posted on April 11, 2003 12:52:19 PM new
that is absolutely beautiful, colin! thank you for posting it!!!
"Be kind. Remember everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." - Harry Thompson
"I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it." - A Few Good Men
posted on April 11, 2003 01:24:54 PM new
Yes, it's very thought provoking!!!
We can't forget that supporting the troops doesn't end when they leave the battlefield. Continue this support whether the troops are in or out of uniform. Be sure that they have the right to health care as a veteran, a college education, a job and a living wage. It's disgraceful to have homeless vets in America and some in need of medical help.
excerpt....
"Heading to the anti-war rally in Boston this past week, I noticed a man on the corner, who I presume was homeless. He had a small bucket at his feet where I guess he places the paltry offerings of automotive passersby, headed into the downtown business district. And in his hands was a sign. It read: "Homeless Veteran. Down on My Luck. God Bless."
Little did he know that there was no "luck" to it. His immiseration was calculated, and he is now the logical and functional detritus of a system that needs, loves and supports its troops only when they are killing, and not when they are simply trying to live.
So here he was, a "troop," supported by those in power to do whatever he had to do in combat, most likely in Vietnam, guessing by his age. And who upon returning was not spat upon by any antiwar protester--that being a historic fabrication of almost Biblical proportions--but was likely denied membership in the VFW by old war horses who typically considered Vietnam vets to be long-haired, dope-smoking losers, unfit for membership alongside the so-called Greatest Generation.
And now he is on the streets, the same week that "supportive" right-wing Republicans and the White House proposed gutting the budget for veteran's pensions and disability spending.
Jobless, no health care, no place to live.
Support our Troops!
I would support our troops by bringing them home without exposing them to the dangers of this unjust war.
posted on April 11, 2003 04:42:51 PM new
How many veteran's families will suffer as a result of the cuts in social programs that will be made to cover the deficit?...real support isn't just hoo-rahs and flag waving. It costs money.
This is clivebarkerfan's girlfriend. My father was career Navy for 20 years. He was one of the lucky few that didn't have to go to Nam. But he's seen his share of things that the general public will NEVER know about.
First, I must say that the military isn't just about killing and teaching to kill. My dad was involved with saving many refugees from the Philippines and other areas amongst other things.
Second, tell the guys he served with that they weren't spit on when they did get back from Nam. Tell my friend's father (a Master Gunny) that the anti-war guy that jumped him on the way home was only trying to welcome him with open arms. And that "baby killer" is a term of endearment
Third, the public has no one to blame for vets being homeless, jobless, etc. but themselves. It is only at times like now that the public as a whole even recognizes that these men exist. And the sad fact is it is the public that votes men into power without seeing if they are qualified to do the job.
Understand something about our boys that CHOOSE to join the military. They understand that they are risking everything they have to make sure YOU can be free and sleep at night.
Let them do their jobs that they are PROUD to do without having to think about what kind of reaction they will encounter when they come home.
And remember, you only see what the media wants you to see. What really happens is another story that quite honestly, the American public cannot handle.
