“Support our troops.”
I see this slogan everywhere, the yellow ribbons dotting cars in the parking lot and on the highways all over this nation. It appears that millions of Americans have decided that supporting our troops involves attaching a magnet to their SUV.
I seriously wonder however what any of these people have actually done to support our troops. Have they called their congressmen asking them to increase funding for our soldiers? Probably not.
Have they written a letter to someone overseas? Seldom, if any.
Have they volunteered themselves or any of their children to help fight the “war on terror?” Highly doubtful.
Did they vote for Bush? I’m sure plenty of them did, thinking that at the very least he and the Republicans in Congress would support them.
Sadly this isn’t the case.
Tuesday the Republicans in congress blocked an amendment that would support our soldiers. The $2 billion amendment would have provided funding for our soldiers healthcare upon returning from Iraq.
This amendment was supposed to be attached to a nearly $81 billion emergency spending bill for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — $81 billion that is going to be used to continue operating in those countries, $81 billion that will result in hundreds if not thousands of more soldiers being wounded or killed.
Yet the Republicans spoke loudly against the $2 billion that is desperately needed to treat and provide adequate care for those thousands of injured soldiers upon returning home.
The amendment was defeated along party lines, 54 to 46, with only one Republican voting for it. It seems that the Republicans have no qualms about sending our troops into harms way, but the moment America intends to actually support them they become obstructionists.
These Republicans — the same ones that accused John Kerry of not supporting our troops, and that claim that liberals do not support our troops — are the ones who do not support our soldiers, the ones who are preventing proper care from reaching our soldiers.
Tuesday I only saw one Republican with the courage to stand up against his party. Tuesday’s events have only added themselves to a laundry list of failed measures to support our troops by the Republicans. These include under-armored Humvees, lack of proper body armor and poor intelligence leading up to the war.
So now I have a proposition to all of you who proclaim that you support our troops. Take that yellow ribbon off of your SUV and throw it in the trash. Instead, call your senators and representatives and voice your disgust over Congress’s actions.
You say you support the troops.
Now is the time to put your money where your mouth is.
One magnetic yellow ribbon runs about $1.99. If everyone had just contributed that towards our troops they would be in a much better position.
Don’t waste your money. Support our troops, but do it with actions — not with a magnet.
E-mail Sam with comments at [email protected].