Letter to the Editor: Sour grapes

By RON SHAW Capt
USAF
Retired Orem

Editor,
The tsunami in South Asia is certainly one of the most devastating disasters in recent memory, and yes, we should show our support as a nation.
However, isn’t it interesting how the money can surface in the wink of an eye, how the flag can be flown half mast quickly, and how we instantly bend to the whining of the United Nations. This is particularly interesting when the argument against our aging military retirees promised health benefits is because of lack of money. Also, our WWII and Korean War veterans are dying at the rate of over 1,100 per day and flags are not flying half mast for them, and the United Nations did not step forward with help for any of our recent catastrophic events in the form of hurricanes and tornadoes, and we apparently cannot even afford the needed body armor and equipment to insure maximum safety for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
We are a proud and free nation. We are, without a doubt, the most powerful and greatest nation in the world today. Yet, we cannot adequately honor those who made this, and who are now making this, possible. Why? Our politicians need to wake up and smell the roses and do what is right for our military, both active and retired. If we don’t, how can we expect those on active duty today, making many of those same sacrifices we did, remain on as the career backbone of the United States Military.
Is this sour grapes? I think not, as I have personally stepped forward with monetary help for 9-11, disaster relief, and now for the tsunami relief effort. I just feel strongly that we should honor commitments to our own as well as to others. Let us put our priorities where they belong, and not use the excuse of a lack of funding for our own, when we can immediately step forward for others, just so we look politically correct in the eyes of the world. They will all readily accept it and yet shortly be back bashing Americans.