Free Republic

While controversy swirls around last week's mass firing of 1,000 Department of Veterans Affairs' employees, a far greater threat to veterans' health care is going completely unnoticed. Powerful leaders in Congress have quietly unveiled their plan to gut VA-delivered care, wrapped in the misleadingly titled "Veterans' ACCESS Act." If veterans don't act fast, they will lose the VA health care system they know and depend on. The bill appears innocuous enough, with aspirations of accountability. But don't be fooled. Hidden in its depths like a ticking time bomb is a provision intended to dismantle the integrated VA health care system...

Of all people in society, veterans deserve the most respect, yet often receive the least. This is unfortunate and detrimental to the fabric of our nation. And while we can gripe about the state of the VA all we want, it ultimately comes down to how we, as private citizens, treat these individuals. Millions of Americans were against the Vietnam War -- as were many of the soldiers who were thrust into battle. But these latter individuals had no choice. When their names were called, they responded with obedience and followed the orders they were given -- often doing so...

Outside View: When Johnny comes home By Morgan StrongA UPI Outside view commentaryFrom the Washington Politics & Policy DeskPublished 11/11/2002 1:40 PM NEWARK, N.J., Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Every year on Nov. 11, we spend a little part of the day in remembrance of our veterans, before we head to the mall for the sales. We celebrate the sacrifices of those who died in one of our wars, and those who did their duty and came home. Maybe the veterans will put on their old uniforms, or maybe a hat from one of the veterans groups, and parade down Main...