No, I didn’t get to go...and my invitation to the Vanity Fair Party was obviously lost in the mail (wink). This bitch just watched…and watched…and watched.
Gawd that show was long as hell!
Anyhoo, congrats to the nominees and the winners.
Moving forward fueled by coffee…lots and lots of coffee…
A bitch has followed the fallout from Dana Priest’s coverage of the Walter Reed barracks story in the Washington Post. If you are not familiar with this you should be. Walter Reed is an amazing medical facility where many wounded soldiers are treated…but the scandal relates to the deplorable living conditions many soldiers are confronted with while trying to recover.
My first reaction was shock…followed by shock at my own shock. I had to come to terms with the fact that I’d bought some of the spin…you know, that bullshit that saying “I support the Troops!” equaled actually supporting the troops.
Fuck it, a bitch can sometimes be naïve and who would have thought people could hold their head up to judge others when they've got a roach & mold infested facility in their fucking backyard?
This story was important to me.
It reinforced the role of the Fourth Estate.
It confronted me with a shameful thing and forced me to recognize that if Walter Reed is hiding a fucking slum lord scandal imagine what less known facilities are allowing to rot (wince).
What of the veterans who have left the hospital? If this is how soldiers are treated a few months after getting wounded how the hell are we treating them a year later?
Well, a bitch didn’t have long to wait for an answer to those questions. The St. Louis Post Dispatch has a story about wounded vets who have been waiting from months...OVER A YEAR!!... to get their claims settled and get paid through the Department of Veteran Affairs.
A bitch comes from a military family and I am beyond angry and ashamed.
I’m also fired up! This isn’t about whether you support the war or not. I’m sorry, but it isn’t…never has been and never should be. This is about promises made by this country...in our name, for the love of Gawd...that we need to keep.
I urge you to contact your Representative and Senators. Let them know that 14 months without a paycheck is not supporting our troops. Tell them that not planning for new veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan is the same as not planning for war and it sure as shit isn’t an acceptable excuse for veterans to linger whilst the VA attempts to find it’s ass with both hands.
Lawd, give me strength!
While the nation debates the war over there we must not overlook the war at home and the daily battle for health and security that goes on for veterans.
This informs the larger discussion and should be a factor in our funding, planning and ending of this war.
Support Our Troops needs to be more than a campaign slogan backed up with a yellow ribbon on the ass of a mini-van.
Support Our Troops needs to be more than a campaign slogan backed up with a yellow ribbon on the ass of a mini-van.
4 comments:
Let's support our troops by NOT CUTTING THEIR BENEFITS!
Bush and his neocon enablers are not veterans. So of course they don't get it about caring for vets when they return home from combat.
Here's another way to support our troops: volunteer at your local VA.
Preach Shark-Fu!
Talk about shock and awe!
The Surgeon General even attempted to spin this mess. Shame on him.
Is the press finally going to step up?
We'll see.
You are read in Romania
This is such an ugly scandal. Between the police facility built in Iraq with sewage seeping into the light fixtures and the way we are treating our veterans at home, I'm amazed these people don't all grow beards so they don't have to look at themselves in the mirror of a morning.
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