Speaking Out in a Free Society

I found a quotation that I thought particularly appropriate for the world today, the world seething in conflict, racism and in need of a good dose of humor. In an article on Mark Twain, Richard Lacayo (Time Magazine) commented:

"The last thing you need in a free society is people who know their place."


Don't you love it? That Mark Twain spoke out not only made him a great writer, it made him a remembered writer.



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Carolyn Howard-Johnson wrote the foreword for Eric Dinyer's book of patriotic quotations, Support Our Troops, published by Andrews McMeel. Part of the proceeds for the book benefit Fisher House. Her chapbook of poetry won the Military Writers Society of America's award of excellence.

Gates, Kennedy and Essayist Nancy Gibbs Got It Right. Anyone Listening?

"Wars are like icebergs: much of the cost remains hidden, and the near doubling of the defense budget since 2001 does not cover what lies ahead. Better body armor and trauma care mean new life for thousands of soldiers who would have died in any earlier war. But many are broken or burned or buried in pain from what they saw and did." This from Nancy Gibbs, Time Magazine, may 26, 2008, page 72.

Now here are the facts she quotes from a new Rand Corp study:

!. One in five suffers from major depression or postraumatic stress.
2. More than 300,000 have suffered traumatic brain injury.
3. The cost of treating our returning wounded is projected to double over the next 25 years.
4. Four hundred thousand veterans are waiting for cases to be processed.
5. The number of vets waiting of assistance for homelessness is up 600% in the last year.

After a particularly despicable event in living conditions at Fort Bragg came to light Robert Gates, Defense Secretary, said "Soldiers should never have to live in such squalor."

So, this is a post Memorial Day plea. The next time you are tempted to copy and paste and forward a tribute to our soldiers, instead write a letter to your congress person. Instead, go to the element on this blog (see it at the bottom of this blog page www.warpeacetolerance.blogspot.com) and find some way you can contribute to making things better for one soldier or many -- with your labor, or your donations. Copy and paste this call to action and send it to your sympathetic buddies instead. And, of course, vote your conscience.

Nancy Gibbs quoted what President Kennedy said during the Cuban missile crisis:

"This country does not forget God or the soldier. Upon both we now depend."

She also reminds us that a country of character cares for its returning soldiers. Once we were proud of what we did for both our returning soldiers and the people in the countries we defeated. We must find a way to be so again.




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Carolyn Howard-Johnson wrote the foreword for Eric Dinyer's book of patriotic quotations, Support Our Troops, published by Andrews McMeel. Part of the proceeds for the book benefit Fisher House. Her chapbook of poetry won the Military Writers Society of America's award of excellence.

Time Reports on Bush's Possible Veto of New GI Bill

Probably most of you who keep up with this blog know about what' happening with the new GI Bill (not as much as should be happening, I fear!) But Time Magazine did a nice article, "A Brief History Of: The GI Bill," this week that you might find interesting. It's on page 25 of the June 9 issue of that magazine. If nothing more, I hope it will encourage you to write your congress persons because it looks as if it will require more than the usual support to get it past a Bush veto.

By the way, I consider the argument that great educational opportunities for our returning GIs will reduce the number of soldiers re-enlisting fallacious. For one thing, the armed services have a stop-loss program that assures they can keep soldiers who are needed (I know because my grandson was kept beyond what he originally volunteered for.) The other reason that this reasoning doesn't cut the mustard is that good programs for returning GIs encourages more enlistment; it doesn't discourage it. Maybe one of the reasons volunteerism is down is because of all the cuts in programs for our soldiers.

I should also mention that Senator John McCain also opposes this new version of a GI Bill.

This bill doesn't do for this decade's soldiers what the first bill did for our soldiers but it at least would cover their tuition at state universities. I don't see how we can do less for them but apparently Bush and McCain don't see it as I do. Hey, those are just the facts. Hard to believe what's happening politically these days, huh?

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson wrote the foreword for Eric Dinyer's book of patriotic quotations, Support Our Troops, published by Andrews McMeel. Part of the proceeds for the book benefit Fisher House. Her chapbook of poetry won the Military Writers Society of America's award of excellence.

Angela Jolie Lobbies Petraeus

Did you see the picture of Angela Jolie with General David Petraeus in Time magazine? She's in Baghdad lobbying for more aid for "iraq's estimated 2 million internally displaced refugees." It reminded me of a war that doesn't seem so long ago when Jane Fonda made her conscience the business of the nation. The cases certainly aren't identical. The times aren't, either. But I am reminded that without citizens who care enough to speak their mind--yes, particularly influential citizens--our nation tends to go astray. It doesn't matter so much if your agree with their stance but that they have the right and believe they have the responsiblity to speak their minds. Tolerance. Activism. Hopefully one day peace.
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Carolyn Howard-Johnson wrote the foreword for Eric Dinyer's book of patriotic quotations, Support Our Troops, published by Andrews McMeel. Part of the proceeds for the book benefit Fisher House. Her chapbook of poetry won the Military Writers Society of America's award of excellence.

Time Magazine Reports "Death at the Army's Hands"

Time Magazine publishes an investigative report on more military problems this week. It is reported by Mark Thompson.

You'll want to get a copy and read it yourself but basically the Army continues to make very poor decisions about providing the best health care for their soldiers. See an earlier post about their sending soldiers with certain medical conditions to Iraq in spite of the fact that they are medical conditions that can't be treated there. My grandson is one of those.

In this case, the soldier, Sgt. Gerald Cassidy, had returned from Iraq, was sent to a base ill-equipped to handle his disorder and died. Several other factors of neglect also appear to be involved.

Find the article on pages 40 and 41. And please, write your representatives.

My condolances to Cassidy's widow, Melissa, and his children Isaac and Abbey.
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Carolyn Howard-Johnson wrote the foreword for Eric Dinyer's book of patriotic quotations, Support Our Troops, published by Andrews McMeel. Part of the proceeds for the book benefit Fisher House. Her chapbook of poetry won the Military Writers Society of America's award of excellence.