The Boxeys, Unfiltered
Boxeys Unfiltered: Impromptu car conversation on veterans’ benefits, constitutional values, media literacy, and staying human in polarized times
Episode Summary
This episode was recorded spontaneously in the car on the way to a medical appointment. Maggie and Nick discuss concerns about proposed VA procedural changes. The conversation expands into reflections on constitutional rights, media distrust, political polarization, generational dynamics, and the challenge of having meaningful conversations across ideological divides.
⚠️ Content Note
This episode includes discussion of:
• disability and medical trauma• government policy and political conflict• violence and systemic harm• sexual abuse and exploitation (brief mention)
And lots of cussing.
Please listen with care and pause if needed.
We talk about proposed VA procedural changes and the fear many disabled veterans have about their ratings being revisited or reduced. For many veterans including us, benefits are not about comfort. They are about stability, dignity, and survival. If you want to follow ongoing discussion and advocacy around VA policy and disability protections, here are a few places to start:
VFW statement [https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2026/2/vfw-demands-va-rescind-disability-rating-rule-change]
DAV statement [https://www.dav.org/learn-more/news/2026/dav-statement-on-va-interim-final-rule-concerning-disability-ratings-and-medication/]
Make public comment here [https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/VA-2026-VBA-0067-0001] before April 20, 2026
The oath and what it means
We talk about our oath of enlistment. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Armed_Forces_oath_of_enlistment]
“I, (state name of enlistee), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_the_United_States] against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Officer_(armed_forces)] appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniform_Code_of_Military_Justice]. (So help me God [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/So_help_me_God]).”
Nick took this Oath as an officer [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Uniformed_Services_Oath_of_Office] in the USMC as do all Military Officers and those who hold office.
I, [name], do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.[1] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Uniformed_Services_Oath_of_Office#cite_note-USC10.3331-1]\
Many veterans are struggling with the tension between constitutional ideals and what they are witnessing in real time. That tension does not belong to one political identity. It belongs to anyone who took that oath seriously.
Nick played part of Malcolm X’s speech, By Any Means Necessary, watch the speech here [https://youtu.be/FFe58KX4MHA?si=7OMqGgMXpjxFjQZc] ( starting at 2:30).
Media literacy and choosing curiosity over certainty
We mention a few independent journalists and commentators whose work we have found helpful for context, history, or analysis:
• Heather Cox Richardson (historical context and daily analysis)- Letters from An American [https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/]• Allison Gill of The Breakdown Mueller [https://www.muellershewrote.com/?r=2gkqh7&utm_campaign=subscribe-page-share-screen&utm_medium=web], She Wrote / Daily Beans• Joyce Vance – Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance [https://joycevance.substack.com/]
Maggie stated that “studies show left leaning media is more in line with facts than right wing media”, and here is a study [https://misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu/article/right-and-left-partisanship-predicts-asymmetric-vulnerability-to-misinformation/]that digs in a bit to what she was referring to. There is bias all over the internet left and right, media literacy is crucial.
Maggie mentioned DHS buying a property for 100 million dollars over the appraised value for an ICE facility, here [https://news.monroelocal.org/feds-paid-over-128-5-million-for-new-ice-facility-deed-shows-2/#:~:text=The%20sale%20comes%20nearly%20three,the%20sale%20had%20been%20completed.] is the local news link about that sale.
Thank you To everyone listening, sharing episodes.To the paid subscribers helping keep this work sustainable.To the people who disagree with us but stay curious anyway.
Thank you
Keep asking questions.Keep living out of the box.
We’ll see y’all next time.
Love,
Nick and Maggie
Announcements:
Come see us in person
We will be at the Wild Chicken Festival on March 21 in Fitzgerald GA with our first Out of the Boxeys bookstore pop-up.
Books. Stickers. Mugs. Conversations. A little chaos. A lot of gratitude.
If you are local, please stop by and say hello and grab your copy of The 3 Things and get it signed. Meeting listeners face-to-face is one of the most grounding parts of this whole journey.
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