Memorial Day
While enjoying the day with family and friends, as I will be, take time out to commemorate those who have fallen to preserve your freedom.
Arlington by Trace Adkins…
Please, no bashing today. Am calling a truce to focus on the meaning of Memorial Day, as President Bush expressed in his Memorial Day proclamation (which actually my daughter wrote)…
On Memorial Day, we honor the heroes who have laid down their lives in the cause of freedom, resolve that they will forever be remembered by a grateful Nation, and pray that our country may always prove worthy of the sacrifices they have made.
Throughout our Nation’s history, our course has been secured by brave Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen. These courageous and selfless warriors have stepped forward to protect the Nation they love, fight for America’s highest ideals, and show millions that a future of liberty is possible. Freedoms come at great costs, yet the world has been transformed in unimaginable ways because of the noble service and devotion to duty of these brave individuals. Our country honors the sacrifice made by those who have given their lives to spread the blessings of liberty and lay the foundations of peace, and we mourn their loss.
Today, our service men and women continue to inspire and strengthen our Nation, going above and beyond the call of duty as part of the greatest military the world has ever known. Americans are grateful to all those who have put on our Nation’s uniform and to their families, and we will always remember their service and sacrifice for our freedoms.
On this solemn day our country unites to pay tribute to the fallen, who demonstrated the strength of their convictions and paid the cost of freedom. We pray for the members of our Armed Forces and their families, and we ask for God’s continued guidance of our country.
In respect for their devotion to America, the Congress, by a joint resolution approved on May 11, 1950, as amended (64 Stat. 158), has requested the President to issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe each Memorial Day as a day of prayer for permanent peace and designating a period on that day when the people of the United States might unite in prayer. The Congress, by Public Law 106-579, has also designated the minute beginning at 3:00 p.m. local time on that day as a time for all Americans to observe the National Moment of Remembrance.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim Memorial Day, May 26, 2008, as a day of prayer for permanent peace, and I designate the hour beginning in each locality at 11:00 a.m. of that day as a time to unite in prayer. I also ask all Americans to observe the National Moment of Remembrance beginning at 3:00 p.m., local time, on Memorial Day. I encourage the media to participate in these observances. I also request the Governors of the United States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the appropriate officials of all units of government, to direct that the flag be flown at half staff until noon on this Memorial Day on all buildings, grounds, and naval vessels throughout the United States, and in all areas under its jurisdiction and control. I also request the people of the United States to display the flag at half staff from their homes for the customary forenoon period.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-second day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-second.
GEORGE W. BUSH
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
Very nice, Jill. Listening to that song reminded me of the words of the old saying “Only the good die young”.
God bless all American soldiers who have fought in wars around the world defending those who had no one else to defend them.
Please pray for Canada’s fallen too and our soldiers recently injured in an attack on the weekend.
Thats nice Jill. Is Deana a speech writer for President Bush?
God bless all American soldiers (and Canadian) who have paid the ultimate sacrafice for their Nation.
I second what Jasper has written.
Today I plan to call my last surviving uncle and tell him how proud I am he served our country in the South Pacific during WW2. I also want to thank my cousin who served as a fighter pilot in the same war.
My father was one of the survivors of the 101st Airborne at the Siege of Bastogne, where he earned a Silver Star for bravery, and my late uncle and another late cousin also served in WW2.
I am deeply proud of all of them.
Thanks Jill – last Friday a friend of our family laid her son to rest in Arlington, so your remembrance, the proclamation and the video touched us (my wife and I) deeply. Thanks.
On a lighter note,
My mother’s brother served as an officer in charge of a German POW camp. One of the POWs was quite artistic and my uncle asked him to paint portraits of my mother and grandmother(his sister and mother) from snapshots that he had. He thought they would make very nice gifts.
The German POW agreed to do so.
My uncle thought the portraits turned out beautifully, my mother and grandmother were mortified. They were convinced the POW, who made them look like a couple of prison matrons(stern faces, long noses, upswept hairdos, lace collars) was getting even for losing the war.
My uncle could not understand why the pictures weren’t hung in my parent’s home. My mother put them in the attic and never bothered keeping track of them afterward.
God Himself recognized a soldier with great faith:
Matthew 8
“5When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6″Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering.”
7Jesus said to him, “I will go and heal him.”
8The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
10When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.”
And Jesus said this:
John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”
Special thanks go to my son who spent 4 years at the Air Force Academy, 3 years at pilot training and 5 years in the Middle East recieving 3 medals for valor in air combat.
It Is The Soldier not the reporter, who has given US Freedom of the press.
It Is The Soldier not the poet, who has given US Freedom of speech.
It Is The Soldier not the campus organizer, who has given US the Freedom to demonstrate.
It Is The Soldier not the lawyer, who has given US the right to a fair trial.
It is the soldier, who saluted the Flag, who serves beneath the Flag and whose coffin is draped by the Flag, who allows the protester to burn the Flag.
GO DAENA!!!!
Yes, I can no longer suppress my maternal pride! Daena is a presidential writer.
Jill,
It looks like she takes after her Mom with the great writing abilities. I bet you are so proud of her :)
Mary,
Wow, are those portraits lost now? It would be nice if you could get them and hang them in your house. My father and Uncle served in ww2 and my uncle brought back several Nazi weapons, officers knife, etc. My older brother scooped them up when my uncle died.
Jasper,
How interesting. My father scooped up a nazi “palm gun”, I vaguely remember it as a child. These were hidden in the palms of Nazi soldiers and when they were “surrendering” they would shoot their captors dead with them. American soldiers were very fearful of these. It made them more inclined to shoot first and check later.
My mother got rid of the gun out of fear. I have no idea what she did with it. There was too much violence in our home to keep it around.
I have no idea what became of those portraits. I’m sure my mother made no effort to keep track of them. I think the whole story is hilarious.
My uncle thought they should be hung over the fireplace. My mother preferred the attic. Being my father and my (maternal) grandmother intensely disliked each other( at my father’s funeral a friend of my mother’s who he disliked walked into the funeral home. My grandmother calmly remarked “well, if he doesn’t get up and growl you know he’s dead), her portrait over the mantle wouldn’t exactly enthrall him. My mother thought they were just too ugly.
Somewhere that German POW is still having the laugh of his life! :)
Wow! When you put into perspective the hundreds of thousands of soldiers who died for my freedom, and my Lord Jesus Christ who died so I can have eternal life, it really makes me feel how I should be doing so much more in this world.
It really makes me step dead in my tracks to understand how truly blessed I am.
Thank you so much to all of the soldiers fighing ever day for our freedom which sometimes we take for granted.
Jill, you have a very talented daughter.
Jill,
You do indeed have a very talented daughter. Congratulations to you and her.
Pretty thrilling, Mama Jill!
Thanks to you both for helping us remember
why today is so special for America.
Dennis Prager worked today to allow parents who
lost their sons to call.
Oh so poignant!
Mary,
that’s pretty neat about your Dad, you must be so proud. I know the 101st during that battle had to deal with some extremely cold weather, plus they were surrounded by Nazis.
I didn’t know about the palm guns, the Nazi sneaks…
Jasper,
Thank you so much. I take tremendous pride in his service. The “Battling B——- of Bastogne”. It was his commanding officer that told the Germans “nuts” when ordered to surrender. I guess it took them a while to translate it! He wouldn’t talk about it much though. I know he got into some hand to hand combat. He made the comment that after killing a man in hand to hand combat he could only think the poor guy was in the war the same reason he(my father) was. He was told to go.
I love to watch documentaries on that and of course have pictures of my father in full uniform.
He did tell my mother about the rigid discipline of the 101st. He pulled guard duty on some guys who had to stand in a mud pit as a disciplinary action for doing who knows what. He would toss them a cigarette or sandwich but if he got caught doing it, he was in the pit with them.
My mother told me of the palm gun and how it was used and as I said I vaguely remember seeing it in my father’s drawer as a small child.
Jill, a friend e-mailed this to me today. I know it is long but worth the read.
MEMORIAL DAY ARTICLE
By Rev. Rusty Lee Thomas
Every May, America observes Memorial Day. It is altogether proper and fitting that Americans take the time to honor military veterans and their sacrifices made on the behalf of our cherished freedoms. Throughout our history and to this very day courageous men and women give their last ounce of devotion and their very lives for the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Recently, a poignant poem was circulated that certainly captures the basis for honoring our military veterans. The poem is simply called
Hisman,
AWESOME.
When I was a little child, my grandma would pack a picnic lunch and we would visit the cemeteries where our loved ones were buried. Remembering where we come from isn’t only about men that have fought in wars. Gr gr grandpa Josiah and wife Nancy were civilians at the Battle of Antietam. Amputated arms and legs were stacked outside of Gr Gr Gr Aunt Nancy Poffenberger Miller’s barn door. Ain’t war glorious!
Mary.
My father earned 4 bronze stars in WWII. He was 19 years old. He survived the Battle of the Bulge and stuck around after the war to help assimilate concentration camp survivors. His ‘trophy’ was never being able to sleep deeply ever again.
HM,
My late father in law was a Korean vet that did 2 tours in Nam as a sniper. ‘Baby killing’ was just the tip of the iceberg when talking about what went on in Nam according to him.
If you get all icked out over aborted embryos, you couldn’t have handled Nam.
Sally,
I knew a man, now deceased, who was a member of the liberating forces at Auschwitz. He simply could not describe it, according to him.
How did your dad assimilate the survivors?
Sally,
How interesting. The Battle of the Bulge? From the accounts I read that was absolutely horrific. I don’t know where my father wound up from the seige of Bastogne, only that he survived it. Memories of hand to hand combat and looking into the faces of men he killed plagued him for his entire life.
Helping concentration camp survivors. What horrors your father must have seen.
I can imagine your father never slept deeply again.
I remember my great aunt telling the story of when her son came home from WW2. They were gathered in her home when a plane flew overhead.
Her son turned chalk white, ran out to the front lawn and froze, looking at the sky in terror.
He finally calmed down after family members assured him that the war was over and there was no danger.
I have a co worker who was a medic in Vietnam and who always seemed so well adjusted. He tells me he is still plagued with nightmares.
Do we have any idea or appreciation of what our veterans have observed and lived with?
Carder,
I understand that Generals Patton and Eisenhower were so horrified by the concentration camps that they ordered the local townspeople, men, women, children, old people, the sick and infirm, to march through the death camps.
They either marched through voluntarily or they went through at gunpoint.
No way would these people ever claim they had no idea what went on in these camps.
I understand the mayor and his wife went home and hung themselves.
My paternal grandfather participated in the tail-end of WW2 in the Pacific- he was a radio operator (I think) and aided in the “clean-up” of the Philippines (ie finding the Japanese soldiers who were hiding out). He didn’t talk much about his war service- the only story I know about his service was that he earned a ton of money for his wife and himself by playing a *lot* of Poker on the cruiser that shipped him across the Pacific.
My maternal grandfather participated in the Korean War- and to be honest I have no idea what he did there- he *never* talked about it beyond saying Korea had *really* sh*tty weather and Japan had really nice weather and the people there were very friendly.
Leave it up to Sally to besmirch our fallen veterans on memorial day.
Jasper,
Don’t be so dramatic. I think Sally’s message was “war sucks”, not “veterans suck”.
Daena’s proclamation, as well as the Memorial Day article, were very touching. May God continue to bless our nation with the freedoms we enjoy, as well as protection from our enemies.
Great video!
A great, great, great grandfather was in Andersonville prison, in Georgia, during the Civil War. An overcrowded place, built for 10,000 people, primarily Union enlisted men, at one time it had more than 33,000 in it. No barracks were ever made for the prisoners. Medical care was often scant or non-existent, and in 13 months almost 14,000 men died of exposure, hunger, and disease.
My ancestor lived through it, though he went from over 200 lbs. to 90.
Stephanie 1:21am
I agree that’s the point Sally was making. War is damned dirty business. My father told me of lining up surrending Germans and gunning them down. What else were they going to do with them?
I don’t feel that in any way besmirches our soldiers, it only speaks the truth of war.
Doug,
How interesting. I’ve seen documentaries on Andersonville. Just unbelievable what Americans would do to Americans, and what human beings will do to each other.
This is a time to thank one of the greatest veterans of our time….Mr. George W. Bush. Having served numerous tour of duties in addition to spending 18 years in the military, our fearless leader has helped add to the total number of dead soldiers that we memorialize on memorial day. Thanks W!
Peach Pit,
Not to mention former President Bill Clinton, who, after all his fine years of military service ordered the bombing of an aspirin factory, an encampment, and wrote of his loathing of the military.
Continuation of my post 8:28am
…and who took no action against terrorists who killed American civilians and soldiers.
Only 13 minutes to bring up Clinton. You can do better Mary. Good thing we got Osama though for killing those Americans.
Kill more W!
We have to count the victims of Post Traumatic Distress Syndrome, what we used to call being shell-shocked, as victims of the war. The number of those victims has been covered up.
Investigative reporters at CBS News found that in 2005, 6,250 veterans took their lives, nearly 18 a day. Emanuel Margolis writes,
Dr. Ira Katz, chief of mental health services for the Department of Veterans Affairs, sent an e-mail to a VA colleague this past February that read:
“Shh! Our suicide prevention coordinators are identifying about 1,000 suicide attempts per month among the veterans we see in our medical facilities. Is this something we should (carefully) address ourselves in some sort of release before somebody stumbles on it?”
Margolis charges that Katz covered up this startling statistic, showing 12,000 attempted suicides a year while in VA care, when he testified before Congress.Have 30,000 veterans died of suicide in the past 5 years? Have 60,000 tried to? Shouldn’t these deeply depressed men and women be added to the casualty tolls? Is war a plague on the mind of those who fight it?
Margolis writes,
* 120 veterans commit suicide every week.
* 1,000 veterans attempt suicide while in VA care every month.
* Nearly one in five service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan (approximately 300,000) have post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms or major depression.
* 19 percent of post-Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have been diagnosed with possible traumatic brain injury, according to a Rand Corp. Study in April.
* A higher percentage of these veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder than from any previous war because of “stop loss” or an involuntary extension of service in the military (58,300), multiple tours, greater prevalence of brain injuries, etc.
19 percent of returning vets from Iraq and Afghanistan would also be nearly 300,000 persons, suffering from traumatic brain injury.
via Juan Cole
PP 8:45am
It looks like I did pretty well since you don’t dispute me.
Thank Clinton as well for not getting Osama when the Sudanese offered him up, it might have saved a few thousand lives.
Not to mention the Serbs killed in air raids that Clinton ordered when he had us interfere in that civil war. He had Monica servicing him while he was discussing the situation of our troops with a congressman.
Do you think this is something new for veterans PP? Tragically its not. The same occurred with WW2, Korean, and Vietnam vets, only one didn’t hear about it. Have you any idea how horribly our Vietnam vets were treated? Men who served due to Democrat Lyndon Johnson’s escalation of the war that he promised not to get us into?
War is damned dirty business PP and people do not walk away from it unscathed.
Jasper –
Talking about the ugly truth of war and what it does to people is “besmirching our vets”?
The only people who associate the word “glory” with “war” are people who have never been in one. Real veterans would never consider being honest about life after war to be “besmirching”.
Sally –
As they daughter of a veteran of the Gulf War, the granddaughter of two WWII vets, and the niece of a Korea vet and a Vietnam vet, I know what you were trying to say, and its sad someone felt the need to twist it.
Amanda,
How true your words about the “glory” of war. Its not a John Wayne movie. My father talked little of it, only the few items I mentioned. My co-worker who was a medic in Vietnam still has horrific nightmares. My cousin, a fighter pilot in WW2, talked of shooting a baby out of its mother’s arms.
These men and women served and serve honorably and we can never repay them for their sacrifices.
Amanda,
We should also consider police officers and fire fighters and what they must often endure and witness. Do any of us hesitate for a minute to call on them to put their lives on the line in time of need? Its the same with our military.
Extraordinary men and women.
PP,
Since you are such a supporter of the military and regard a military background in a president as very important, do you plan to support McCain?
Mary –
When I lived in NYC, I played the snare drum in a bagpipe band. We played at lots of police/firefighter events and memorials, and played at multiple Memorial Day parades. The most poignant though, was being able to play at the firefighters memorial on 9/11. It was great to have a way to say Thanks.
My dad talks a lot about what he saw in the Gulf, but both of my grandfathers are/were very hesitant to talk about what they saw in WWII. Sadly, for my Dad’s dad who was a fighter pilot, it was enough of a burden that he developed a serious drinking problem and died of liver cancer when I was 6. He left me all of his medals in his will – I’d do almost anything to hear the stories behind them.
McCain just voted down the GI Bill…so no, I will not be voting for McBush.
War is dirty business. War is big business for some friends of this admin. War is really dirty business when your fearless leaders don’t care about the ones fighting…rot in hell W.
PP,
The Pentagon along with McCain also opposed this bill. Google and do some research as to why.
A little history lesson as well. War has always been big business. WW2 got us out of the Great Depression and the Vietnam War was also very profitable for munitions companies, to name a few.
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (CNN) — Sen. John McCain on Monday defended his opposition to a Democratic bill that would expand education benefits for veterans, saying it would hurt the military that he hopes to lead.
The new GI Bill being debated in Congress would expand education benefits for veterans who served at least three years in the military after the September 11, 2001, attacks.
The bill’s main sponsor, Sen. Jim Webb, is a Virginia Democrat and, like McCain, a Vietnam War veteran. The Senate passed Webb’s bill 75-22 last week. McCain was not in Washington for the vote.
Democrats have targeted McCain for his opposition to the Webb legislation.
Saying he takes “a back seat to no one in my affection, respect and devotion to veterans,” McCain said Webb’s bill would be a disincentive for service members to become noncommissioned officers, which he called “the backbone of all the services.”
“They are very hard to replace. Encouraging people to choose to not become noncommissioned officers would hurt the military and our country very badly.”
**********************************
Wow Peach. I had missed that – thanks for the info. So basically, he is against the fact that *GOD FORBID* some of our service people will want to go to college after they serve rather than become career military personell…and paying for their college educations as a “thank you” for their time is encouraging them to *again, God forbid* fulfil their dreams rather than have no choice but to spend their lives in the military because they can’t afford to pay for college on their own.
Crap dude. I had just sort of decided this weekend I was going to vote for him because Hilary Obama is just driving me NUTS with BS and rhetoric. But reading this, I am back to square one. Theres not a single candidate I’ll feel GOOD about voting for at this point. At least I’m from Mass. where it won’t really matter anyway. *sigh*
Hold your nose and vote….
We treat our veterans horribly. Starting by not giving them the right supplies and then using them as pawns in our political process…good work W.
For you McCain supporters…via mydd
This is not the first time McCain, who has a proud history of opposing what he views as excessive government spending, has found himself at odds with his fellow veterans on legislation. He
Peach –
I’ve gone with my dad to the VA Hospital here in Boston because he has yearly exams to track the effects of his Gulf War Syndrome, so I know first hand how sub-par the care our veterans recieve really is. Fortunatly, my dad has great health benefits through his job, so he doesn’t need to depend on the VA for healthcare like so many people do.
Its pretty shameful that in a city with 2 of the world’s best hospitals, the VA is a run down miserable place in the middle of a ghetto, with homeless vets drinking and napping on the benches out front. In fact, I created an awkward moment when my boyfriend’s realtor was showing him a new condo development in the area and remarked “its too bad that you have all these bums hanging around because of the VA here”. And I said “oh because thats THEIR fault?”
How ANYONE could wish to make it more difficult for vets to achieve their educational dreams just blows my mind…
While I’ll be happy just to see Bush gone, its very dissapointing that I can’t feel good about any of my choices.
Amanda, 11:29am
What you get when you have the government running things. You should have seen the sinkhole VA hospital my father was in 50 years ago. Tragically, this is nothing new.
a friend of mine works at the VA that was built to replace it. Its incredible and I hope will represent the norm for our veterans.
Peach,
I suppose the Pentagon is anti-military too. Why do you suppose they opposed the Webb bill along with McCain?
Also, attempts were made to attach amnesty amendments for illegal immigrants to this bill.
So much for concern for our soldiers.
McCain co-sponsored another GI benefits bill since it was estimated that Webb’s could mean a 16% less retention rate.
Mary –
I realize that’s their concern, but what about the idea that having improved education benefits for our vets would actually encourage more young people to join the service?
Thats why I don’t get McCain being opposed to this bill. He knows how much damage the Bush Admin has done to the military. He knows that with 70% of the country being opposed to this war, enlistment will continue to go down. I had hopes that if elected, he could change the direction of this war, and in doing so, change the morale and motivation regarding our military. But by opposing this bill, I wonder what message he is sending to people who might consider joining… that making it harder to go to college aftewards is the only way we have to keep you in the service after your obligation is complete?
Also, I hate hate hate this whole business of attaching unrelated bills to other bills. Both parties do it and I wish someone would just say ENOUGH. They all like to yap about being opposed to that practice until it benefits them, and then they’re all for it. Annoying and counterproductive. Blarrghhhh….politics! (throws hands in the air)
Amanda,
From what I have read McCain’s alternative would provide sliding scale educational benefits, encouraging people to stay in. This makes sense. Companies pay for education with the expectation employees will stay and benefit the company. They invest in training the employee and want to retain them.
It makes sense for the military to do likewise.
No one is forced to enter the military any more than you are forced to work for a certain employer.
If benefits offer incentive for people to remain, why not?
Also unpopular war? What else is new? Do you remember the Vietnam War? Opposition to the Iraq War doesn’t hold a candle to that.
Amanda,
Politicians play political handball while our soldiers and vets continue to serve and suffer. Its as old as civilization.
Also unpopular war? What else is new? Do you remember the Vietnam War? Opposition to the Iraq War doesn’t hold a candle to that.
Posted by: Mary at May 27, 2008 12:18 PM
It’s early yet, wait another 5 years and see the opposition heat up.
Mary –
I agree about the unpopularity of the war, but a huge difference being that they used the draft in Vietnam. Unless we’re going to bring that back, I think our military needs to be a little more generous with the college benefits, especially considering the skyrocketing cost of secondary education in this country.
My honest opinion is that anyone who willingly volutneered to join our services after 9/11 should be able to go to whatever college they’re accepted to for free, regardless of how long after their obligation they remained with the military.
Amanda,
I have no issue with our vets getting the very best educational benefits, but I can understand McCain’s perspective as well. It also costs to train soldiers and if there are incentives to keep them, great. Soldiers know this going into the military.
We also have to keep in mind people entered the military only to get benefits and serve their time for that reason only. I have no issue with that but can understand why this is not a policy the military would want to encourage.
Hal, 12:26PM
I’m not so sure.
If memory serves me correctly, Johnson sent combat troops into Vietnam in 1965, before that we had only had “advisors”. Right. The war continued to escalate from this point on.
Anyway by 1967-68 opposition was already strong and only got stronger.
“We also have to keep in mind people entered the military only to get benefits and serve their time for that reason only. ”
I agree, and have a bit of a unique perspective on this, having been part of the graduating class of 2001. When my classmates and I were looking towards the days after high school back in the Spring of ’01, the world was a VERY different place. Joining the military back then, while I don’t think anyone took it lightly, certainly had a different meaning at that point. I was heavily recruited by the National Guard and the Navy because I’d been accepted to several nursing schools – and I did consider it but decided against it in the end. When they were calling me, they were telling me how I’d be serving in the states after hurricanes, etc… not being shipped off to Iraq to procure George Bush’s vendetta (talking about Iraq, not Afghanistan – which I fully supported).
September came around, and with it, the realization for a lot of people I went to school with that signing up the military wasn’t going to be ANYTHING like they imagined.
While I’d never take away any credit or respect for people who joined before, I think that those who joined AFTER 9/11 (which is the population this bill was aimed at) DO deserve the benefits outlined in the bill.
Sally: “Baby killing’ was just the tip of the iceberg when talking about what went on in Nam according to him.”
I didn’t say this above, Sally did. I called her out on it. There may have been a small percentage of renegages who did this, but it doesn’t come close to describing the majority of our servicemen in vietnam. Not approporiate on memorial day.
Amanda,
Nonsense. You liberals always looking for free handouts on the taxpayers dime. You go to war with army you have, not the one you would like. didn’t you listen to Rumsfeld?
What the hell are you talking about Jasper?
Who is asking for a free handout?
You consider providing top notch education and health to our servicemen and women a “free handout”???
I think they’ve paid for their educations and then some, tenfold, through their service.
I, for one, have no problem with my dimes paying for a better VA Hospital and tuition reimbursement for veterans. Those dimes go to people like my dad, my uncles, and my grandfathers. Those dimes will be helping the kids my age coming back from Iraq realize their dreams. I would gladly hand over many MANY more dimes to them than they’re getting.
Amanda,
Absolutely, those who entered the military with the promise of certain benefits are entitled to them.
I do understand McCain’s perspective though and of course recruits would be made aware of this when signing up. If its not to their liking, don’t sign up.
Amanda,
I think Jasper is being facetious.
“NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim Memorial Day, May 26, 2008, as a day of prayer for permanent peace, and I designate the hour beginning in each locality at 11:00 a.m. of that day as a time to unite in prayer.”
Does this mean that those of us who do not talk to imaginary persons (pray) should not celebrate Memorial Day or remember the fallen soldiers?
“as a day of prayer for permanent peace”
…says the guy who started an endless, bloody conflict over a whole trail of lies, and still tries to convince his nation that democracy can be created at gunpoint, all while the TRUE enemy, the Taliban, grows stronger by the day…no doubt making it only a matter of time before MORE innocent people lose their lives in terrorist attacks.
Jill’s daughter I’m sure believed the words she wrote, but the mouth those words came out of? I wouldn’t believe for a SECOND he has EVER prayed for “permanent peace”.
Mary – I hope you’re right, but if that was sarcasm, my sarcasm detector is broken today. *taps sarcasm detector*
SOMG, 3:58PM
Oh absolutely SOMG, that is exactly what it means.
SoMG,
Don’t take this the wrong way, please. I’m praying for you, I hope you don’t mind.:)
Poor Amanda, the girl is suffering from BDS (Bush Derangement sydrome).
Did you like it better when 50,000 kurds were being gased to death by WMD.. and the torure and rape rooms were open under Sadaam? Or when Sadaam was defining 18 UN resolutions to disarm?
“I, for one, have no problem with my dimes paying for a better VA Hospital and tuition reimbursement for veterans. Those dimes go to people like my dad, my uncles, and my grandfathers. ”
I all for helping them out with nice discounts, I’m not sure everthing should be completely free though. I benefited from the GI bill which gave a nice discount on my college tution. My Uncle was in the VA hospital in Jamaica Plain Amanda, I know what your taking about.
I just think your hatred of President Bush can cloud your thinking and rationalizing.
Jasper
I did like it better then. At least then 4000 americans weren’t dead….
I take this moment to remember those atheists in foxholes, whom have served our country proudly, only to be spit upon (figuratively) by the man who calls himself president, by declaring them not worthy of being citizens or patriots of the United States.
These atheists, loyal, courageous, and most definitely patriotic, have faced discrimination and harassment by their fellow soldiers and leaders, and have come home to find a lack of appropriate medical care and respect from fellow Americans.
Honor these men and women too, for there most certainly are atheists in foxholes, and they deserve our respect too.
Edyt,
How exactly did Bush spit upon these patriots? How did he indicate that he did not consider them worthy to be citizens or patriots?
Since I have never heard Bush refer to atheism, or suggest atheists were not quite citizens or patriots, I am a little curious as to what you are referring to.
In my 4:39PM post to SOMG I should have added that my eyes were rolling big time. Sarcasm and then some.
Edyt,
Please, a direct quote from George Bush that demeans atheist American servicemen and service women who have fallen in battle.
“Did you like it better when 50,000 kurds were being gased to death by WMD.. and the torure and rape rooms were open under Sadaam? Or when Sadaam was defining 18 UN resolutions to disarm? ”
Nope. But I didn’t like that any less than the hundreds of thousands of people dying in Darfur, or the child-armies in Sierra Leone, or China’s NUMEROUS human rights violations. But we didn’t go marching in to any of those nations preaching democracy at gunpoint and sacrificing thousands of our servicemen and women, did we?
I wonder why not… hrmmm….
Also, who’s fault is it Saddam had that much power in the first place??? Ohhh yeah. That was us. Your good pal Rummy.
Amanda, the US has an abysmal record as far as supporting people in power that way – Saddam, Ho Chi Min, the corrupt, unpopular leaders in South Vietnam, etc.
I’m not saying that “America is bad,” we’ve just had some bad policy in the past….
no threat of wmd in those countries amanda.
we gave weapons to fight the nutty ayatolla in Iran.
blame, blame, blame America first.
“The Ayatolla, of Rock and Rolla!”
There have been some great movies….