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| February 23, 2007 Alaskan in Exile by Neil Zawicki, insurgent49 Heroes Until They Come Home
“It
was a way we had over here of living with ourselves. We’d cut
‘em in half with a machine gun and then give ‘em a
band-aid. It was a lie. And the more I saw of them, the more I hated
lies.”
-narration by Michael Herr, screenplay for Apocalypse Now
We treat our wounded veterans terribly. We always have,
and it fills me with contempt for our ruling class. In fact, I really
wish them ill for what they do.In Ron Kovic’s book, “Born On the Fourth of July,” the Marine sergeant, paralyzed in Vietnam, wrote about indifferent VA workers at the run-down Bronx hospital telling him, “You can take your Vietnam and stick it up your ass.” My cousin was a Marine during the Gulf War. He died in a VA hospital, and during his final days, hospital workers were dividing up his clothing among themselves. He died from complications brought about from the conditions at that hospital, and my aunt and uncle were powerless to take legal action, because VA doctors have immunity from malpractice suits. In fact, I knew a young doctor who worked at the VA in Phoenix, and that’s what he liked about his job – that he couldn’t be sued. The Washington Post recently reported that there are severely wounded Iraq War veterans living in mold-covered, mouse and cockroach infested hospital rooms just a few miles from the White House, at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Not only are the conditions horrible in the notorious Building 18 of the center, but some soldiers wait days and even weeks before receiving follow-up treatments. One marine who lost his legs was reprimanded for having his mother stay in his room. The center is under investigation amid multiple reports of filthy conditions and broken equipment, and President Bush told his staff to find out what’s wrong and then fix it. Is that right, Mr. President? Weren’t you the one who tried in 2003 to cut billions in veterans’ benefits? Yes, that was you. But the American Legion stopped you. And you talk about how you love our troops? Only until they’re rendered useless. You will do nothing to change the conditions in our VA hospitals, because you are an out-of touch, contemptible liar who ran and hid from real service, just like Dick Cheney (five deferments to avoid Vietnam, one of which he got his wife pregnant to attain.) None of that would matter, if you all weren’t such hawks about sending people to war, and then such assholes about giving them the care they need once they get maimed in the place of you and your spoiled children. The trouble here is that the same people who wave the flag do not want to face the reality of what they create. In 1991, I was debating a conservative friend over the validity of the Gulf War, and he said, “I think we should be there and we should get Saddam and we should blow him away.” We? I had just been discharged from the paratroopers, and had a special place in my heart for such armchair warriors. “Okay,” I said to him, “then why don’t you pick up a K-pot and rifle and go over there and fight.” No, no. Not you. Send the poor ones and the black ones. Let them do the fighting. Let them get twisted up and scrambled for your brave notions, but when they come back, you can’t be bothered to give them the type of care we as a nation can certainly afford to give them. Do you want to know what’s wrong with the VA system, Mr. President? I’ll tell you. You’re an elitist little pussy, and so are all of your friends. People are dying and becoming crippled, and parents and wives and children are crying, and you don’t even have the sack to give them a decent bed. Neil Zawicki, exiled Alaskan, is Editor at Large for Insurgent49, a former reporter for the Alaska Star, and winner of the Alaska Press Club's 'Best Columnist' award. He is now living out the rest of his days in an undisclosed location in Oregon. He can be contacted at hondo23@gmail.com 'Alaskan In Exile' appears on insurgent49.com every Friday. |
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February 16, 2007 February 9, 2007 February 2, 2007 January 26, 2007 January 19, 2007 January 12, 2007 January 5, 2007 December 29, 2006 December 22, 2006 December 15, 2006 December 8, 2006 December 1, 2006 November 24, 2006 November 17, 2006 November 10, 2006 November 3, 2006 October 27, 2006 October 20, 2006 October 13, 2006 October 6, 2006 September 29, 2006 September 22, 2006 September 15, 2006 September 8, 2006 September 1, 2006 August 25, 2006 August 18, 2006 August 11, 2006 August 4, 2006 July 28, 2006 July 21, 2006 July 14, 2006 June 30, 2006 June 23, 2006 June 16, 2006 June 9, 2006 June 2, 2006 May 26, 2006 May 12, 2006 May 5, 2006 April 28, 2006 April 21, 2006 April 14, 2006 April 7, 2006 March 31, 2006 March 24, 2006 March 17, 2005 March 3, 2006 February 24, 2006 February 17, 2006 February 10, 2006 February 3, 2006 January 27, 2006 January 20, 2006 January 13, 2006 January 6, 2006 December 30, 2005 December 23, 2005 December 16, 2005 December 10, 2005 December 2, 2005 November 25, 2005 November 18, 2005 November 11, 2005 November 4, 2005 October 28, 2005 October 21, 2005 October 14, 2005 October 7, 2005 September 30, 2005 September 23, 2005 September 16, 2005 September 9, 2005 September 2, 2005 August 26, 2005 August 19, 2005 August 12, 2005 August 5, 2005 July 29, 2005 July 22, 2005 July 15, 2005 July 8, 2005 July 1, 2005 June 24, 2005 June 17, 2005 June 10, 2005 June 3, 2005 May 27, 2005 May 20, 2005 May 13, 2005 May 6, 2005 April 29, 2005 April 21, 2005 April 14, 2005 April 7, 2005 April 1, 2005 - also by this
writer -
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Insurgent Media. All Rights
Reserved. in-sur-gent (in sur'jent), n. 1. a member of a group which revolts against the policies of its leadership. |
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