ABOUT TIME SOMEONE IN CONGRESS QUESTIONED NO ‘SHARED SACRIFICE'
Posted By Robert Hanafin
IT IS WAY PAST TIME SOMEONE IN CONGRESS QUESTIONED THE LACK OF ‘SHARED SACRIFICE’ IN OUR NATION
Specialist-Major Hanafin was part of a group in Ohio of politically middle of the road Veterans and Military Family members with relatives in Iraq who way back in May 2005 formed Americans for Shared Sacrifice.
We formed this group with the sentiments that you see on the website at the LINK above which is just NOW being embraced by someone of influence in Congress. Congressman Lane Evans on the House Veterans Affairs Committee is no Charles Rangel from New York just throwing out the Draft raft to see if it will float in a Congress set a drift.
Last I heard, unless he turned the website over to someone else, our brother Lee Kneiss in Columbus, Ohio, also a member of Veterans for America, was still administrator of the site. That is not the point. It matters not who started the concept of patriotic national shared sacrifice during ANY war “our government” commits THE NATION to, what is important is that the concept and obligation has been around FOREVER and NOW someone in Congress is just getting to it.
The American Sheeple has been USING the All-Volunteer military force to avoid THE DRAFT. The Congress has been USING and ABUSING the cop out of an All-Volunteer military force to avoid Selective Service, and most of all the Bush Administration has been USING and ABUSING the All-Volunteer Military as a cop out in order to avoid THE DRAFT the same way that most of THEM avoided it during the Vietnam War. Let the Specialist-Major hear a few Amens to THAT.
Guess one could say BETTER LATE THAN NEVER. However, I am going to give it to you straight. This is a tactical move to corner the NEOCONs into blatantly appearing publicly to be abusive to our troops. Keep in mind that no member of Congress has thus far called into question national shared sacrifice, which smacks of what? You got it THE DRAFT! This Press Release in from the Office of Congressman Lane Evans, senior Democrat on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, on the need for a new direction of shared sacrifice that lives up to the efforts of our men and women in uniform.
If the American Sheeple do not want to commit to national shared sacrifice then the collective YOU (and that includes our government) has no right sending others (voluntarily or not) to do your dirty work.
If veterans, service members, and military families cannot depend on the rest of the American public for shared sacrifice then it is time for the American sheeple and our government to out source someone else to fight YOUR wars for YOU!
Bobby Hanafin
News From Congressman Lane Evans
House Committee on Veterans' Affairs
October 27, 2006
Contact: Geoffrey Collver, (202) 225-9756
Evans: 'Shared Sacrifice' a Concept Long Overdue
"It is long overdue for the nation's political and government leaders to come together, change course and begin to implement policies that more fairly allocate the burden of the war effort on our citizens.
The nation is engaged in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; clearly the time is right to appreciate the need for a national sacrifice to help pay and support such endeavors. Less than one percent of our citizenry volunteers to defend the remaining 99 percent. Yet, this notion of shared sacrifice is not embodied in the Administration's domestic policies that unevenly spread the burden of the war effort by giving tax cuts to the wealthiest among us while shortchanging programs that benefit veterans and the middle class.
Current policies under the Republican-controlled government expects veterans to sacrifice twice - once when they serve their country in uniform, and a second time after they return to civilian life - in the form of higher health care fees, pared-back health care budgets, and delayed and denied access to care.
"Throughout our short but noble history, this country has come together under the principle of 'shared sacrifice' during times of war. Whether it be purchasing of liberty bonds, planting "victory gardens," rationing of goods, entering military service, or perhaps volunteering at a VA hospital to assist a wounded service member, or advocating for adequate funding for veterans health care services. I am confident that we as Americans are capable of joining together for the common good and begin to share in the sacrifice that our service members, veterans, and military families are currently experiencing. "I am so very proud of the men and women who make up our military, and how they continue to serve professionally and sacrifice greatly in challenging times.
However, I am concerned that many in our society are without any connection to those serving in the military today and are left without any understanding of the sacrifices our service members, veterans and military families are currently experiencing. It is too easy for those without loved ones in the military, without a personal connection to the hardships of war, to become detached and begin to take for granted the efforts of our all-volunteer military force. "I am concerned that this Administration also appears to be disconnected from the harsh realities facing our service members, veterans, and military families.
Indeed, while many members of our military have been called to fight in Afghanistan or Iraq, many for second and third tours, the Administration appears unwilling to ask the American people to sacrifice in any way. The Administration promotes tax cuts for the elite while shortchanging funding for programs upon which servicemen and women returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are depending upon.
My Democratic colleagues in the House of Representatives have tried to increase funding for veterans' health care to adequate levels, expand TRICARE health care for the members of the National Guard and Reserves and worked to defeat Administrative efforts to raise health care fees on veterans. "Clearly, the time is right to change course, head in a new direction, and begin asking the nation to share in the sacrifice during this time of war. I am confident the American public is willing to participate in this necessary effort and answer the call to truly support our service members, veterans, and military families. Our comfort, peace, and security depend on them; they should know they can depend on us."
Posted by: Bobby Hanafin
Specialist Five, U.S. Army (69-76 You know where)
Major, U.S. Air Force (77-94) Retired, Gulf War Veteran
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