http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_mary_sha_070923_a_challenge_to_the_u.htmSeptember 23, 2007 at 07:23:08
A Challenge to the U.S. Senate: If the troops must forego R and R, so should you.
by Mary Shaw
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Our troops are overstretched. They're tired. They're stressed to the max. And they have to endure the most horrific conditions imaginable for months and months on end. They deserve a generous amount of time off. Besides, it's no secret that long, endless work shifts under stressful conditions will reduce one's performance and present safety issues. We've got laws regulating how long a trucker can drive at a single stretch, and how many hours per week a medical resident can work. And, as stressful as their jobs can be, truck drivers and doctors are not typically in danger of being shot at 24 hours a day. Don't our troops deserve better?
How would these senators feel if they were deprived of R and R?
Maybe we should see.
Since these senators feel that time off isn't so necessary, maybe they should forego their own vacations. And maybe they should live like the troops for a while, as a show of support and solidarity, and to see for themselves what it's like.
Make them work 24/7 under the most stressful conditions, with someone barking orders at them constantly. Make them sleep and shower in group facilities and eat only military chow and MREs. Make them walk the streets each day in a high-crime section of D.C. to see what it's like to have bullets flying by their heads.
Make them live like this for six months, and don't give them a single day off. No break. And they're not allowed to complain.
Make them live like this for six months, and then see if they still feel that the troops have it just fine.
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Bone to pick: make that the rethug senators, Ms. Shaw. Oh, and Lieberman.