentalist Pieces of Shit.
    Why?
    Because they collectively LOVE anything Starbucks and Starbucks will no longer send any coffee to troops because they overtly do not support the War and have recently publicly announced as much.

    Poking fun aside, I am thinking that just as the military uses the word ‘Drone’ so often as operating procedures, a private company that were to manufacture a recreational drone and called it “Drone” would not be able to prevent the military from using that word. In same sense, one would logically think that as recognizable as P.O.W. is when used with punctuation could not prevent it’s use by Veteran Groups since this is an anagram that’s recognized internationally by NATO and non-NATO Countries.

    Throw hot coffee that’s NOT Starbucks on any Hipsters you may come across and do NOT support Starbucks. When they scream because of the hot coffee, ask them to stop because their carbon dioxide output is causing global warming.

    (my city is overrun by these Hipster types and they are definitely fussy, annoying twits)

    1. Interestingly, just now on the news, ISIS attacked a Starbucks in Indonesia. I wonder how long it will take this anti-war huge company, Starbucks, to actually get-it that we are fighting insane terrorists that simply want ALL to DIE that do not think and believe way they do?? This was an explosion right outside a prominent Starbucks in Jakarta, Indonesia. I wonder if ISIS did this purposefully because of Starbuck’s public anti-war stance and recent refusal to honor a few Troops stationed in Middle East, asking for coffee to be sent with their reply that they will not support the war on terror?

      Things that make you think there’s absolutely no such thing as coincidences in this life.

      1. @namnibor
        Here’s something that will enrage all Muslims everywhere
        “Progressive Soup Company” sells it’s poduct. This morning I saw a commercial stating their going to “add bacon bits” to some of their soups. Reason, to “make it taste better!”
        When do y’all think the “Law Suits” will begin? I believe VERY soon!

  13. “Should some things be sacred?” answer – “YES!”
    I wonder what the men and women, who have ever been held in captivity by a foreign power think about this? That’s IF they know about it!?
    I wonder what John McCain thinks? Does he approve? Would he approve?
    I wonder what the mother who designed the “POW/MIA” flag thinks? Does she even know?

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