17 November 2011 Roe lacks concern for Vets

This was written in response to a local citizen’s letter praising Congressman Roe and his immense concern for veterans.  I doubt it will see publication, but I can’t stomach the teavangelist practice of screwing the troops as soon as they are out of uniform.

          Letter to Johnson City Press, Editor

          Regarding the letter from Fred Phillips published 17 November 2011:

          Mr. Phillips, apparently a long-time acquaintance of Mr. Roe, believes that Roe understands the needs of veterans.  I disagree. 

          While Mr. Roe may have served in Korea, he was stationed at a hospital and suffered no hardship in concert with the average GI.  His other duties kept him in hospitals until he left the Army.  He lacks any common connections to combat troops, especially combat medics.

          As for his actions in Congress, he follows the GOP/tea party party line.  He recently demonstrated his concern for veterans by voting against a bill that would increase funding for suicide prevention among veterans.  He also voted against an increase in hazardous duty pay for active duty troops.  The only things he seems to have supported are bills that “encouraged people to visit cemeteries” and “making it a federal crime to deface a veteran’s grave marker.”    This behavior goes along with the usual GOP pattern of sending our troops off to war and then ignoring them when they return.

          Mr. Roe will, no doubt, support the proposals to roll veterans’ health care into Medicare and then hand Medicare over to the health insurance companies which will reward us for our service to the country by denying benefits and services as they are already doing with privately insured Americans. 

          Spare me from legislators like Mr. Roe who demonstrate their concern for our veterans by making lofty speeches on Veterans Day while doing their bests to gut the VA hospitals and other services to veterans.  Speeches are cheap, veterans priceless. We can never repay the debt we owe our men and women who serve in uniform But Mr. Roe and the GOP no longer pretend to care about them.