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Aug 16, 2003 A common conservative accusation during the buildup to the Iraq war was that anyone protesting the war did not support our troops. Apparently the subtlety of simultaniously being able to both oppose the war AND support the troops was lost on many of our conservative brethren. So be it. The debate over whether the US should have attacked Iraq will be pursued for years, but the fact that our American Soldiers are still serving and dieing in Iraq is inescapable. Our country sent these young men and women over to Iraq to serve the interests of the United States, and aside from a few very isolated instances, all of those young men and women went to Iraq willingly and proudly. These young men and women deserve our respect and support which is why it is unconscionable that the current administration is again proposing cuts to the meager financial benefits that those same servicemen and their families receive. The Bush administration, via the Defense Department is proposing a $75.00 per month cut in "Imminent danger pay" and a $150.00 per month cut in the "Family separation allowances" provided for the families of servicemen serving in Iraq. These cuts come in addition to cuts to Veteren Benefits that the Bush Administration enacted last year. American Legion Opposes Benefit Cuts to Vets http://www.legion.org/pub_relations/pr_releasecont ent.php?id=162 . This is how our patriotic administration supports our troops? By making it financially impossible to serve their country? Such actions are wrong and should be denounced for the hypocrisy that they represent. This is not a conservative or a liberal issue, it is neither a Republican nor a Democratic debate point. This is an American issue that has to do with our administration backing up the proud words and intentions that they say that they are endorsing. The average serviceman is not wealthy by any definition. Most serve their country based more upon a sense of duty and obligation to support the freedomes that they enjoy in this country, rather than any hope for financial gain. We are truly blessed to have such brave and honorable men and women who are willing to serve our country in such a dangerous and often harshly thankless role. Unfortunately, the Bush Administration has repeatedly taken steps to reduce the meager salaries that our military personnel receive. "Anticipating the coming deficits, the Administration has shamelessly cut veteran benefits to what it describes as higher-income veterans. In fact, the new cut-off applies not to wealthy veterans but to middle-class veterans with annual incomes of $30,000 to $35,000. " www.alternet.com It appears as though the Bush Administration is very willing to award sweetheart contracts to large corporations so that they can rebuild Iraq, however that same administration is unwilling to support the troops that went in and did the deadly dirty work that provided the rebuilding opportunity to those corporations. Please do not let this injustice pass without expressing your outrage. Our troops have given us so much, they deserve our support and the support of the leadership of the country that sent them into harms way. ------------ Email Scott Jones: rosenquill@rocketmail.com Comment on this column in the forum. Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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