by James Glaser
November 12, 2003

Today, Tuesday the 11th of November, Veterans Day, President Bush laid a wreath on the tomb of the Unknown Soldier and after that told the American people about two bills he had just signed to help veterans.

The first one was a bill authorizing the money to build six new National Cemeteries. Well whoopee-do, cemeteries for guys that according to an American Legion report, have to wait on average, seven months to get an appointment at the Veterans Hospital. Cemeteries for guys that are in a medical system that President Bust has repeatedly cut the funding for. SHAMEFUL

The second bill was to increase the amount of money that a Veterans family gets if he gets killed in combat from six thousand to twelve thousand dollars. Thirty five years ago it was up to ten thousand. Tell me what twelve thousand dollars can do for a family with kids.

Our government is giving millions to the families of those that died in the September 11th attacks and those people were not out there fighting for their country. They were just at the wrong place at the wrong time. George Bush and the American Congress think that those willing to give their lives for the rest of us, are only worth twelve thousand dollars, SHAMEFUL

Last week Congress finally passed a concurrent receipt law that would allow retired disabled Veterans to collect both their retirement pay and their disability pay, just like any other federal employee. Just to screw some Vets the law says you have to be "Disabled Enough," which means that about two thirds of the disabled vets will get nothing. Those that qualify will be phased in over a ten year period and many of them will die before they collect a dime. SHAMEFUL!

We have troops fighting in Iraq that have to buy their own desert boots, night vision goggles, and some troops have to pick up Iraqi AK-47s because they were not issued a rifle. SHAMEFUL!

Many of our wounded troops had to pay up until now, for their meals, while in the hospital after being wounded. Lose your legs in combat for our country and get charged for your meals while in the hospital. SHAMEFUL!

There are hundreds of National Guard and Reserve Troops at Fort Stewart and Fort Knox, that were injured or wounded in Iraq that are being treated like shit by Washington. Those Troops are living in substandard quarters and many have to wait months to see a doctor and these same troops only started to get better care after their plight was reported in a national newspaper. SHAMEFUL!

President Bush said "There are some who feel like that, you know, the conditions are such that they can attack us there. My answer is Bring 'em on. We got the force necessary to deal with the security situation." President Bush has no idea of what he is talking about. The man has never seen combat, but likes to strut and talk tough while others do the fighting for him. To have a coward like this for a President, that shoots his mouth off, and gets others killed, is SHAMEFUL!