Sunday, October 19, 2003

Freedom Rider Update

Look for my weekly column in Black Commentator. This entry is a nice way to end, hopefully forever, Marriage Protection Week.

A Fool's Errand

In my October 17th post I questioned the wisdom of young people seeking to improve their lot in life through military service.

Now comes word that Army Reserve and National Guard troops at Fort Stewart, Georgia are being denied medical care. Some have untreated injuries while others are suffering neurological problems that may be connected to vaccines. The Army's response is to say that their conditions were pre-existing. That lets Uncle Sam off the hook for medical care. Be all that you can be, if they don't kill you first.

The variety of illnesses categorized as Gulf War Syndrome may also have been caused by vaccines that were meant to protect against chemical weapons attack. I have to add here that when Saddam Hussein was actually using chemical weapons in the 1980s he was America's friend.



The next time you watch the news and see Rumsfeld making the case for war, remember this picture of him and his then buddy Saddam Hussein.

If you want to read more about the suffering of U.S. troops in Iraq go here, here, and here.

No, Congressman Rangel, we don't need to reinstitute the draft. We need to say no to the madness of militarism. The armed forces should exist to protect our nation and to intercede when necessary to save lives. Neither scenario applied in Iraq.