YO VETERANS - time to drop the American Legion a line

[BOSSHOG]

They think Senator Kerry should apologize. The Commander is "outraged."

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/10/31/204-10312006.html

I suggest we share our outrage with the commander. It is painfully clear to me that the commander of the American Legion, Paul Morin, supports the continued deaths of our kids in Iraq. And they are dying because george bush, obvously supported by morin, is a liar. It cannot be put any other way.

Drop him a line:

[e-mail]

[acmejack]

1. I dropped them a line when I resigned.

After the Commander started taking himself so seriously he told us we couldn't criticize Bush. Wrong!

[wakeme2008]

2. Thanks will do later

when I am home :)

[RC]

3. If we have war, we are going to have veterans.

If there are veterans, then there are candidates for the American Legion. Simple, no?
The vet of WWII, and Korea are getting a little old. Vietnam vet weren't really interested in the American Legion. The Legion is hurting.

[lpbk2713]

4. The American Legion's agenda has always differed from mine.

That is why I was never interested in joining. I tend to think if they don't get with the times they will soon cease to exist.




USN 65 - 69

[pecwae]

5. Done.

I'm hoping to receive a response as I asked him this:

I question why the American Legion Commander would involve himself in this stupid sniping instead of supporting legislation to substantially increase veteran's benefits? I wonder why you are so vocal in a matter of such small significance and I hear nothing, nothing, from your organization in true support of the troops voiced in such a loud voice?

It is your patriotism I question, Sir. You see, I do not believe you are not intelligent enough to see this matter for what it is; pure and simple partisan propaganda. I wonder why you are so intent on helping it spread?

[BOSSHOG]

6. Thanks Teammate

I'm with ya. Mine was a tad more personal. There is no doubt in my mind that morin knew Kerry was referring to bush. He is making a mountain out of a mole hill and solidifying my desire to have nothing to do with them. I'll continue with the FRA. They work congress on behalf of veterans and their politics does not breach the public realm.

I am not a lockstep goon for the American Legion just because I served proudly.

[4bucksagallon]

7. Sorry I never joined, too many John Birchers and faux vets.

[BOSSHOG]

8. All the more reason to contact them and let them know

they don't appeal to you, a veteran. They are begging for people to join now and yet they make it an extremely unattractive proposition. At least to me.

[4bucksagallon]

11. For almost 40 years I have refused to compromise, my decision that what we did in

Vietnam was wrong. I am not going to join some organization, that is a bunch of old farts sitting around trying to one-up each other with "war stories" mostly BS, and self medicating themselves with alcohol.

[rpannier]

9. My letter to the Commander

Sir,

As a former serviceman and a member of the American Legion, I respectfully disagree with your call for Sen Kerry to apologize. The comment that he made, while poorly delivered, was obvious to everyone who takes more than five seconds to analyze what he said.
It is obvious that the target of his comment is President Bush. The President, in my humble opinion, deserves the comments made toward him by Mr Kerry and a whole lot more. This administration has completely bungled the Iraq situation to the point that many former military officers whom I respect have come out and publicly rebuked the President and the Administration for their failed policies.
I find it convenient that you did not seem to share this same outrage at the President when he said, "Bring it on!" to a bunch of blood thirsty terrorists. I find it disturbing that you don't seem to feel it necessary to publicly state your outrage at the poor service given to our troops by Halliburton (the winners of the no-bid contracts in Iraq). In case you have forgotten, Halliburton failed numerous US Army inspections of the dining facilities in Iraq.
I find it perplexing that you seem to have no problem with the President using our troops for a convenient photo op.
All I am asking of the American Legion is that they either stay neutral in the politics surrounding Iraq, or that the Legion be balanced. So far I have seen none of that. I have seen numerous articles where the Legion has taken exception to what opponents of the President have said, but have not been critical of an obvious foreign policy failure and military debacle caused by the Administration and their insistance on making every situation political.
As to your criticism of Sen Kerry's position on issues involving the military, I would point out to you, that Congress is completely controlled by the Republicans, as is the White House. It's the Republicans that have cut Veteran's Benefits, it's the Republicans that have failed to provide the soldiers in Iraq with the necessary funding, it's the Republicans that have failed to provide oversight of the missing eight million-plus dollars, it's the Republicans that have failed the men and women serving in the armed forces. You attempt to limp blame on Kerry and the Democrats for these failures is dishonest at best.
If you have publicly raised questions about the Administrations handling of Iraq and I missed these public reprimands, I apologize in advance.
If you don't like my comments or my political affiliation, please feel free to contact the American Legion in Cordova, IL and tell them to remove me from their rolls and return my money.
I support the men and women in uniform. I support the Legion and much of what it does. I am proud to have have served in the United States Army. I am proud to say I am an American. But, I am not proud of what I consider to be scandalous attacks on a former serviceman.

Respectfully Yours,

[BOSSHOG]

10. Well done teammate

I was not near as polite. morin said he was outraged. Well, I shared my outrage with him. Obviously the American Legion would rather cater to deserters and liars then those who actually had their boots on the ground.

Thanks for your service teammate. I hate it when some yahoo like morin thinks he speaks for all vets.

[TheBaldyMan]

12. Get a Brain Morin n/t