It’s the third
and final day of the Memorial Day weekend.
Millions of
Americans are visiting friends and relatives, perhaps taking a three- or
four-day mini-vacation. They may be at pool parties and grilling burgers,
hotdogs, veggies, and whatever else appeals to them.
The nation’s
politicians are going to Memorial Day rallies. There will be speeches and
music. American flags and bunting will drape the stages. The politicians will
tell us about the “ultimate sacrifices” American servicemen and women made.
They will tell us how wonderful America is, how we are the best country in the
world, how we defend freedom and remember those who put their lives on the line
to do so. The crowds, whether a few or thousands, will applaud vigorously.
Some will even
say that the VA hospitals need a complete overhaul, that Gen. Eric Shinseki--who
was wounded and earned three Bronze Stars for bravery--should be fired. These
are some of the same politicians who had attacked Shinseki when he was Army
chief of staff who warned that it would take hundreds of thousands of
Americans, not thousands as the Bush-Cheney cabal had claimed, to successfully
invade and control Iraq. For his military knowledge, he was forced into an
early retirement. These are the politicians who are outraged that America is
treating veterans poorly.
Here’s what the politicians also won’t say.
They won’t tell us that 41 Republican senators blocked legislation this past
year to provide necessary funding for veterans health. They won’t tell us that
during the first years of the Iraq War, the quality of American-based hospitals
had deteriorated to the point that it took a major newspaper series to expose
what had happened and, finally, with politicians forced to look at despicable
conditions, and shamed by their ignorance, there were some measures to improve
the care for wounded soldiers after their lives were saved by courageous battlefield
medics.
They won’t tell
us that members of Congress blocked significant increases in the foodstamp
program or that governors and legislatures have not done what they should to
care for the homeless. After all, the impoverished and homeless don’t contribute
to political campaigns. Of course, the politicians won’t tell us that one-fourth
of all adult homeless are veterans.
They won’t tell
us about veterans who came home from war, and then lost their jobs or homes
during the Great Recession that followed the fraud and greed committed by the
bankers and industrial giants who were able to become rich because government
did little to protect the people.
With crocodile
tears and shallow words, recorded by the news media, the politicians will tell
us how much they mourn—but they won’t tell us they are part of the problem, for
proudly claiming they voted time after time to block necessary funding and for demanding
government not intrude upon the free enterprise system.
The politicians
will wave flags and say how much they believe in America and our veterans, and
how much they mourn the loss of our soldiers. The crowds will enthusiastically
agree—and then go to their barbeques and picnics.
No, they won’t
tell us that if we want to reduce these problem—DON’T THUMP YOUR CHESTS, UNFURL
YOUR FEATHERS, AND SEND THE YOUTH TO WARS THAT SHOULD NEVER BE FOUGHT.
During the
Vietnam War, John Prine recorded “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven
Anymore.” It was true then. It is still true. Please listen.
--WALTER M. BRASCH
