Nicolas Rodriquez: Treating our veterans with deserved respect

Loose lips sink ships," reads the poster. Don't talk, because you don't know who might be listening, and don't question, because we must maintain a united front in "support of the troops." Even though that poster was first printed during World War II, it might be appropriate for the captions we see on Fox News or CNN.

Patriotism is the code word for loyalty in a America. With an effort to ratchet up American presence in places where terrorism flourishes, the government and the people have called upon the men and women of our armed forces to act.

Our military is made up of men and women that have given of themselves to protect and defend our nation at a moment's notice. They face the honor and burden of protecting 280 million people and the pain of old war scars, physical and mental, something known all too well in families of veterans.

Too often do we Americans have images in our mind of pedestrians spitting on soldiers, questioning their participation in our armed forces. However, not often enough do we citizens question the pattern of mistreatment leveled at our soldiers and veterans.

In a recent story by United Press International, an investigation conducted at Fort Stewart -- a housing facility for wounded and injured Army reservists and national guardsmen -- found that living conditions were "so substandard, and the medical care so poor, that many of them [soldiers] believe the Army is trying to push them out with reduced benefits for their ailments."

Many troops are left waiting for months on end for medical attention. Reports have even said that wounded troops in hospitals have been charged for the hospital meals they receive while being treated.

The shortchanging of American troops is not a new occurrence. Many Americans who have veterans in their families can tell us about the situations that have been borne out of the physical and emotional scars of war. The pattern extends beyond the battlefield and can carry on for years.

Yet, as we have hundreds of thousands of troops deployed around the world, fighting on multiple fronts in Iraq and Afghanistan, why is our government trying to shortchange our troops?

This summer, the Bush administration originally supported a budget proposal which would have considerably cut the budget of the Veterans Administration, which serves as chief administrator of primary health care and pensions for veterans. The budget proposal would have cut the VA by $28 billon over the next 10 years. That is not easy to swallow for veterans of past wars.

What does it say to a current member of our armed forces when the government that has sent him to war or that asks him to protect our states and national monuments shows its support by cutting his health care coverage?

Cuts would have been made to provisions for prescription drugs, and veterans would have had to pay more out-of-pocket to get the health care access that they already have trouble receiving. The House Appropriations Committee, however, overturned the recommendation made by the administration in favor of a proposal that would raise spending on the VA by $1 billion.

While the Appropriations Committee and President Bush may have seen the error of their ways, one must question the commitment of not only the administration but many in Congress to the well-being of our troops and veterans. Couple this with the fact that increasingly over the past two decades, under the Reagan, Bush I, Clinton and Bush II administrations, veterans and their families have often times had to rely on food stamps to supplement their meager incomes in order to survive month to month.

A mounting indictment is growing against a federal government that refuses to pay and support its troops appropriately. How do soldiers stay level-headed when the threat exists that their families might not have that hot meal to come home to, or that if they get shot or gassed, the long-term repercussions of that injury might not be treated?

Knowing this, we cannot just blame our government; we have to keep them in check. When a politician representing you in Washington decides that it is time to take a chunk out of a veteran's monthly wages by cutting health care benefits, you can take a chunk of their wallets by shopping for a better candidate who will truly support not only our troops, but also the well-being of our nation.

One cannot claim to support our nation if he does not show the decency and gratitude commanded by the men and women that protect us around the world. Protect our nation by protecting our veterans. Use the ballot box as your weapon against politicians' ingratitude.

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