http://www.opednews.com/articles/ope..._on_vetera.htm

Bush's War on Veterans

by Mary Shaw

On Friday, November 11, Americans will observe Veteran's Day.

This is a day set aside to honor our war veterans.

I cannot think of a more worthy purpose for a holiday.

Now let me guess:

This Veteran's Day, George W. Bush will strut his way into a specially
choreographed photo opportunity and smirk and say some carefully
crafted yet predictable and hollow-sounding words about how the
American people appreciate the sacrifices that our veterans have made
in the noble quest to defend freedom and democracy.

And he will be right.

We the people do appreciate the sacrifices that our veterans have made.

After all, our brave veterans made those sacrifices while Dubya's
congressman dad pulled enough strings to get his boy out of harm's way
and into the elite Texas Air National Guard to avoid Vietnam.

After all, our brave veterans made those sacrifices while Dick Cheney
arranged for five separate deferrals because he had "other priorities".

After all, our brave veterans made those sacrifices while Congressman
Tom DeLay managed to draw a high draft number and then orchestrate some
convenient deferrals, while stating that he really wanted to serve, but
that all the slots were taken by blacks and Hispanics.

After all, our brave veterans made those sacrifices while House Speaker
Dennis Hastert avoided duty due to bad knees - the same knees that
didn't stop his college wrestling career.

And so on.

OK, so these guys don't have what it takes to earn the title of
veteran.

But they do seem to have what it takes to be hypocrites and punish
those veterans who actually had the nerve to serve, while at the same
time praising them for their selfless sacrifices.

Yes, these self-proclaimed "compassionate conservatives" are punishing
our veterans.

Some examples:

Earlier this year, Republican leaders in Congress blocked $2 billion in
emergency funding for veterans' health care from the $82 billion
supplemental funding bill.

They felt that the money would be better spent in Iraq and Afghanistan,
where we're producing more and more injured soldiers for whom we cannot
afford adequate medical care.

Then the Bush administration requested a mere 2.7 percent increase in
Veterans Affairs (VA) spending, even though the VA's Under Secretary
testified last year that the VA health care system needs a 13 to 14
percent increase annually to maintain their current level of services.

Thousands of veterans of the first Gulf War are suffering the effects
of exposure to depleted uranium (DU), or have died from that exposure,
yet the U.S. government denies the effects and continues to ship DU
munitions for use in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Some wounded U.S. soldiers have returned home from the current war in
Iraq only to learn that they are being referred to credit agencies for
"failure to pay" for lost equipment, and for charges for military
housing.

And about one-fourth of all homeless Americans are veterans.

According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, nearly
200,000 veterans are homeless on any given night.

Two percent of them are female.

Most of these cases are attributed to lingering effects of Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder and substance abuse, compounded by a lack of
family and social support networks.

This is how our government treats those who have so bravely fought for
their country.

It's no wonder that the military recruiters are finding it so difficult
to meet their quotas, even in the "red states".

The Bush administration would be wise to consider the words of George
Washington, our first Commander-in-Chief, who said:

"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any
war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how
they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated
by their nation."

Happy Veteran's Day.
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Read about the Deserter-In-Chief running from the Vietnam War

http://www.glcq.com

And visit the Chickenhawk Database

http://www.nhgazette.com/cgi-bin/NHG...20Chickenhawks