This week the Johnson City press finally printed one of my
numerous submissions. They chose a short
attack upon the depth of concern for veterans expressed by our Congressman,
Phil Roe. Using material found on an old
campaign website detailing his duty stations while in the army, I pointed out
what I feel to be the lack of hardship experience by officers and hospital
staff compared to that of the hardship visited upon the line units. Any combat vet will tell you that there is a
discrepancy. This gap is what I was
focusing upon.
Yesterday
morning the phone rang and caller ID told us it was Congressman Roe. We get lots of robo calls and we just let the
answering machine pick up the call. As
it picked up, we recognized that it was actually our elected
representative. So I grabbed the phone
and took the call.
The gist of
the half-hour or so phone call consisted of him explaining his tour in Korea
and what he was doing now, in his opinion to improve veterans’ services. He apparently felt that in pointing out the
gap mentioned above, that I had intended to question his personal courage. That was not my intent and I told him
that.
He had
several other points that he felt I had made using incomplete information. I asked him for correction sources and told
him that I would write and submit a correction piece if he would provide the right
material. While I am diametrically
opposed to almost all he supports, I owe him, the newspaper, and anyone reading
my blog accurate information to form assumptions. Now I’m waiting for his resources.
During the conversation,
he invited me to dinner. Since the
dinner was actually a Rolling Thunder Christmas party being held in
Elizabethton tonight. The local Rolling
Thunder group is far too tied to the teavangelist party and a local
fundamentalist biker church. I’d be
horribly uncomfortable around that group to begin with. Add a Christmas party and I would be really
on guard.
I declined
using Shabbat and my discomfort in places with high background noise
levels. I offered to meet him for lunch
some place quieter. We’ll see what
happens.
The last
Congressman I spoke to was Dick Ichord of MO when he interviewed me for my
naval academy appointment. I’m not sure
how much higher up the ladder of humanity Roe is, but if what he told me pans out;
his professed concern for vets is greater than I knew. I’ll have to write an apology of sorts. Hope it doesn’t bleed too long.
In other
matters of little or no significance beyond the property boundaries: The filter lamps are no thermo-regulated and
all three lamps are working. Wood for
the next overnight is inside. The new
national ensign is bent onto the halyard and flying. This is flag #4 since we moved in. Dinner tonight will be minestrone.
Shabbat Shalom.
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