Go Beyond Just "Tribute" for Veterans

When I attended the inauguration earlier this year, I met some amazing people.  One of those was a man named Paul Schneeberger.  Paul had become involved in military and veterans issues after interviewing some Gold Star Mothers for a film project.  (A Gold Star Mother is a mother who has lost a child in battle.)  And so, without any personal connection to the military or its families, Paul took up our cause.

Paul and I spent a great deal of time talking about the disconnect between the American public and our military.  There is no longer a shared sense of service or responsibility when it comes to the defense of our country.  There really hasn't been since the memories of World War II began to fade.  Now, only one percent of our nation is at war.  The rest of us were told to go shopping.

The problem is that while we were shopping, military families were becoming stretched to their very limit by multiple deployments, injuries, and other unseen wounds like PTSD and TBI (traumatic brain injury).  While the current administration is doing its best to increase funding for the VA, personnel and military families, we're in a recession and a big one at that.

I don't think most of the American public truly understands what the long term costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will be.  With each deployment, a soldier's chance of serious problems with PTSD greatly increase.  We're also seeing brain injuries that the current military and VA medical systems simply aren't equipped to handle.

Yes, many people slap yellow ribbons on their cars and wave flags and say they support the troops.  But they don't really know.

First Lady Michelle Obama's First 100 Days

President Obama has a work ethic like nobody's business. Already, in the space of 100 days, he's signed laws (or reversed harmful Bush-era policies) that benefit women in 14 different key ways.

But there's no moss growing on First Lady Michelle Obama either. And it's clear there's a supportive dynamic between the legislation President Obama signs and the causes Mrs. Obama champions. Within days of moving into the White House, President Obama signed the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and Michelle Obama led the celebration of the signing and tribute to Ms. Ledbetter.

Go Read It: Frank Rich on the Bush Administration, Torture, and Justifications for the Iraq War

Bush, but especially Cheney, would have the nation believe that information culled from torturing Abu Ghraib detainees "helped prevent another 9/11" and "kept us safe."

But that claim is worse than wishful thinking; it's untrue. Instead, Bush-Cheney authorized torture for a far worse purpose--so argues Frank Rich in an editorial in the NYT today.

Increasingly, evidence shows that torture was authorized by the Bush White House to extract information from detainees to manufacture information supporting an otherwise non-existent link between al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein, in order to bolster rationalizations for the United States' "pre-emptive strike" on Iraq. Not only is torture wrong, in this case the moral blight was a tool to mitigate the original moral blight: dragging the nation into war under false pretexts, when the Bush White House knew no connection between al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein existed.

Now that the truth is emerging, the question is: what do we the people do with it? I'm talking to all people of voting age in this country, no matter who you voted for in the past election. Do we even care? At the very least, don't we owe the families of 4,278 Iraq war dead a reckoning from the commander-in-chief who asked the ultimate sacrifice of them in bad faith?

Global Tributes to Bush...A Statue in Iraq

This is how we can remember W: fittingly, the people of Iraq have erected a statue to commemorate the man who undoubtedly had such impact on all Iraqis.

I must admit, it's kinda awesome. Photo,  over the jump.

Obama reaches out to Muslim world in Al-Arabiya Interview

From the interview:

"My job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemy. We sometimes make mistakes. We have not been perfect."

Obama said the United States "will go after terrorist groups that kill innocent civilians but will do so while respecting the rule of law." Obama added that that difference "makes America great."

As an American who for the past eight years has had a very different idea of what diplomacy should be, I want to thank President Obama for his sensible, steady approach to this delicate issue. He has set us on the path to restoring America's standing with the world. A more peaceful world where we solve problems with words, not wars, where we listen more and dictate less, is the dream I've had for my young daughters since they were born.

—Stefania Pomponi Butler

General Powell's Gift - by J.N.

Earlier this week, Stefania wrote about Colin Powell's mention of a photograph of a mother at the grave of her soldier son's grave during his endorsement of Obama for President.

While I was thinking about her words, a veteran sent me and other military family members something he'd written about the same topic:

In General Powell 's endorsement of Senator Obama, he mentioned Cpl. Khan, a Muslim American that was killed in Iraq. Khan was a member of my unit in Iraq. He along with 4 other members of that squad were killed when they entered a house rigged with bombs.    The blast was of such force and power that it made brittle of the armor and weapons.  It was the most horrific day for our company in Iraq, all the sadder as we only had 21 days until end of mission. So close to going home, and never getting there.

I knew Khan during our time in Iraq, and never thought him as different from us because of his faith, he was one of us, an American soldier. Some republicans and partisans are spreading evil insinuations about Muslim Americans, rather shamelessly associating them with terrorism. 

There are many Muslim-Americans that  are valiantly serving this Nation in uniform. When we returned from Iraq last year, the Khan family bravely came to our homecoming. I can't imagine their pain knowing that their son should have also been on that plane. That is the kind of decency and honor of  the Khan family, that on a day of mourning for them, they come to celebrate with us and our families.  How many of us would have such strength?

McCain Lies About His "Support" for the New GI Bill

  The DAV recently sent a number of questions to both Senators McCain and Obama regarding their plans for the Veterans Administration, privatizing the VA, the treatment and classification of patients, creating predictable VA funding, and disability compensation. You can read the full text on the DAV website.

I have to admit I haven't gotten through both candidates' answers to all of the questions yet, but one thing jumped right out at me in Senator McCain's responses.

DAV Question:

What are your plans for improving the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), veterans programs and the lives of disabled veterans, and how would you ensure that these plans remain a top priority for your Administration?

In Senator McCain's response, he includes a section on Education and states:

● Education – Until recently, we were long overdue for an increase in veterans’ education benefits. The enactment of the “GI Bill for the 21st Century,” legislation which I proudly supported in its final form, dramatically increases education benefits for a broad spectrum of veterans, including members of our National Guard and Reserves. It also addresses the top concern of career servicemembers regarding education - the freedom to transfer their benefits to a spouse or their children. This important “transferability” feature, which I fought hard to see included in the legislation, will not only reward career Servicemembers and their families for extended service, but will also help retain the highquality young leaders who are essential to our allvolunteer force.

(Emphasis added.)

I'm afraid I'm going to have to call BS, Senator McCain.

Hey, Cindy McCain: Military Families Think You Should Put On A Sweater!

Press Release

www.bsf4o.com

Blue Star Families Launch Video: Why We are Pro-Military, Pro-Obama

Blue Star Families for Obama launched a video today that articulates why Senator Barack Obama can count on military families for their votes on November 4th. The video features eight military spouses who share their reasons for voting for Sen. Obama over Sen. McCain.

Blue Star family members share: McCain claims to work for us. His actions don't always agree. He campaigned against the new GI Bill, Voted against troop safety equipment, against vets health care, has a 20 percent rating from the Disabled American Vets.

More Blue Star members add: Barack Obama shows he understands today's military. Obama will help reservists and military families, and he's front-lined mental health care, co-sponsored the GI Bill.

Video below the fold....

Shame on you, Cindy McCain!

Speaking in Pennsylvania today, Cindy McCain made a statement that made my head explode.  She said:

I’m proud of my sons, but let me tell you, the day that Senator Obama decided to cast a vote to not fund my son when he was serving sent a cold chill through my body, let me tell you. I would suggest that Senator Obama change shoes with me for just one day, and see what it means, and see what it means to have a loved one serving in the armed forces, and more importantly, serving in harms way. 

I suggest [Obama] take a day and go watch our fine young men and women deploy, get on those buses and leave with a smile and a charge.

Are you sure you want to go there, Cindy?

The vote you were talking about has been well publicized.  Senator Obama voted against a bill that contained no time line for leaving Iraq and gave a blank war check to the current administration.  Cindy, you know damn well what that vote meant.  What's even more outrageous is that your own husband voted against a troop funding bill as well!

That's right, Cindy.  Your husband voted against a bill that contained a time line for withdrawal from Iraq.  Senator McCain said he couldn't support the time line, so he voted against the troop funding bill.  To take a line from Senator Biden, let me repeat that:

Senator McCain voted against funding our troops.

Go Read It: A Soldier's Mother Writes to Senator McCain

Blue Star Families for Obama has an amazing post up.  It's a letter from the mother of a soldier written to Senator McCain after the presidential debate on September 26th.

Go read it!

Stephanie also blogs at Lawyer Mama and is the Deputy Director for Outreach for Blue Star Families for Obama.