Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Please Sir, You Must RESIGN, RIGHT NOW!

http://thisainthell.us:80/blog/?p=8791


Please Sir, You Must RESIGN, RIGHT NOW!

March 16th, 2009

When retired General Erik K. Shinseki was announced as the new head of the Department of Veterans Affairs, I applauded the President’s choice. That in itself is very unusual for me.

I didn’t do that because Gen. Shinseki and I have always agreed, we have not; but I know Gen. Shinseki personally and have always thought of him as a thoughtful, brilliant officer that put the affairs of soldiers at the top of his priorities. Especially me.

When then MG Shinseki first took command of 1st Cavalry Division I was a brand new Captain (and light fighter struggling in a heavy Armor Division). Shinseki was a very welcomed arrival in the division because nothing could be worse than the previous commander, MG Wes Clark.

The difference was day and night. Within weeks morale had swung 180 degrees!

Then something amazing happened to me. I was offered command of an Infantry company. The problem was I had not yet attended the required Infantry Officer Advance Course at Fort Benning and Infantry Branch said NO WAY.

Shinseki got involved and after a long discussing with me and my commander, he called whoever division commanders call and I took command within two weeks. He pulled the same rabbit out of his hat 16 months later and ultimately I did go to the advance course but I had 30 months of company command under my belt when I arrived.

Years later I found myself in the Pentagon when General Shinseki showed up as the new Army Chief of Staff. I was very happy for him and told everyone who would listen that he was a soldier’s General.

Then came his directive that all soldiers would be issued a black beret!

As a former member of the 75th Ranger Regiment along with Jonn, I vehemently disagreed with his decision and told him so.

But my faith in him as a soldier and officer of impeccable integrity made me accept the order. I am an old soldier and when a General gives an order that is not illegal, unethical or immoral, I salute and move out whether I personally like it or not.

This new approach to screwing veterans however is beyond my parameters. Based on implied contract rules of law where there is not a veteran alive today that ever thought he would be liable for his own care after a combat related injury; I am not at all certain that this change is remotely LAWFUL.

Even if some pony-tailed Chicago lawyer finds a loophole to make this legal, no one with an IQ above that of a pencil sharpener can argue that it is ETHICAL.

But most important is the MORAL part. Anyone who thinks this idea is remotely moral is either retarded or just plain un-American. Where is the morality in a country sending a person to war and then refusing to pay for his care after being maimed in the war?

This is beyond immoral, it is un-American! And I will debate this issue with any dumbass veteran who voted for this amateur. If you’re not a veteran don’t contact me. If you want to defend this as a veteran (and you know we will check), I will do so in any forum you like as often as you like and I will ask nor offer quarter.

To all you trolls out there, consider this before taking my challenge:

President Obama wants to charge combat wounded veterans for care to save $500 million while simultaneously GRANTING $900 million to terrorist in Palestine to recover from the beat down that they sorely deserved.

I know whose side I am on, do you?

To General Shinseki I say RESIGN NOW. This is the only possible way to preserve your integrity as a soldier’s soldier. To do anything less is to slap the face of every wounded warrior and leave yourself as nothing more than a liar and pathetic political hack.

I don’t call for you resignation because of any malfeasance that you did but as a principled position against this atrocity and solidarity with the soldiers that you once commanded.

Please Sir, You Must RESIGN, RIGHT NOW!

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