Today is the day we honor those who have given their lives and their youth in the service of our country
But that should go beyond slick slogans , television shows, parades, out flagging our neighbors while we leave the flags to hang until they deteriorate, and patriotic shouting matches that make us feel good, and must include taking care of the troops when they come home.
They should not face unemployment, loss of homes, lack of needed medical and mental health care, cuts to needed public assistance, and slashes to pensions and other benefits.
If we did not question the source of the money to wage two wars, we should not question where we can get the money to help those we sent to fight them.
If we can find ways to cut taxes to the corporations who benefit from the wars because they supply the weapons, uniforms, food, and gas, and who will benefit from what is gained when the wars are over, we can certainly find the money to help the returning troops, perhap by ending those big tax breaks given to those who have benefited.
Otherwise the phrase “support the troops” is just a hollow phrase to make us feel good, with no real benefit for the troops, as are those heart warming welcome home and surprise hug-the-wife-and-kids videos we see on the news on a regular basis that never show how abandoned the service men and women become when the cameras go off and they go home.
I do not like war, but I taught some of the troops in my classes over the years and know them as people, not just “troops”.
This is a collection of my troop related cartoons done over the last several years.
One of Tom Coburn’s last acts as senator
