How tragic that veterans like the members of Vote Vets, who had the courage to sign up to defend this country, come home only to find their patriotism questioned. How sad that they are are dissed and dismissed for continuing to fight for their country by speaking out against bush’s failed policy in Iraq. As with the Vietnam veterans who came home to find themselves victims of the same, these men have been attacked for defending one of the core principles of this country they volunteered to fight and die for, the right to speak out.
The veterans said they stormed out of a Tuesday meeting with Sen. Larry Craig's chief of staff. "He was almost dismissive in his tone," said Joe Kramer, 31, who was in the light infantry in Iraq. "We agreed to disagree. Very loudly."
Sen. John McCain, a Republican from Arizona, a decorated Vietnam veteran and likely presidential candidate who supports the addition of troops, dismissed VoteVets.org as a "handful of veterans" not representative of the military.
VoteVets.org has 20,000 members, including 1,000 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, spokesman Eric Schmeltzer said. The PAC is part of a coalition of left-leaning groups organized by Americans United for Change, that includes labor unions and progressive groups such as MoveOn.org.
http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070209/REPOSITORY/702090344/1013/48HOURSVote Vets and VVAW. Separate generations with a common cause.
Sen. John Kerry, a Democrat from Massachusetts, who appeared with four veterans Wednesday morning, said he saw parallels between VoteVets.org and Veterans Against the War, the group of protesters he led during Vietnam. He said he recognized the anger he saw in Soltz.
"When you come back from fighting the enemy, you are passionate and feel very strongly about duty," Kerry said. "Each one of these folks has earned the right to express their thoughts. Their words ought to stand for themselves. That's exactly how they feel and people ought to listen to them."
http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070209/REPOSITORY/702090344/1013/48HOURSDéjà vu all over again, isn’t it Senator?
The Captain Freeman story is truly heartbreaking. I’ve heard both Sen Kerry and Sen Dodd speak of their meeting, when Captain Freeman sought them out to tell them of his anger and frustration
According to Capt Freeman's wife:
"He was appalled," enduring danger but seeing no clear mission, she said. Moreover, he believed that the Iraqis "didn't want us there."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/29/AR2007012902002_2.htmlSenator Dodd sums up the reason legislation like that behind setadeadline.com and other meaningful and binding proposals are necessary in the Senate, and why what’s currently set to be debated doesn’t go nearly far enough.
"The notion of sense-of-the-Senate resolutions, what the hell does that mean?" Dodd asked yesterday. "Is that all you got?"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/29/AR2007012902002_2.htmlRight on, Senator Dodd. I agree with Dodd and stand with him and with Sen Kerry.
We need a way out. And the way to do that is to set a deadline.
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