Here are pictures from the Los Angeles Encampment to Stop the War, 9.22.07
It was beautiful weather, a great day. More people joined us, and of course Ron Kovic moved the group with his recollections of his experience over 30 years ago where he and other disabled veterans took over the 17th floor of the Veterans Adminstration leading to a 17 day hunger strike.
"In virtually every appearance by any and every elected politician that speaks of the current war publicly calls out to “support for our troops” yet refuses to address that which is killing them? The war itself. And roused by these hucksters the pathetically deluded, self-injuring American public adorns their cars with “Support Our Troops” stickers while refusing to understand that they are in fact supporting our troops with lip service as their own government is killing them slowly.
"With more war in the planning as I write this, let me suggest that ruling power, especially the reactionary power of Bush-Cheney, will never relent unless it faces overthrow by democratic, yet undefeatable force. That time has come again. Or again, nothing will change except this time matters will worsen."
On Thursday, March 15, join Veterans, Military Families, and Active-Duty Military Members will lead a car caravan from the contingent to Walter Reed Hospital to protest the negelct and abuse of veterans by President Bush, Congress, and the Pentagon.
Veterans, Military Families, GI's Car Caravan to Walter Reed
Veterans, Military Families, GI's Car Caravan to Walter Reed
On Thursday, March 15, at 3 pm Veterans, Military Families, members of the active duty military, and supporters will participate in a car caravan to Walter Reed Hosptial, where we will hold a rally and press conference to denounce the despicable treatment of Veterans by the President, Congress, and the Pentagon.More details will be posted as soon as possible.If you are interested in participating, email veterans@troopsoutnow.org
President Bush, Congress, and other supporters of the war like to crow about how they "support the troops," but we know that ever since this war began, we've been hearing reports of them housing wounded soldiers in moldy, rat-infested facilities and denying them access to basic care.
When they say "support the troops," they're just using the troops as human shields for their failed policies. If anyone on Capitol Hill or in the White House cared about the troops, they would bring them home and provide adequate care for the wounded.
Join us on Thursday, at 3 pm for the car caravan to Walter Reed!
The Forgotten Wounded of Iraq By Ron Kovic
Wednesday 18 January 2006
Thirty-eight years ago, on Jan. 20, 1968, I was shot and paralyzed from my mid-chest down during my second tour of duty in Vietnam. It is a date that I can never forget, a day that was to change my life forever. Each year as the anniversary of my wounding in the war approached I would become extremely restless, experiencing terrible bouts of insomnia, depression, anxiety attacks and horrifying nightmares. I dreaded that day and what it represented, always fearing that the terrible trauma of my wounding might repeat itself all over again. It was a difficult day for me for decades and it remained that way until the anxieties and nightmares finally began to subside.
As I now contemplate another January 20th I cannot help but think of the young men and women who have been wounded in the war in Iraq. They have been coming home now for almost three years, flooding Walter Reed, Bethesda, Brooke Army Medical Center and veterans hospitals all across the country. Paraplegics, amputees, burn victims, the blinded and maimed, shocked and stunned, brain-damaged and psychologically stressed, over 16,000 of them, a whole new generation of severely maimed is returning from Iraq, young men and women who were not even born when I came home wounded to the Bronx veterans hospital in 1968.
Veterans, Military Families, Active Duty GIs - Car Caravan to Walter Reed
Veterans, Military Families, Active Duty GIs - Car Caravan to Walter Reed
President George W. Bush and Congress hide behind the mantra "support the troops" as a justification for continuing the occupation of Iraq, and yet, ever since the beginning of the war, they have housed wounded soldiers in filthy, rat-infested housing and denied them decent care.
George W. Bush doesn't care about the troops--the young people in the military are drawn largely from poor communities and communities of color, lured into enlisting by phony promises of high-tech job training and easy money for college. When they return stateside, wounded and in need of care, they are abused and negelcted.
Now that the problem has hit the front page of the Washington Post, Senators are rushing to denounce the deplorable conditions. However, the problem at Walter Reed, and in the military hospitals in general, is not new--this has been going on since the beginning of the war, and the White House, the Pentagon, and Congress knew about it -- and chose to do nothing, except to make speeches about how they "support the troops."
During the Encampment to Stop the War, a contingent of military families, veterans, active duty GIs, and supporters will participate in a car caravan to Walter Reed Hospital, where we will demand that Congress really support the troops - bring them home, and take care of them.
Donate!
If you can't join us at the Encampment - you can still be a part of this mobilzation to Stop the War at Home and Abroad. Please consider making a generous donation to help cover the costs of transportation, food, tents, sound equipment, and much more. You can donate online donate online at http://troopsoutnow.org/donate.shtml.
