Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Pryce's Record

On Monday, July 3rd, the Columbus Dispatch printed a Letter to the Editor that was critical of Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce's record on military veterans. Here is part of that letter:

..Pryce voted against expanding the military’s Tricare health insurance to cover all Reservists and National Guard members....
....voted against a $30 million increase for veterans’ health care that would have provided more funding for combat-related trauma care to support wounded troops when they return home. Pryce voted against additional military health-care benefits. She voted against providing job-training assistance to troops returning from overseas....

I cannot recall another time when the Dispatch published a letter that was critical of Pryce. There are a few possibilities as to why they may have published the letter on July 3rd ---(a.) it was the day before a holiday and readership would be down, (b.) they've received many letters critical of Pryce's real record on vets, (c.) the Dispatch, known as conservative and pro-GOP, wants to appear objective. It really doesn't matter why the Dispatch decided to run the letter because it is important that the truth gets out. Pryce says she supports our troops and our vets but her voting record does not support her rhetoric.

The Dispatch has a story today about the homeless Iraq war vets in our nation. Here is an excerpt:

...Across America on any given evening, hundreds of veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are homeless, the government estimates.

The reasons are many. For some, residual stress from daily insurgent attacks and roadside bombs makes it tough to adjust to civilian life; some can’t navigate government assistance programs; others simply can’t afford a house or apartment....

...There are about 200,000 homeless veterans in the United States, according to government figures. About 10 percent are from either the 1991 Gulf War or the current one, and about 40 percent are When I Came Home, which was named best New York-made documentary at the Tribeca Film Festival this year....

This is very sad. Why does this administration want our young men and women to go to war but then abandon them when they return?