Comments on: The Wounds of War http://lp297beb.edublogs.org/2008/03/23/the-wounds-of-war/ English 384 GVSU Mon, 21 Apr 2008 02:49:45 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: Comments Post | Machiavelli Owns A Machine Gun Now http://lp297beb.edublogs.org/2008/03/23/the-wounds-of-war/comment-page-1/#comment-7 Comments Post | Machiavelli Owns A Machine Gun Now Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:09:07 +0000 http://lp297beb.edublogs.org/2008/03/23/the-wounds-of-war/#comment-7 [...] The Wounds of War — by Bruce [...] [...] The Wounds of War — by Bruce [...]

]]> By: Brian http://lp297beb.edublogs.org/2008/03/23/the-wounds-of-war/comment-page-1/#comment-6 Brian Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:01:28 +0000 http://lp297beb.edublogs.org/2008/03/23/the-wounds-of-war/#comment-6 I think it is important to recognize how we neglect our soldiers after they have returned home. This isn't a recent phenomenon. During the depression, some 20,000 veterans of World War I marched on Washington, demanding that Congress pay their bonus certificates immediately. Whether the veterans were right to do so is not relevant. What is relevant is the response by President Hoover. A military force, including machine gun units and tanks, were sent to evict the veterans from their campsite across the Potomac River. Two veterans were shot and killed, an infant was killed, and thousands of veterans were injured by tear gas. We saw in "Born on the Fourth of July" the treatment of Vietnam veterans at army hospitals. How many of America's homeless population are former members of the military? Even today's war has its horror stories of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. I'm sure most veterans are treated with dignity and respect, and these are extreme examples, but sometimes it seems like all this talk of supporting the troops is nothing more than lip service. I think it is important to recognize how we neglect our soldiers after they have returned home. This isn’t a recent phenomenon. During the depression, some 20,000 veterans of World War I marched on Washington, demanding that Congress pay their bonus certificates immediately. Whether the veterans were right to do so is not relevant. What is relevant is the response by President Hoover. A military force, including machine gun units and tanks, were sent to evict the veterans from their campsite across the Potomac River. Two veterans were shot and killed, an infant was killed, and thousands of veterans were injured by tear gas.

We saw in “Born on the Fourth of July” the treatment of Vietnam veterans at army hospitals. How many of America’s homeless population are former members of the military? Even today’s war has its horror stories of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. I’m sure most veterans are treated with dignity and respect, and these are extreme examples, but sometimes it seems like all this talk of supporting the troops is nothing more than lip service.

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