by James Glaser
October 18, 2002

This week I will get to life in the north, but first there is a subject that is close to my heart that I am going to say a few words about.

As I have said in the past, George Bush and his administration don't care at all about those men and women in the Armed Services of our Nation after they are no longer able to give their blood for the Bush Doctrine. George Bush will step over the broken and bleeding bodies of veterans to get his way in this world.

President Bush has threatened to veto the new Defense Authorization Bill, if the House and Senate don't eliminate new pension benefits for Disabled Military Retirees. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said in a letter to Congress, "We simply can not continue to add ever expansive obligations to the Defense budget."

Rumsfeld went on with, "This would divert critical resources away from the War on Terrorism." This is such a crock, much like we don't have the money for prescription drug coverage because of the War on Terror, much like we don't have the money for Special Education and the federal government lays that one on the States because of the War on Terrorism, and now we don't have the money for those men and women that have given their eyes, legs, arms, or their minds to protect this nation because of this War on Terrorism.

George Bush and the rest of his administration, who know nothing of the horrors of war will send your children and grandchildren to do their battles, but when they come home George Bush will spit on every Veteran that is left alive because he will not treat them with the dignity they deserve. George Bush does not know what he is doing, he lacks any kind of personal experience in matters of war. George Bush is my age, but hid out in the National Guard and went AWOL during the Vietnam War. He should have gone to prison. As you can see the man makes me sick when I see how he treats those that gave so much for this country.

Here is the deal. Veterans that retire from the service must deduct any money they get for disability from their retirement pay. They could be blind and have no legs from combat and they would still have to deduct that disability pay. George Bush ran on being "Compassionate." Well that was bull.

Here is what Bob Manhan assistant director of the VFW legislative office had to say about this whole thing, "No other category of Federal Employee is required to relinquish a portion of their retirement pay simply because they are also receiving VA Disability Compensation.

Only the Veteran is treated this way in America and finally Congress passes a law to correct this gross oversight and George Bush says "NO!" America is led by a President that only thinks of his own power and he will walk over people that gave their all for this nation so he can get more power.

I see guys in the VA Hospital all the time that are broken men from what happened to them in past wars. I don't like wars nor our current American foreign policy. Like me, most of these men and now women too, joined up without a lot of knowledge about what America is doing to this world. Our country put out the "call" for duty and we answered it. Now our country is run by a group of men that never answered that call, even though it was made to them. Now years later they think they know what duty is all about and they haven't a clue. We didn't join the military to protect corporate interests, but to protect America and the citizens of this country. For doing just that, America has a debt to those men and women for their service. Our President and those he surrounds himself with. can't see that because they have no idea of what these men and women gave to this country

This Military Retirement Pension Benefit bill does not effect me, but it does effect the moral of all of our current troops. They expect the American government to treat them fairly, after all they are risking their lives for the rest of us. I guess I just hate to see people getting screwed.

Next week I will try and have a more uplifting Friday column.