Response to Veterans day 5-25-08

Response to Veterans day 5-25-08
Peter Macdonald 465 Packersfalls rd Lee NH 03824 603-659-6217
Clayton of the Manchester Union Leader had a very touching article on Veterans today. He described the Veterans of Manchester NH that gave their lives for our freedom. John talked about where to go in the city to see the Plaque that the city marks the spot with. “Sacrificing all, they saved us” tells of so few that as children gave it all for us. Remembering the Veteran on Veteran’s day is not enough. It is what these Veterans gave it all for that we the people must recognize and protect. The news media should be the strongest advocate of this premises. Freedom of the press is one of the most important articles of our Constitution. This article is a checks and balance to what these children gave their lives for. The opinion unedited is a checks and balance for the average citizen to communicate to the public the wrongs of government. Every Veteran is a hero, some just did a special act that they are noted for. I have written letters describing the dismal, sub-livable, in-human conditions we lived through to become Veterans, only to be censored because it did not express the opinion of the newspapers. To remember what Veterans gave it all for and not live by it, makes the UL and all media Hippocrates.
Joe the publisher of the UL uses the memory of dead Veterans to talk about “earlier generations of our own families”. This editorial would be touching if it talked about earlier generations that at least were Veterans. Joe talked about Ted Kennedy, Bill Loeb (and Bill’s wife) I believe that these people did not serve in our military. What does the post leisure suit have to do with Veterans that gave it all. Other than these Veterans gave it all for freedom to allow Joe to use the occasion for his platform.
Lets talk about the Veterans that came home disabled. Lets talk about Veterans that came home with silent demons destroying their ability to survive back here. Lets talk about Veterans being denied medical care or the ones falling through the cracks because the system worries about the budget rather than care. Lets talk about the Politicians using the Veteran as a tool to improve their image only to forget the veteran when done. Lets talk about the Veteran that dies after coming home. Lets talk about the veteran who’s medical care is stopped for injuries received in service for the political self gain of others. Lets talk about the Veteran that commits suicide because we do not belong back here in a civilized society that refuses to accept what we did.
Let’s talk about the news media that will not print the opinion letters of Veterans because they are not the newspapers image. I fight silent demons off every day just to survive to remember these demons tomorrow. Does John or Joe really know whom the Veteran really is. For that matter does the news media understand that the Veteran gave it all for the people not the government or the news media. We the Veteran believe so much in the People that giving it all was nothing.
Peter Macdonald Sgt USMC Semper Fi