By Jeff Orvis
Two recent events in the news prompted
today's soap box edition.
We recently commemorated Memorial Day.
The thoughts of many of us centered on the sacrifices made by our men
and women in the armed forces who defended this country throughout
its history. The annual concert in Washington was especially moving
this year, as we heard the story of two brothers. One was seriously
wounded in combat and the other ultimately couldn't cope with his
injuries and committed suicide.
Stories like this are repeated
hundreds of times each day as we slowly begin drawing down our combat
commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan. But for the many soldiers and
sailors who return home and are able to pick up their lives, there
are others who will spend months or years rehabilitating injuries
that are apparent and others who wrestle with the trauma of what they
have experienced.
Unfortunately, it is apparent that our
government became much more efficient in sending troops off to war
than they have been in taking care of them when they return. Unlike
the Vietnam War, when many of the returning troops were viewed as
second-class citizens by a lot of people who were against our
involvement over there, many of us, regardless of how we feel about
our longest war that is still underway, welcome the returning troops
as heroes.
It's a little strange, since many who
fought in Vietnam had no choice. There was a draft at that time and
unless you had a physical problem or a student deferment, you were
more than likely headed across the ocean. In our current situation,
those who are fighting are volunteers. They didn't have to sign on
the dotted line.
While our government may have done a
poor job convincing a lot of us that we should be fighting in the
Middle East, perhaps our view of the returning troops is partially
based on our shame on how the troops were treated when they came back
from Vietnam.
Even though they volunteered, I have
no problem viewing the returning men and women as heroes. They had a
job to do and they did it, sometimes time after time. They are
trained and are willing to defend those of us who are far less able
to do it ourselves.
The other recent event was the news
that two bridges in this country collapsed. One was struck by a
truck, another by a train. But both were older structures and it's
still not clear whether the collisions would have caused the same
damage if the bridges were in better condition in the first place.
It will take millions of dollars to
repair or replace both of these bridges. And these incidents again
brought to light the deteriorating condition of this nation's
infrastructure. That includes bridges and roadways, but it also
includes such things as water and sewer systems, some not upgraded
for decades. Just ask some of the folks in a Davenport neighborhood
who are still scooping mud and sludge from their basements after an
inadequate sewer system, coupled by heavy rain, caused sewer back-up.
When you sift through some of the understandable blue language, you
will get a hint on what needs to be done, where the priorities for
future funding should be.
That's the point. The time has come
for this country to take a hard look at its present and future
priorities. If we are viewing our returning troops as our protectors,
our heroes, it's time we treat them like that. There's no reason why
veterans should wait months for treatment. There's no reason why the
veterans' support staff – spouses and children – should live in
poverty and uncertainty while the soldier serves.
We have 535 men and women who must
determine how our tax dollars are spent. Each member of Congress has
to make the tough decisions on how those dollars are spent. I hope
that most of them do so by taking into consideration the good of the
people, not just in their own district or state, but across the
nation. But unfortunately, with the rising cost of political
campaigns, influence in the form of lobbyists flows through the halls
of the Capitol like some of that sludge in the Davenport
neighborhood.
Sometimes I wonder if we could
suddenly pick three citizens, totally at random and have them
determine how our tax money is spent if they might not do a better
job. We've all had the “if I ruled the world” thoughts. Maybe
they would decide we really don't need military bases in several
European countries. The military show plane divisions, the
Thunderbirds and the Blue Angels, put on spectacular shows around the
country and elsewhere. Their operations have been suspended during
our current budget crisis. But when they resume, stop and think how
many thousands of dollars are spent on jet fuel and personnel each
afternoon and how many hours of rehabilitation for our wounded
warriors those dollars could buy.
Maybe the best way to honor the
service of our armed forces or to help our friends and neighbors
recover from natural disasters is to ask the congressional candidates
the tough questions on where their priorities truly lie.
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