Veteran's Day 2008- Honoring All Who Served

90 years ago marked the end of WWI hostilities. It was the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the 11^th month in 1918. WWI was called the "War to end all Wars". If only that held true.

Over the years, Armistice Day or Veterans Day resolutions have stated: the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations AND a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace.

As one of my good friends from Veterans for Peace told me, if you aren't fighting for peace, what are you fighting for?

These crosses represent the 4819 American soldiers who have died serving their country in Iraq & Afghanistan and we will never forget them. But Veteran's Day is intended to thank living veterans for their service & sacrifice to their country. The 23.8 million veterans living in America deserve the recognition.

Regardless of how you feel about this war or any war, veterans stand up to serve their country in the military when others choose a different path of service or none at all. Veterans raise their hands and take an oath to solemnly swear to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. This is a promise they make to their fellow citizens. After 7 years of war, 600,000 individuals have served, with approximately 1.7 million tours logged. We cannot and may not fall victim to war fatigue as long as we have young men and women fighting in our name. If we hate the war, we cannot hate the warrior. Veteran's Day reminds us of this.

Supporting the Troops does not mean putting a magnetic yellow ribbon on the back of your vehicle. These veterans have given 100%; we owe them that much in return. Supporting the troops means we provide them with proper equipment & training. It means we take care of them when they return from the battlefront to the home front. PTSD, Suicide, higher rates of marital problems are not okay, we must do better. We must:

Provide thorough, Professional, and Confidential Mental Health Screening

Properly fund the VA

Overhaul the Military and Veterans' Disability System

Cut VA Claims Backlog

Increase the number of Mental Health Professionals

Fight Homelessness among Veterans

One week ago a new day dawned in America. We have a President elect who seems to understand the needs of Veteran's. It is our job to hold him to the promise that we make to Veterans who have served their country.We must insist on it.

My son is never coming home. 4 ½ years later, I still find it difficult to say those words. 1Lt Ken Ballard was a 4^th generation Army officer and he knew what it meant to serve. He knew the promise that his 2 great grandfathers, Col Roderick Meredith & Major Richard Fox, his grandfather, Lt Col Russell Meredith, and his aunt Lt Col Cathy Patton made. And he knew the promise that he made to this country. On this Veteran's Day, let us make a promise to never, ever forget and to always remember and care for our Veterans.

VOTE!

Someone Stole my Bumper Sticker

Some one stole my bumper sticker from the back of my car yesterday. I put it on more than a year ago. I have been left me some interesting notes, all supportive, many apologetic.

My bumper sticker said

BUSH LIED,
MY SON DIED

Why would someone take my bumper sticker?

A Republican's mailing list

I don't know how it happened, but I ended up on a local McCain supporter's personal email list. As offensive as the emails have been, I believe in keeping my friends close and my enemies closer. I don't know this woman and I don't consider her my enemy, but I know for sure we do not share political philosophies. I wonder if she'll drop me after the election?

This morning I received an email from my Republican 'friend" titled "Please help make this video viral". This video is California Arnold Schwarzenegger speaking to a raucous crowd in Columbus, Oh. When Arnold said "Our democracy is not for sale". The crowd went wild! Sadly, our democracy has already been given away, not sold, to the no-compete secret bidders who would make the most money for George Bush's friends, regardless of the requirements and real needs of the contracts.

As I watched the video, it revealed nothing new for me. It was the same old Republican spin on their view of the world. It fed this red meat crowd and they were ecstatic. It was the same GOP soundbites; as I said, nothing new. But it got me wondering. I understand our Governor's ties to Ohio, it's where he got his start in the bodybuilding world. Ohio is pretty much in the Obama camp at this point, so having Schwarzenegger stand up for McCain in Ohio may make some sense (does politics ever really make sense?). California has got a big red GOP stripe in the middle of our state, so it's likely Schwarzenegger would find some friendly crowds that support McCain but he didn't campaign for McCain here. Obama is leading in California by healthy 2 digit margins in most polls, so I understand why Schwarzenegger wouldn't be campaigning in CA, but it really reflects on how the campaign for McCain is doing in CA that our Governor wouldn't even stand up for the Republican candidate here. I'm just saying.....

I'll RSVP to Jayne here- no, I won't be attending your McCain victory party on Tuesday night. I can only imagine the gloom and doom as you discuss the possibilities of a Democratic president after 8 years of Republican failure in our country and that is not how I will be spending my Tuesday night.