Spongebob.

How can we be the land of the free when we don't let anti-war veterans participate in Veteran's Day parades?

Frybread @ 3:

How can we be the land of the free when we don't let anti-war veterans participate in Veteran's Day parades?

Because they should shut the fuck up and show respect...

Although in a serious note, plenty of people seem to confuse silence with respect)

On a much more positive note here's a response to show respect for all our American troops who sacrifice so much for us all to be free including GB and DC!

Aloha and blessings from Hawaii!

http://www.familyforest.com
go to Veterans Day Tribute to my Uncle Donald

Our country is sick.

I have been complaining for 2 days now about George not showing up to lay the wreath at the unknown soldier. I can't believe he sent 5 time draft dodger Dick to do it. I was so pleased to see that KO was giving him hell over it tonight. Kudos to Keith.

Very good piece as always from Mr. Olbermann, but he got something pretty wrong.

In the lead-up to the story he said that "One in four veterans are homeless." That's not true, the study on the homeless that was published last week found that one in four homeless are veterans . An honest mistake, I'm sure, but it does make quite a bit of difference.

As a veteran, I have never been able to understand how anybody in uniform could support the deserter Bush. It is so apparent that he cares nothing about people in uniform, that he is willing to sacrifice limitless numbers of them upon the alter of his maladjusted ego. Judging by the way he treats veterans, his only interest is having his way with them, by manipulating them into serving his ends, and then discarding them we he's had his way with them. People in uniform and veterans mean nothing to him. I'm surprised that punk thinks he can look any of us in the eye.

Does anyone have a link to a story about the arrests and the refusal to allow anti-war vets to participate?

Fuck the VFW!

These bastards claimed (as read on Daily Kos) that they wouldn't allow the anti-war veterans into the parade because they didn't want "anyone pushing a political agenda."

Pushing a political agenda? Are they kidding? What the hell do they think the military is for besides pushing political agendas? I would think shooting the opposition in the face is about as pushy as it gets.

Bush only pretends to be supportive of the troops (though in word - and photo-op - only) because he needs the troops to keep his perpetual war going. Other than that, words have little meaning when you NEVER follow through, when your words don't match your actions. It is absolutely disgraceful and shameful the way this administration treats the soldiers after they are done fighting. By not giving the soldiers the raises they deserve, by repeatedly extending their tours, by not taking care of soldiers after they come home the way they should (and the way the deserve to be treated), by using public funds to pay for private mercenaries who work alongside soldiers but receive hundreds times the pay the soldiers receive, and by not following through with promises of benefits they promise young men to get them to sign up, this administration deserves to be tossed out on their asses.That last point is backed up here.

This last part is apparently not new. I heard someone who had served two tours, come back both times a day short of receiving his benefits, call into a radio show. He was very angry, and pointed out this was not new, that it had been going on a long time and was pervasive. Just because they are National Guard and not regular army, I hate to point out the obvious, these guys still put their lives on the line (on the front lines whatever that is) on a daily basis and they die and are injured while serving their country. A dead or injured soldier doesn't really differentiate between National Guard and regular army. Dead is dead and injured is injured. All their lives are changed forever.

This is disgraceful. It is like the government is committing fraud at worst, at best it is just slight of hand or a shell game.

Brad @ 17:

Does anyone have a link to a story about the arrests and the refusal to allow anti-war vets to participate?

Here's a link from Boston

another from (from FOX no less) Olympia, WA

yet another from Albany, NY

Do you need more to show the shameful way our veterans are treated. This is a disgrace to those in uniform. Bush is a punk that will live notoriously within our memories with that nitwit dumbfounded look as if to say, oops - it was only a few thousand troops. Bush has no legacy of honor. God bless those in uniform that are doing as they are told, if they only had the ability to dissent without being punished for their calling out the administrations war as illegal.

[Tags edited-Sitemonitor]

[Deleted. I fixed the tags on your original post-Sitemonitor]

I was in a GNC today, and heard a tale from the manager that a mother of a soldier who has spent 16 months in Iraq, and had just been sent back again, bought a case of a diet suppliment (maybe Hydroxycut?) to send to her son and his fellow troops. She said, between tears and curses against the president, that soldiers are living on the stuff - for the energy rush - not for the diet benefit. I would have posted this in the sandbox, but as I'm not a soldier I didn't think it was appropriate. Has anyone heard of this apparent diet pill phenomenon among our soldiers?

(sorry for the cross-post)

I wasn't suprised.

No really. What DID Bush do today? I'd like to know what he DID do, not just what he did NOT do. Does anybody know?

Newbie @ 27:

I was in a GNC today, and heard a tale from the manager that a mother of a soldier who has spent 16 months in Iraq, and had just been sent back again, bought a case of a diet suppliment (maybe Hydroxycut?) to send to her son and his fellow troops. She said, between tears and curses against the president, that soldiers are living on the stuff - for the energy rush - not for the diet benefit. I would have posted this in the sandbox, but as I'm not a soldier I didn't think it was appropriate. Has anyone heard of this apparent diet pill phenomenon among our soldiers?

(sorry for the cross-post)

Hydroxicut is not a dietary supplement, is a highly concentrated caffeine pill. Basically it is legal crank. It makes you jumpy and you lose shitloads of fluids, as it is a diuretic. Not a good combo for people in desert-like environments handling heavy equipment and explosives. I sure hope she is sending real supplements, like vitamins and what not. Not over the counter speed.

There were rumors that a lot of AF pilots were basically on speed during long time missions. There has been incidents of A10s unloading on allied forces by pilots who were out of their minds on crank or some shit like that...

We all know what Bush is going to do. There's no surprises at this point.

But what about the people? Where's the pressure? And where are the Dems? I don't hear Obama or Hillary or anyone making this a campaign issue or , better yet, proposing some sort of a legislation to make the VA system state of the art, give vets and their families enough cash to offset ALL costs they're incurring by being over there, etc., etc.

Ya know, the dems suck pretty bad too. They have the power of the purse to STOP THE WAR NOW if they want (despite what many think). If they're not going to come to their rescue by getting them the hell OUT of there, they can at least draft legislation to finacially take care of these poor kids and their families that have been cast into this disaster. But nothing. To me - a lifelong dem - it's the equivalent of them saying "F#ck You" right to my face. Nothing short of that.

May all the Bush family rot in HELL!

If these people must be sent speed, (which I agree, they should NOT), send ginseng instead. It is still diuretic, and you will still burn out, (2 weeks on, 2 weeks off maximum according to NASA and the Russians serving on Mir) but it won't do so as quickly as caffeine overdoses and can be used for longer periods.

But remember, if they have to patrol while "crashing" from ANY substance overuse (which is UNAVOIDABLE), they will be slow and think poorly. That's bad. This lady probably means well, but...

Just stick with the multis with plenty of extra B-complex and LOTs of water. Just my non-professional 2 cents... but then who am I to fight all the "energy drink" commercials that have raised our kids...

I can't even comment on the TFA and the news (to me) that Bush skipped Arlington. I just... what can you possibly say about it?

steve @ 35:

We all know what Bush is going to do. There's no surprises at this point.

But what about the people? Where's the pressure? And where are the Dems? I don't hear Obama or Hillary or anyone making this a campaign issue or , better yet, proposing some sort of a legislation to make the VA system state of the art, give vets and their families enough cash to offset ALL costs they're incurring by being over there, etc., etc.

Ya know, the dems suck pretty bad too. They have the power of the purse to STOP THE WAR NOW if they want (despite what many think). If they're not going to come to their rescue by getting them the hell OUT of there, they can at least draft legislation to finacially take care of these poor kids and their families that have been cast into this disaster. But nothing. To me - a lifelong dem - it's the equivalent of them saying "F#ck You" right to my face. Nothing short of that.

Let's not lose focus of Harry Reid's deal to give Mukasey the AG nod. Harry Reid is a neo-con puppet as well. Who does he think he's fooling. Obviously his constituents.

RESEARCH WHO YOU VOTE FOR PEOPLE! A little internet search would help you find all the information you need to know about his character.

He is just as crooked as any republican. Congresspedia has some nice tidbits about his values, and using his power to benefit himself and those that are close to him. Not to mention those that are willing to feed his campaign tens of thousands of dollars. What a cheap whore.

god damn police state silencing the vets.

steve @ 42:

nwmuse:

I live in Boston, so my sens and reps have voted the way I'd like on most stuff - I've sent emails to others...

They don't give a sh*t, to be quite charitable. They have caved on EVERY issue because they're afraid of the political ramification to their own behinds should an attack happen. Stopping the war, torture, FISA - what have they done? Nothing. I find telecom amnesty the biggest slap in the face because it takes the one form of redress people have against this tyranny - revealing what's happened through the judicial - away from us! Imagine that! The one issue that we can go over their slimy, corrupt heads for they want to nullify.

Steve, I have a grown son who is severely emotional disturbed and behavioural disordered. I learned a LONG time ago to not go by words, but by what is demonstrated. Words never matched actions. I have not missed much since this administration came into office. Not much of what they say matches with what they demonstrate. Same for just about ALL politicians in office with the exception of a few. The one that jumps to mind is Dennis Kucinich and watching him stand up on the House Floor reading the articles of impeachment against Dick Cheney. I have never been so inspired.. It was like watching the Super Bowl for me, especially when the fifteen minute vote turned into an hour vote with all the votes flipping.

When it comes down to it, Pelosi and Reid are indistinguishable form Lieberman. I go by people actions, not their words. With that criteria, what's the difference? Nothing.

nytimes - QUOTATION OF THE DAY - 20%er style

"I felt like I needed to let him know I don't hate him because my husband is dead, that I don't blame him for Clint dying over there." - MELISSA STOREY, on the letter she sent President Bush after her husband, Staff Sgt. Clint Storey, was killed in Iraq.

Pawn @ 23:

Brad @ 17:

Does anyone have a link to a story about the arrests and the refusal to allow anti-war vets to participate?

Here's a link from Boston

another from (from FOX no less) Olympia, WA

yet another from Albany, NY

Do you need more to show the shameful way our veterans are treated. This is a disgrace to those in uniform. Bush is a punk that will live notoriously within our memories with that nitwit dumbfounded look as if to say, oops - it was only a few thousand troops. Bush has no legacy of honor. God bless those in uniform that are doing as they are told, if they only had the ability to dissent without being punished for their calling out the administrations war as illegal.

Didn't a preznit shoot veterans demonstrating in DC after WW1?

Newbie @ 36:

I'm afraid it was Hydroxicut. I just wasn't sure of the name. The manager said it was basically just an "energy pill" that the troops have grown fond of. Like I said, this distraught mom sent a case to her son.

don't feel bad......if that was me..I'd want something too...............just be prepared to fix it when he gets home.......cause that might be a problem.But hey as long as he makes it home ...who gives a shit.just keep an open mind and be willing to do what ever you have to when he comes home.

"Keith also touches on the gut wrenching story of Lance Corporal James Blake Miller"

That Keith sure does love and support our troops...

John H @ 53:

"Keith also touches on the gut wrenching story of Lance Corporal James Blake Miller"

That Keith sure does love and support our troops...

Can you think of a better way to support OUR troops than bringing to light the bullshit they have to put up with to survive.......tell me please..a better way.

On the subject of silencing vets: my landlady is a vet with PTSD. She and I were out on the porch talking this April about being women and about PTSD and who's a good therapist, etc, and she told me this story.

In her weekly PTSD group therapy sessions (which she has had to fight like hell to keep), one of the other soldiers there is a woman whose hummer was blown by an IED. They had not been issued armor, so she and her patrol buddy had lined the floor under their seats with sandbags and their flack jackets. The explosion drove her flack jacket and pieces of the floor up through her legs, severing them and seriously damaging her torso, obviously rendering her unfit for duty. My landlady went on to say that a few therapy sessions ago, this unnamed vet (I don't know and I didn't ask) confessed that she had been told that if she talked to any member of the media about the fact that they were out there without equipment, her medical assistance would be cut off. Since she will need medical assistance for the rest of her life, this was and is tantamount to a death sentence.

Unfortunately, my landlady is a conservative. I haven't had the chance to sit down with her again and ask how the last seven months have affected her view of this administration. She told me as if she needed to confess to someone, and I respected that by letting her talk until she ran out of things to say and not bringing it up again. She does not appear comfortable discussing the incident and her feelings about it. It was horrible to listen to her alternating between the pride of serving in the Navy, for her one of the best experiences of her life, and far more negative feelings about what has been done to the military. If I want Bush to go to hell for anything, it'll be moments like that, moments where people who love their military, love the idea of serving their country are ashamed or frightened to ask for the help they are entitled to because they are being threatened or coerced into the compliance they are conditioned to use in battlefield conditions. I am beginning to think that active military service might be a very good thing to ask of our leaders, because at least it will limit the number of leaders who have likely never been in so much as a bar fight, let alone real combat, from making decisions that will needlessly waste the lives of their constituents.

Dr. Who @ 24:

Paul @ 15:

As a veteran, I have never been able to understand how anybody in uniform could support the deserter Bush. It is so apparent that he cares nothing about people in uniform, that he is willing to sacrifice limitless numbers of them upon the alter of his maladjusted ego. Judging by the way he treats veterans, his only interest is having his way with them, by manipulating them into serving his ends, and then discarding them we he's had his way with them. People in uniform and veterans mean nothing to him. I'm surprised that punk thinks he can look any of us in the eye.

Unfortunately we live in a culture where respect is granted not earned. And a remarkable percentage of personnel is still gogo over this jackass for reasons unknown... And a lot of people need meaning when they experience hardship and loss, and having to accept the fact that a lot of our good young (and scores of innocent civilians) died in a war of choice would make a lot of the sacrifice meaningless. Plus no one likes to look stupid, much less the crowd who supported this idiot in office... who besides all the indications to the contrary seem to ignore the fact that they voted and supported a buffoon (Ergo meaning that they are indeed a bunch of buffoons themselves).

My dad is an ex-AF (retired as an 05) and he would probably would manage to land a decent booger in the face of the monkey before he would be sent to Guantanamo if he was ever to meet the monkey in person. However, most of the officer core in the AF for the past few decades comes out of Colorado as some sort of wingnut zombie.

Plus remember, he is a war president, and Boosh needs to do all his war presidentin' in silence or else them terririst win!

Over at DKos their is a diary about what's going on at the USAF Academy and to be honest the military in general. How the religious right has infiltrated all the military branches and is actively pushing their agenda at their Academies and Boot Camps. As a retired military veteran this type of religious agenda has no place in the military. I'm sure you could do a study and find that promotions are being influenced by whether an individual is the "right type of Christain" or not. More damage done to the military by BushCo and the religious right.

CoIntelPro @ 49:

Pawn @ 23:

Brad @ 17:

Does anyone have a link to a story about the arrests and the refusal to allow anti-war vets to participate?

Here's a link from Boston

another from (from FOX no less) Olympia, WA

yet another from Albany, NY

Do you need more to show the shameful way our veterans are treated. This is a disgrace to those in uniform. Bush is a punk that will live notoriously within our memories with that nitwit dumbfounded look as if to say, oops - it was only a few thousand troops. Bush has no legacy of honor. God bless those in uniform that are doing as they are told, if they only had the ability to dissent without being punished for their calling out the administrations war as illegal.

Didn't a preznit shoot veterans demonstrating in DC after WW1?

Do you mean the Bonus Army?

CoIntelPro @ 49:

Didn't a preznit shoot veterans demonstrating in DC after WW1?

That was the Bonus Army in 1932 when the US Army cleared out a tent camp of 17,000 WWI vets demanding payment of a promissory note due them by law no earlier than 1945.

The marchers were cleared and their camps were destroyed by the 12th Infantry Regiment from Fort Howard, Maryland, and the 3rd Cavalry Regiment under the command of MAJ. George S. Patton from Fort Myer, Virginia, under the overall command of General Douglas MacArthur.

By the end of the rout:

* Two veterans were shot and killed.
* An 11 week old baby was in critical condition resulting from shock from tear gas exposure.
* Two infants died from tear gas asphyxiation.
* An 11 year old boy was partially blinded by tear gas.
* One bystander was shot in the shoulder.
* One veteran's ear was severed by a Cavalry saber.
* One veteran was stabbed in the hip with a bayonet.
* At least twelve police were injured by the veterans.
* Over 1,000 men, women, and children were exposed to the tear gas, including police, reporters, residents of Washington D.C., and ambulance drivers.

Bonus Army

that's the problem..this admin.You should ask her why?Why she still thinks this admin is all ways right.cause obviously they ain't

From the conversation I had with her, her experience with and belief in the military have made her susceptible to the 'fight them over there' argument. She honestly believes that if we don't keep squashing resistance over there, we'll be endangered. If you watch Bush's speeches (which I can only do in admittedly limited doses, as the laughter soon fades to homicidal anger or tears), he very cleverly plays on the idea that what we're doing over there is as much about world safety (which she believes is a problem) as it is about anything else. And she gets her news from cable tv. I have talked to her a little, but I am exceedingly fond of her, so confronting her would not be productive and I'd feel like such an ass. She's never confronted me. I'm hoping that the gentle approach will do it for her. I want to respect her (because she, despite my political disagreements with her, is a wonderful person) opinions, and I can tell she's as mystified by my stance as I am by hers. She's more than willing to agree that Bush has done dirty by the vets, but buys the idea that Dems will stand by and let the world have their way with us, which she feels she cannot allow. So we talk when our respective schedules will allow it, and I ask her partner how she's doing when I don't see her.

I think this is common in that twenty some-odd percent; some of them are more than willing to see that bush is farking things up, but are scared to death of losing military defense. And of course, there's some that feel like we should, 'finish what we started.'

Thank you for responding.

im curious as to what kind of funding our president and congress have offered for vets like healthcare?? Has the gov't been able to pay for vet services so far?

Sha_Rules, I would think a better measure of a true patriot would be not something pinned to their jacket, but what is in their heart and mind, and their willingness to stand up and fight for their country and Constitution; to speak out when it is called for, as it is now.

Dana @ 66:

As I've said before...our military is in dire need of a mutiny
and our country a revolution. America has forgotten who
it is and what it stands for!

No what we need is the Democrat so-called leadership to do their damn jobs and end the funding for this bullshit, and start drafting the articles of impeachment to make sure responsibilities are paid for this cluster fuck.

Boosh and his boys can fight all the war they want, so long they pay for them off their own pockets right after they are done serving their sentences in prison.

We *do not* need a military revolt, we need our opposition party to do their duty.

Hillary et al just want to hold their breaths a little bit longer and win the next election by default, expecting the GOP to be toxic enough to make their presidential run a cake walk. That to me is despicable, and as usual the Democrat electoral engineering team will manage to even fudge that one. Our boys deployed over there do not have that luxury, and many of them won't make back in one piece if at all.

Fuck the lot of useless idiots in DC.

.

SUPPORT THE VETS
GIVE THEM THEIR HEALTH CARE!

.

"A quarter of all veterans are homeless." Where did this figure come from? It sounds extremely high.

On the other hand, "A quarter of all homeless are veterans" doesn't sound likely, either.

Something is garbled here. Either one of these statements is way too high to be true.

Now it's time for my "New Rule" : On Veteran's Day veterans can do whatever the hell they want. How can they arrest veterans for speaking?

I was seriously considering a 20 year hitch when I originally enlisted in 1997 and was even working on my Batchelors in Electronic Engineering when this dumbass stole his way into the Oval Office. This administration is the biggest reason I left after just over 9 years. I refuse to work and take orders from someone I have NO respect for. I loved my job while I was in and now work for a pretty reputable contractor.
I was never a Clinton supporter but I did have a great deal of respect for him because he tried to take care of us by shrinking the pay gap and increasing other benefits. I didn't care if got a hummer in the White House or not and feel that was a big witch hunt on the part of the hypocrits better known to most as republicans. However, when it was proven he lied I lost a tremendous amount of respect for him. I didn't vote for him but I sure as hell would rather have him in office than the incompetent and childish twit we currently have. At least he had common sense and the ability to listen to reason. This jackass we now have is too busy f*cking everything up then going to work to take a break from all his stressful vacations. There are alot of things you can call Bush but "hard worker" ain't one of em. I guess clearing all that brush is exhausting so he has to get away by screwing up foreign policy and American good will around the world.
I truly believe there could be no better poetic justice than subjecting everyone of these war criminals to the same treatment they currently extend to detainees. I'd buy tickets to watch them get tortured, tried, convicted and executed for treason and crimes against humanity.

stringfelowhawk @ 79:

I was seriously considering a 20 year hitch when I originally enlisted in 1997 and was even working on my Batchelors in Electronic Engineering when this dumbass stole his way into the Oval Office. This administration is the biggest reason I left after just over 9 years. I refuse to work and take orders from someone I have NO respect for. I loved my job while I was in and now work for a pretty reputable contractor.
I was never a Clinton supporter but I did have a great deal of respect for him because he tried to take care of us by shrinking the pay gap and increasing other benefits. I didn't care if got a hummer in the White House or not and feel that was a big witch hunt on the part of the hypocrits better known to most as republicans. However, when it was proven he lied I lost a tremendous amount of respect for him. I didn't vote for him but I sure as hell would rather have him in office than the incompetent and childish twit we currently have. At least he had common sense and the ability to listen to reason. This jackass we now have is too busy f*cking everything up then going to work to take a break from all his stressful vacations. There are alot of things you can call Bush but "hard worker" ain't one of em. I guess clearing all that brush is exhausting so he has to get away by screwing up foreign policy and American good will around the world.
I truly believe there could be no better poetic justice than subjecting everyone of these war criminals to the same treatment they currently extend to detainees. I'd buy tickets to watch them get tortured, tried, convicted and executed for treason and crimes against humanity.

Wow. Thanks for telling your story. I will remember.

Could you imagine the howl of outrage from the Right if it was a Democrat who ditched the Laying of the Wreath ceremony?

Why does George W. Bush hate America?

After something like this, I have a feeling that they lost even more support from their dwindling base and the military.....even the most ardent GOP supporter should stand up and ask why he wasn't at the tomb and it should cause something to go off in their collective head (no spelling error) that of all the events, THIS event was one the president does not miss, especially not during a time of war. It doesn't matter how many times you invoke 9-11 or how many photo ops you do, after something like this, Bush will probably crack the teens - wait for the new polls to come out (of course, it wouldn't hurt for Dems to actually SHOW his 'support' again and again by bringing to light his lovely record regarding hohe supports our vets, our reserves and our active duty soldiers.

I tried to watch some of this last night, but I was so sickened I could only do it a bit at a time. Disgusting.

From the way Bush wants so much money for the troops and the war is the 'objective' of his presidency. Why play the vets so bad? He vetoed SCHIP and the vet's budget is late? It makes me wonder just how many benefits Bush thinks he will get from sending so much money to the middle east. Who would even want to join any branch of the military, once you see how you are treated after you get out?this country will have no service men/women left. Mark my words people, when the shit hits the fan, Bush will fall hard! All comes to light.
If you believe in God, please keep the country in your prayers.

As a vet myself the disgusting pissing and shitting on veterans by the cities of Long Beach and South Boston ranks as one of the most disgusting things I have seen. And there have been an aweful lot of disgusting things to see the past 6 years.

Oh, and don't get me started on those asshats at VFW and AMVETS.......these old creeps, chickenhawk, company/supply clerks that dreamt of doing heroic things in combat when they were in service, give stages to the draft-dodging bastards bush and cheney......

Chickenhawk warmongering cowards like Bush and Cheney can use veteran events to politicize the war for big oil and Halliburton but the heros who actually pick up a gun and fight for this country, who have been to the front lines, can't march in Veteran's Day Parade. Keith forgets to mention AWOL Bush's dress up as a Top Gun doll "Mission Accomplished" landing on the the Abraham Lincoln. This ruthless and corrupt regime has politicized everything it touches. Nothing is off limits and no low is too low to stoop for these lowlifes.

CoInTelPro @ 49: "Didn’t a preznit shoot veterans demonstrating in DC after WW1?"

I wouldn't be surprised, that sounds familiar to me, too. I do know, from listening to a Howard Zinn lecture, of an earlier event.

We need to see the neglect of veterans in the context of the intentions of the Founders. From the very start, venture capitalists were given charters to exploit people and resources for profit. War was made on the Tribes while indentured servants and slaves (for women both servitude and sexual slavery) labored in the fields, businesses like distilleries (Jefferson brewed rum), and homes.

When General George Washington lavishly payed his officers and neglected his enlisted men, as in no shoes or shelter in the winter at Valley Forge, some of the men demanded to be paid. Good ol' George had their fellow enlisted men shoot them dead.

I'm tellin' ya, people, making war and enslaving others, even our own, is no aberration for us: it's what we do.

And you forgot to say, sent 5-time-deferred and registered coward Dick Cheney as a stand-in at Arlington. What spit in the eye that was to our vets. And yet, not a word, not a peep, not a raised eyebrow, not a tsk-tsk.

i for one am glad bush didnt go to arlington, have you ever been there? its so impresive , its hallowed ground the tombstones lined up perfectly buy the thousands , people visit by the hundreads they speak to each other in hushed tones and respect for thoes that lay beneath thoes white marbel stones is evident on thier faces, ive been thier five times and everytime im impressed , ive seen the graves of the kennedys with the eternal flames and many of the heros ive read about in military history books , and even movie stars like audie murphy lee marvin and others that ive enjoyed watching in films , close by the kennedy graves is joe lewis the brown bomber who as a kid before tv i listened to his fights on radio, above it all high on a hill stands the pre civil war home of robert e lee, with its wierd but strangely pretty trees surrounding it, arlingtons to sacred for a traitor like cheny and bush to soil with thier presents, id as soon have tojo and hitler go there!! you must see it , its well woth the visit!

I am sick and tired of you assholes who refuse anyone the right to free speech, whether they
are for or against this war and governement, for the Bushies, by the Bushies, and yada yada. Everyone has the same rights, though severely diminished since 911. So, as an American citizen, KISS MY ASS! I DO have the right to say that...since yesterday. I haven't checked on today whether any more of my rights have been taken away. Follow the money if you need something to occupy your days...that's where to thruths lie. Be careful now, Big Brother is watching, or haven't you heard?

Last time veterans marched on Washington they were the pensioners who were attacked by Gen. McArthur.

Seems appropriate:

http://www.uclick.com/client/nyt/bs/

As a Vietnam veteran who served honorably (no combat), I am furious about cheney/bush and their sycophants and ass-kissing cultists turning this beloved country & our White House into a cesspool of corruption, deception, lies, disingenuous statements, criminal activity, foreign policy failures, domestic horrors (Katrina, healthcare, privacy rights), an AG who was a disgrace and a despicable human being, detaining political opponents, rendition, a president stumbling drunk in our White House pretending to be a "born again christian," and every other possible vile activity that one would expect in a dictatorship.

I marched and protested and did everything in my power to cause an end to the Vietnam war, as did hundreds of thousands of veterans, military members and their families, students, union members, progressives, clergy, and ordinary citizens who were disgusted to the maximum at the horrors and vast lies of that illegal and immoral war.

Now, we are facing the very same demons - as a nation and as human beings who are not malicious and foul, though with leaders who are definitly malicious and foul - and reprehensible. I say impeach cheney. He is a murderer and a war criminal and one of the ugliest (ugly soul, ugly mind, ugly thoughts and ugly and despicable actions) human being on the planet. Impeach that bastard. Impeach him and try him before the world. Make the asshole sweat and pay for his war crimes, high crimes and misdemeanors and crimes against humanity. This is the first step to saving our country. I have been seriously considering a move to Costa Rica (their constitution is progressive and bans a military). My small fixed income is not working in the US. I have never been in such poverty. I blame the Republican (for the rich, fuck the poor and working classes) party for this, especially the Neocons, the PNAC monsters and other warmongers who are bankrupting us. When will this horror end? I am so sad about all that has happened under the bush regime, with cheney and bush and their goons screaming "war on terror" in every speech, in all press conferences, in meetings with foreign leaders, and into the empty heads of Americans who are simply unaware and not paying attention to our slow death as a nation. PEACE

Dave Pullman @ 75:

"A quarter of all veterans are homeless." Where did this figure come from? It sounds extremely high.

On the other hand, "A quarter of all homeless are veterans" doesn't sound likely, either.

Something is garbled here. Either one of these statements is way too high to be true.

Yes Dave,
Those statements are way too high. Unfortunately, the statement, "One out of four homeless isn a veteran", is the correct statement.

Again, It is absolutely too high, and a consequence of US government not tending to its returning vets.

Lovely rant, JD. You put into words my thoughts Thanks

Casper@46;

Thanks for the response... Oh that my rants and our collective thoughts could move anything or anyone. Or create any kind of positive reaction to make a change for the better..... These are indeed desparate times in this nation... Dark and desparate for us all... Once upon a time we went to the aid of others in their hour of need... We did, it's just a hisorical fact... then somehow things went sideways.. We lost sight of something nobel and good that we orginally posessed, at least on paper... So, now, here we are, with a myopic childish moron for a proxy front piece president with who knows what kinds of immoral people wielding the real power..
Where is out knight in shining armor to come from?... Who would extend a hand to us in this hour of 'our' need... I fear we are in a bad way and indeed need a helping hand....... And, unfortunately, for those of us who see things as they really are... I think we are on our own now.....JD

Steve b @ 96:

Does nobody think outside the box any more? There is a good chance that the problems facing the 'Marlboro Marine' have nothing to do with his time in Iraq, or with his military service at all. There is the possibility that this guy had problems before he started his short military career. There is a good chance he joined the military BECAUSE of these problems.

The man is in dire straits and needs help, there is no question. However, using his plight to insinuate it is a problem caused by the worthless activities in the middle east adds nothing of value to the situation.

It's not a symbol of the mistake in the middle east - its a symbol of how this country is completely hypocritical in his treatment of veterans. Republicans love to shout two things:
1) save the babies
2) support our troops

Only thing is, once the baby is out of the mother... well, the baby can die for all Republicans care. Welfare? Let that momma get a job. Carry baby in one arm and flip burgers with the other, right?
And when it comes to troops, as long as the troops come back either unwounded or dead, its all cool. But if they come back wounded (whether it be physically or psychologically) then fuck 'em, let 'em pay for their own damn insurance.

Classic American patriotic rhetoric.
Unless you landed in the military through conscription,
the blood of half the world is squarely on your hands.
For what?...$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Wasnt Dubya barbeque'n down in Texass..or something....yeah pal, thats MUCH more important than honoring those who have served and protected this land. The man is pathetic...(USMC 84'-92')

tyree @ 118:

after 4 yrs of service in the navy i recieved my seperation dd214 papers and slung my seabag on my shoulder walked out of the destroyer bases marine guarded gates i was free at last , no more exploshions no more watches no more endless nights without a full nights sleep, i had two hours till my train left from sandiegos union station and the three days it would take to get home, home it seemed so plain when i left it four long yrs ago, my mom my dad sister and brothers and my dog , i wanted never to leave it ever again once i got back home, i went directly to the train station sat down and waited , three days later what id been wanting for four long yrs came true, i took six months to unwind then decided it was time to make my fortune , my entire salery for 4 yrs on that destroyer ammounted to 4800 dollars of course thier was nothing to save i except for 25 dollars a week unemployment insurance was broke, so i went from factory to factory for months seeking a job , no help wanted sighns were on every factory employment office door, after three yrs of hopeing to get a break i finally gave up, even thought of going back in the navy ,but the thought of becomeing a sailor again was just to much, i got by at times caddying double for the golf pros , me and an army friend whod allso fought in korea and was in the same situation i was , we both joined up at 17 , and had no job experience ,even when thier were a few jobs open we were told since we had no previous jobs we werent going to be given the chance to compete with guys who had never been in the service but had worked in factorys before, id feel bitter here id been a combat vet and i was forced to make a buck caddying the same thing id done as a kid, thier were times i felt like crying , what did i go thru all that crap for , nobody cared , then my big chance came whirlpool was going to hire hundreads for a new plant so i went to put in my application and was called three days later to take a test and physical, i past the written test and took my physical , before i finnished they told me i couldnt be hired because you had to have 20 20 vishion, now when i joined the navy all i could see with my left eye was the big E on the chart, i had ambliopia in that eye , the job was loading refrigiators on box cars , i told the guy listen i was a first loader on a three inch fifty gun, if i screwed up i could have got twenty men killed on my mount and you wont trust me to handle a refridgerator, he smiled and said sorry but the insurance company wont let me hire you, i said but im a veteran doesnt that mean anything? sorry bud but around here veterans are a dime a dozen, a dime a dozen thats how they feel about you yeah yeah!

sonofabitch......when I got out the EDD sent me to US Steel...I was working in 3 weeks......but then the plant closed LOL...no shit.....

This brings to mind a lyric from an old song by The Doors:

"Wait until the war is over,
And we're both a little older,
The Unknown Soldier ..."

Also, this lyric from another side of the musical realm. Bobby Darin --

"Come and sing a simple song of freedom,
Sing it like you've never heard before,
Let it fill the air,
Tell the people everywhere,
That we, the people, here don't want a war."

Just my two cents.

W, you're doing a heckuva job (sarcasm!!) ...

Lee Harvey Oswald was born 44 years too late.