Redstate

Posted at 2:25pm on May 11, 2008 The Government That Fails Them

By haystack

The problem with our Government is not Democrats or Republicans, per se, but with the collective need to do whatever it takes to get and keep power. This never-ending opportunistic positioning on issues, with little regard for any who might suffer from the effects, fails all of "we the People" and the Government should be ashamed of itself...though we have a better chance of finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow than ever seeing sincere humility and embarrassment come from any of our Political Heroes in Washington.

The political football that is Iraq is being as poorly handled as any issue in my memory, and our Warfighters and Veterans (those we should most concern ourselves with) are being failed on almost every level. I blame the President. I blame the Department of Defense. I blame Veterans Affairs. Most of all, I blame Congress. While most of these issues with Soldiers and Veterans lie squarely in the lap of the DoD and the VA, Congress owns the lion's share of blame for not fixing this mess because they hold the checkbook and they aren't doing what needs doing: writing the damn checks.

Let's start with the New York Times piece, The Suffering of Soldiers:

Several years into a pair of wars, the Department of Veterans Affairs is struggling to cope with a task for which it was tragically unready: the care of soldiers who left Afghanistan and Iraq with an extra burden of brain injury and psychic anguish. The last thing they need is the toxic blend of secrecy, arrogance and heedlessness that helped to send many of them into harm’s way.

Quick cheap shot at the President aside, the NYT's Editorial board is on to something. But, before we look at the rest of this "opinion" piece, let's pile on a few more things for emphasis.

More below the fold...

Posted in Congress | Iraq Funding | veterans — Comments (32) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 1:30pm on Nov. 12, 2007 Send Them There

Help Send WWII Vets to the WWII Memorial

By Mark I

This morning, ABC’s Good Morning America profiled a heroic organization with an urgent mission for our World War II veterans. Honor Flight is an organization whose mission is to provide free trips to Washington DC for WWII veterans so that they can view this country’s long overdue tribute to their sacrifices. The World War II Memorial on the National Mall is three years old. But, many of the surviving veterans who fought in that war are too old, infirm, or financially unable to travel to Washington themselves to see it. Honor Flight seeks to remove those obstacles for our veterans, and provides them with the experience of a lifetime. You can see the video of the GMA report here.

Honor Flight was founded by retired Air Force Captain Earl Morse. Capt. Morse is a physician’s assistant whose patients include many WWII veterans. He started the organization after it became clear to him that many of his patients, despite their desire to go to Washington, would be unable to do so on their own. The first flight took place in May of 2005 and consisted entirely of six private planes flying veterans to Manassas, Virginia, and then escorting the veterans to Washington for a tour of the memorial.

Today, Honor Flight partners with businesses and community groups to sponsor chartered commercial flights of 40 veterans and 17 sponsors each. World War II Veterans travel free and no donations are accepted from them. The cost of one flight is $10,000.

This Veteran’s Day, please consider making a donation to this very worthwhile organization. Or consider asking your community or church group to raise the funds necessary to sponsor a flight. Our World War II veterans are dying at a rate of 1,200-1,500 per day. After all they have given to this nation, the least any of us can do is help them get to Washington so they can see firsthand the honor and appreciation that the nation has bestowed upon them in the World War II Memorial.

Posted in Donations | Miscellanea | veterans | World War II | World War II Memorial — Comments (5)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 12:44am on Oct. 27, 2007 Flag folding ceremonies banned in national cemeteries

By Neil Stevens

The Riverside Press-Enterprise reports that volnteers at every national cemetery nationwide are banned from performing a traditional flag-folding ceremony in which a meaning is given to each fold of the flag.

Despite the fact that no honor is given at any funeral without the permission of the family beforehand, it has apparently been decided because this one ceremony has express recognition of Judaism and Christianity in parts, it must not be allowed ever.

And thus the First Amendment is that much closer to being rewritten to ensure "freedom from religion."