The Longest Yard.....

[Steppenwolf]

Look at the name of this great website: HADIT Interesting name for a site dedicated to those few of us who "served" to protect the many.

Listen to all of the stories and it hard to fathom that the longest, hardest, nastiest, battle happens after your hitch is done. Don't remember anyone telling me it would be this way. i seem to remember many lectures from brothers who probably believed what they were telling us about how we would be taken cared of not about how we would be taken advantage of...in their hearts and mind they were telling us "the truth" about all "the benefits" we'd get if we made it through "this mans army"...the GI BILL, the education, the loans, the health care....in another mans army they're promised 72 virgins and an easy pass to paradise. At least in that army they don't have to apply to the VA which in some ways is a war of another kind.

Not so long ago the now infamous Congressman Tim Mahoney (FL-16) who took the place of Mark Foley held a town hall meeting that i went to. During the Q&A i asked him if there was any truth to the story that i heard that the VA budget was second only to the pentagon but that the VA pockets got picked everytime there wasn't enough money elsewhere? Mr Baloney seemed distracted, he must of been thinking of a call he had to make to his sectretary or intern...he said, "sorry, what was your question"? As i started to repeat it he must have remembered that he heard it and blew me off with: " Whatever they take it's only chump change ". " Chump Change"? "CHUMP CHANGE"? A few of us looked at each other and there was a low moan in the group that he heard and tried to correct himself by saying: " I meant to say that that doesn't happen often and it's not that much ". " When did you serve Congressman "? "Listen!" he barked at me. " I serve in a different way and I called this meeting because I'm your ally; talk to my assitant when you leave. I have another meeting that I'm already late for, thank you all for coming." Behind me was most of the line that formed to ask questions. i wonder how many other gov officals think that our budget is ok to pick from for their bridges to nowhere and other pet projects....i wonder how many others think that it's only CHUMP CHANGE? Who are the CHUMPS?

How is it that after we serve it's not important enough to make sure that the damage done to our body and minds is cared for as we were led to believe it would be?

"CHUMP CHANGE"

HADIT? You bet we have!!!

[Pete53]

Beware of politicians who wrap themselves in the Flag

[Jayg]

There's an old, old, old... saying- probably from an old redcoat begging in the streets of London...

"In times of trouble and of war,

God and soldiers we adore,

When wars are done and wrongs are righted,

God's forgotten, and the soldier's slighted.

GI Bill? They took mine away in '85.

[jbasser]

Beware of politicians who wrap themselves in the Flag

Yes Pete and also be aware of the ones who dont.

[Steppenwolf]

In a discussion after church a woman who lived in France for a while through her school years said that it was her impression that one main difference between the French and the Americans is that in France the governement is affraid of the people. IN America the people are affraid of the government.

When she said that a thought jumped into my mind of FDR's " Nothing to fear but fear itself " juxtaposed to the current collective fear message that gets drummed into our heads about everything from  terrorism both domestic and foreign: the Homeland Security Advisory System is a color-coded terrorism threat advisory scale. , bird flu, SARS, poisoned food, water, global warming, failed banking, losing our job and homes, and the list goes on...if you listen and count how often the word "fear" comes up in the news, on TV and radio it may possibly shock you just how often this message is beamed out for everyone to hear. Who do we trust? 

Is it possible that the government is also affraid that there will be an uprising amongst the citizens so that we need to be monitored? Our phone calls and emails are subject to being read or listened to and we stand a good chance of quickly being labeled " a person of interest "...FEAR...how do we tell who the enemy is?

Once we take this oath: "I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."  Does it end when we're discharged? And what happens when it appears that one of those "officers appointed over me" has lost his mind but is still in charge? Did you ever see Apocalypse Now? Colonel Kurtz played by Marlon Brando..."The horror...." How do you measure fear? How do you know truth? Who and what is the enemy?

Does anyone know for sure?

FDR:

"So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark hour of our national life a leadership of frankness and vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory. I am convinced that you will again give that support to leadership in these critical days."

Kurtz:

" I watched a snail crawl along the edge of a straight razor. That's my dream. That's my nightmare. Crawling, slithering, along the edge of a straight... razor... and surviving."

[vmo]

Slithering along the edge of a straight razor.....whooooops, I fall off one side & the DRO can't find my C-file, I slither a little more.....whooooops, I fell off into the shredder,.....I'm done. May be we Vets are on the wrong side of the razor?

I like the term "slither" as it is a good depiction on the speed of most VARO's.

[Pete53]

I am not afraid of the government I pretty much have decided that on paper it is the best thing going but its the people who muck it up.

No matter what I feel that many who work at VA begrudge anything that the VA awards to Veterans and they make it much more difficult than it should be.