Support the troops - a statement from a prominent magazine publisher
Many of us like to say "Support Our Troops." We we wave our little flags, we listen to folks like Toby Keith, and like to say "God Bless America" a lot. That's all very nice, but I think if someone really wants to "support our troops," there's a lot more constructive ways to go about this sort of thing.
Here's a statement from a prominent magazine publisher that addresses the immediate needs of the brave men and women that put their life on the line to protect their country. It addresses the matter of leadership, and what can be done to improve their conditions.
I couldn't have said it better myself.
EP
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September 2003
Publisher's Statement
We have been hearing a lot from George W. Bush these past few months about supporting our troops. I agree with the sentiment but I have a few questions for the President-Select:
Mr. Bush, how exactly, should this support of our troops be manifested? Should we show it by supporting your suggested cuts in veterans' benefits, the deepest cuts that this nation has seen since the Great Depression? Somehow that doesn't seem quite appropriate, given the sacrifices we have asked of our military personnel. Perhaps you would have us support our armed forces by endorsing your plan, just recently introduced to Congress, to slash education funding for many military families. Or would you have us endorse your directive requesting that the Veterans Administration withhold information on veterans' benefits, a policy you set in place last year? Not all of us can stoop to such a level. Maybe you would have us continue to deny the existence of Gulf War Syndrome-the result of your daddy's dirty little war-a policy you have continued since seizing office. Is that the kind of support our troops should get? I don't think so, and I don't believe most Americans do either.
Mr. President-Select, I ask you to support our troops by reversing the above policies and by signficantly increasing the pay of our servicemen and women (which is so low that thousands of military families currently collect food stamps). In other words, I'm asking that you substitute positive action for empty rhetoric. A Commander in Chief who truly supports our troops would have no problem doing that.
Larry Flynt
Publisher
http://www.larryflynt.com/statements/troops.html
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Many of us like to say "Support Our Troops." We we wave our little flags, we listen to folks like Toby Keith, and like to say "God Bless America" a lot. That's all very nice, but I think if someone really wants to "support our troops," there's a lot more constructive ways to go about this sort of thing.
Here's a statement from a prominent magazine publisher that addresses the immediate needs of the brave men and women that put their life on the line to protect their country. It addresses the matter of leadership, and what can be done to improve their conditions.
I couldn't have said it better myself.
EP
* * * * * * * * * *
September 2003
Publisher's Statement
We have been hearing a lot from George W. Bush these past few months about supporting our troops. I agree with the sentiment but I have a few questions for the President-Select:
Mr. Bush, how exactly, should this support of our troops be manifested? Should we show it by supporting your suggested cuts in veterans' benefits, the deepest cuts that this nation has seen since the Great Depression? Somehow that doesn't seem quite appropriate, given the sacrifices we have asked of our military personnel. Perhaps you would have us support our armed forces by endorsing your plan, just recently introduced to Congress, to slash education funding for many military families. Or would you have us endorse your directive requesting that the Veterans Administration withhold information on veterans' benefits, a policy you set in place last year? Not all of us can stoop to such a level. Maybe you would have us continue to deny the existence of Gulf War Syndrome-the result of your daddy's dirty little war-a policy you have continued since seizing office. Is that the kind of support our troops should get? I don't think so, and I don't believe most Americans do either.
Mr. President-Select, I ask you to support our troops by reversing the above policies and by signficantly increasing the pay of our servicemen and women (which is so low that thousands of military families currently collect food stamps). In other words, I'm asking that you substitute positive action for empty rhetoric. A Commander in Chief who truly supports our troops would have no problem doing that.
Larry Flynt
Publisher
http://www.larryflynt.com/statements/troops.html
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