Today Rush Limbaugh used Ted Kennedy’s death to keep pushing the “death book” tale, that claim being spread on the right that Obama’s veteran’s agency is distributing manuals urging veterans to hurry up and die.
And the followers of, strong on "National Defense" meme's, "Support the Troops" symbols and the cheerleaders of "Wars of Choice" as they show that support for those of us who actually serve:
And what do us brothers of 'Nam think:
Veterans Group Blasts Right Wingers Pushing “Death Book” Claim As “Cruel” To Veterans
That’s unsightly enough on its own. But it turns out Rush’s broadside comes a day after the Vietnam Veterans of America, a national advocacy group, defended the manual and strongly denounced “death book” claims as “hysteria” and as “cruel” to veterans themselves.
“This booklet was developed with guidance from clerics, and it addresses options most of us and our loved ones will have to sort through as we live our final years,” the group said in a little-noticed statement that was sent my way. “To play politics with veterans’ end-of-life choices is not only irresponsible politically, but it is cruel.”...........
Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA)
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Release
August 25, 2009
No. 09-027
Contact:
Mokie Porter
301-585-4000, Ext. 146
Health Care Reform Hysteria:
‘Death Book’ Scare Tactics Inexcusable
(Washington, D.C.) – “Health care reform is a legitimate topic for discussion and debate,” said John Rowan, National President of Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), “but it is outrageous for some partisans to politicize the debate by targeting veterans with blatant scare tactics.
“The issue du jour is the so-called Death Book for veterans,” Rowan said. In an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, the person who headed the office of faith-based initiatives for the Bush White House attacked ‘Your Life, Your Choices,’ a 52-page booklet of end-of-life options to be considered by veterans and their families that has been given out by the VA as per federal law. This booklet, developed in 1997 when Bill Clinton was President, was given to veterans and their families, if requested, under a directive in 2007 from President Bush. It was updated last month, under President Obama.
“This booklet was developed with guidance from clerics,” Rowan said, “and it addresses options most of us and our loved ones will have to sort through as we live our final years. To play politics with veterans’ end-of-life choices is not only irresponsible politically, but it is cruel. We agree with Congressman Joe Sestak, a retired Navy Admiral, who is outraged at the ‘Death Book’ charges and has called them ‘inexcusable.’
“It is our hope that sane minds reject fear-mongering, and that veterans recognize these scare tactics for what they are,” Rowan said.
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Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) is the nation's only congressionally chartered veterans service organization dedicated to the needs of Vietnam-era veterans and their families. VVA's founding principle is “Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another.”
Controversy prompts Sestak to criticize Specter
That would seem to bolster Sestak’s assertion today that Specter has over-reacted to Towey’s assertions.
“As a Veteran, I read with deep concern an editorial entitled ‘The Death Book for Veterans,’ which accuses the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) of deliberately sending Veterans a ‘hurry-up-and-die message’ with a pamphlet on living wills and end-of-life care,” Sestak said.
“Anyone may criticize — and, indeed, suggest improvements to the pamphlet — but to seriously allege that an honest effort by the VA that sincerely helps families plan for the most difficult emotional experience of their lives is a ‘death book’ is counter to the public’s and Veterans’ interest,” Sestak said.............
UpDate:
Veterans DEMAND Apology!!!
Veterans Demand Apology from GOP and FOX for Lies About VA
August 27, 2009 - The claim that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has a manual encouraging veterans to "commit suicide," made by Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, is an asinine assertion with no basis in fact.
Steele made the charge two days ago (August 25th) on FOX News. Steele's egregious comments are an outrageous slander against VA designed to create an atmosphere of mistrust and fear among the millions of our veterans who rely on the VA for medical care. Veterans demand an apology from Steele and FOX News.
"Let me be absolutely clear, Steele lied. There is no VA manual encouraging veterans to commit suicide," said Paul Sullivan, the executive director of VCS, a non-profit based in Washington, DC providing advocacy for veterans, especially veterans with mental health conditions.
Here is the full text of Steele's comments:..........
