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Today's Letters: Government breaks too many promises

By LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published March 13, 2007

If it weren't for the tragic circumstances surrounding the substandard medical treatment that our returning servicemen and veterans are currently suffering in many of our military and VA hospitals, this recent Walter Reed scandal would be almost laughable. Why is everyone so shocked by Walter Reed Medical Center's recent shortfalls?

This unfortunate situation should really have come as no surprise to anyone who participates in government or watches it operate. The fact is, our elected officials have allowed medical care for the active military and veterans to be nickeled and dimed to death for years. Every year, proposed budgets of the Defense Department and VA are scrubbed down to unacceptable levels by our senators and congressmen, who say, "We can't afford it."

Beyond this broken government promise of "the very best treatment possible" in our military and VA hospitals, whole generations of soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines were promised free medical care "for life" if they served in the military for 20 years or more. Our government backed out of that promise, too.

If America asks its bravest and best to dedicate their lives to its defense, at the very least, the American people should demand that our elected government keep its promises and pay all the costs needed to ensure our active-duty military and veterans receive proper medical care and treatment.

William Smith, Tampa

Walter Reed fiasco

The Youngs serve our troops well

The recent revelations of the unacceptable living conditions at the Walter Reed medical facility where our Iraq war wounded receive treatment are outrageous for sure. However, the fault is not that of Rep. C.W. Bill Young. He and his wife, Beverly, are the best friends those wounded kids ever had, and it is a shame to see them blamed for what is surely a massive and unconscionable institutional failure of the Department of Defense. One congressman and his wife cannot run the Pentagon. We blame the arrogance and incompetence of the previous secretary of defense.

We have firsthand knowledge of the Youngs' deep care for the men and women in uniform. Our own Marine Corps son was part of the initial Operation Iraqi Enduring Freedom invasion force in March 2003. Although operational details could not be provided us for obvious reasons, Rep. Young's office kept us generally informed about our son's unit and how its members were faring. Mrs. Young provided us with her personal e-mail so we could have our questions answered more quickly.

The Youngs and their children keep in close contact with servicemen and women from Florida. They frequently visit the wounded in the D.C. area, they visit kids in VA hospitals in Florida and they help families of wounded soldiers and Marines. Most important, they attend funerals, which must be heartbreaking for them.

So, anger toward Rep. C.W. Bill Young about this situation is misplaced. We are sure he and Beverly are doing everything possible to see that this never happens again. They should be supported, not criticized. Instead, we all should be asking them what we can do to help these brave kids.

Jane and Al Hine, Seminole

Democrats push own plan to withdraw troops from Iraq March 9, story

No half measures on Iraq war policy

I continue to be amazed and embarrassed by our congressional leaders, specifically Rep. John Murtha and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The demand for deadlines and promises to defund the war are unconscionable and feed the resolve of our enemies in Iraq and Afghanistan.

These leaders should either have the courage to force an outright pullout or do all that is necessary to win the war. However, if we support a pullout, be sure we will suffer worldwide, and those same politicians will be asking what happened because everyone should love us now.

Michael Waugh, Tarpon Springs

Out of harm's way

The most important part of supporting our troops is to keep them out of harm's way and give them more than adequate protection while in the middle of combat. Also, they must be the best prepared to fight if they encounter the enemy. From all indications, this has not been the case, and our troops have suffered unnecessarily.

Also, they have found themselves in the middle of someone else's war - to be exact, someone else's civil war. It is unbelievable that this administration has allowed this to go on and on with no apparent hope of terminating the war and bringing our boys and girls home.

Turnaround time has been poorly planned, and it was recently reported that our soldiers of the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division had so little time between deployments to Iraq they had to cram more than a year's worth of training into four months. And more recently, the Associated Press reported on Feb. 27 that two of our Army brigades heading for Iraq because of the escalation skipped counterinsurgency training at the Army's premiere training range.

Billy Cox, Clearwater

Who is antitroop?

It's outrageous that Republicans are labeling Democrats' plans to provide soldiers with proper equipment and training as "antitroop." It is the Republicans who have repeatedly sent our armed forces into conflict inadequately equipped and underprepared.

Nina Ramos, St. Petersburg

Report the positive

I continue to support our military and their mission on the war on terrorism. It is unfortunate that our major news organizations and journalists are reporting and publishing only a fraction of the positive events that are occurring in the war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Additionally, the media's propensity for ignoring positive news distorts the world's view of the daily realities of this war and prevents our citizens from reading accurate accounts of our troops' achievements. Our military recognizes that there are many fine and ethical journalists who are producing "fair and balanced" news. However, there are still problems lingering within the media's inner circle. I suggest that they scale back on presenting such a biased image.

As a military wife, I find it disturbing that many in the media choose to report only the ugly incidents in our time of war. This alone is doing a grave disservice to our fighting troops and our country. We should be proud of our volunteer military and recognize that they are American heroes.

Joan Atkins, Palm Harbor

Death on his hands

In the past I have spoken of "the arrogance of ignorance." A more specific definition would be "the arrogance of the ignorant."

I have never felt that I was in a position to apply this term to any one person. But for the past five years, this phrase keeps coming to mind - to what has taken place in Iraq and the utter lack of understanding by the president. It makes this phrase applicable to him.

It is a shame what this country is going through. When is someone going to come out and say George W. Bush is totally responsible for every death that has taken place in Iraq?

Paul A. Knoferle, Clearwater

A lesson in leadership

Over the next few weeks, millions of Americans will be rushing to see the new epic film 300. While most viewers will come away feeling a surge of patriotic passion, I worry that few will come away understanding some of the more subtle lessons the film has to offer.

The importance of leadership that is not only brave, but also wise, should not be lost in our zeal for action. In the film, King Leonidis chooses his battleground wisely. He is a master of the tactics that will maximize the effect of his limited resources and, as a result, he unites the free world behind his cause.

When the inevitable comparisons to the war in Iraq are drawn, it would serve us well to bear these lessons in mind.

Todd Hemphill, Trinity

[Last modified March 12, 2007, 22:24:42]