In response to the Deceased Service member & Veterans, the Fight for Dignity of our Humanity!
In light of recent events of the government shut down, as well as the travesties of the and having worked at Dover Port Mortuary and DOD Office of Causality Affairs, I feel it is my moral duty to speak clearly in regards to the withholding of Death benefits of the over the dead, whom have perished in Afghanistan since 1 October 2013. I speak as one whom was directly involved in this sad & quiet part of the war, that few understand and is rarely spoken about. The need to discuss the comings and goings on of Dover Port Mortuary and other aspect of procedures & investigatory actions is not what is in question here. This position which I take is to the inaction of the Congress, and specifically at the extremists within the Congress, and those whom would seek to use any deceased service member, as well as deceased Veterans, as political cannon fodder. It is by the extremists hands the present events occurred, none other!! They are to blame! The Tea Party Republicans are the instigators of this barbaric travesty! While I am against the war as a whole, I feel it is necessary to put that issue aside to focus on the topic at hand.
First I wish to quote Under Secretary of Defense, Robert Hale whom said the following:
“This is ghoulish, but it's the law, not policy. Remember that,” Under Secretary of Defense Robert Hale told reporters at a briefing on Sept. 27. “If the death [of a soldier] occurred after the lapse took place, then the money would be obligated after the lapse took place, and we would have no authority to pay based on that money until the lapse ended.”
This cited from Under Secretary of Defense Robert Hale, citation taken from MSNBC:
Again, I wish to quote from MSNBC:
“Seventeen service members have died since the government shut down Oct. 1, a senior defense official said, including six in Afghanistan. None of the families of the 17 received the death gratuity.”
Citing from MSNBC:
It must be noted, since 1 October 2013 that with the 17 already deceased Service Members along with the 5 additional dead as of recent this brings the total number to 22. At least by my account, this is not taking into account the numbers of Veterans who’s families wait to bury their loved ones, as well as the number of Veterans now out of the service whom commit Suicide daily. That number well established from various sources as 22 per day. A cruel and tragic matter in itself.
The extremist faction of the Republican Party in my view, and based upon my personal experience in working in Casualty and Mortuary affairs shows not only their narcissistic character, they also show their lack of concern for the value of life, the mourning of the families as well as their contempt for the military and veterans. They call themselves “patriots”, whist their behavior factually is established, with overt & imperious demeanor. It is not the welfare of the country they care for. The Tea Party only cares for their self centered agenda at any cost! It was not an oversight which caused this travesty, it is a deliberate and calculated intent to demoralize and do harm the military, veterans, and the country as a whole.
Again, I wish to further point out that 22 of our brothers and sisters commit suicide each day! Death does not stop because the tyrannical extremists in the Republican Party have decided to hold us hostage to their self indulgent whims! The Veterans Administration is also held hostage to these terrorists! What of those whom will commit suicide today! What about those Veterans whom have passed from this earth and had it in their wills to be buried in a veteran’s cemetery?! What now?! What will the Republican Party say to those families of the deceased veterans!?
I put it to you kind and gentle folk, what is the number?! How many more will die by suicide, IED, gunshot wounds, and the list goes on!! How many families will have to wait to have their loved ones interred at a Veterans Cemetery Is there an acceptable number of dead that must be reached before the extremist republicans will relent their death grip of the country?! What is their number 100? 200? 1000?! Or is there a higher number which will satisfy their lust for blood & insatiable thirst for power!
Such callous indifference should not be tolerated by clear thinking members of Congress, Veterans, treasured Citizens; nor by the media. Instead we as a whole should regard the inaction; using tragedy, victimizing Veterans and the public at large, as psychologically narcissistic, political terrorism & willful sedition. We should loudly protest in person and utilizing any and all means of communication. And if and when necessary applying the same law which we are all held to, to those members of Congress who act to subvert the rule of law!
My hope is to inspire good souls in further action. If you are furious over what happened, and presently occurring, then we think of one accord! The extremists in Congress have shown their psychopathic side. While it is now known that Congress has passed and amended the Death Benefit there still remains those whom are forgotten, The Veterans whom commit suicide and those Veterans whom wait to be buried! Beyond doubt, we in IVAW have in various ways been involved in the Anti-war movement. But in the present climate we must consider our fellow Human Beings and their plights. It is said that the dead do not cry, I beg to differ, in my personal experience I have seen tears of deceased service members at Dover Port Mortuary. Such is my experience and so remain haunted to this day by this and many other experiences there!
While I know that many are involved in other activities, I call upon you to consider what we can do in the best interests of caring for our sisters and brothers whom serve at present. Also veterans of past and present whom have a right to heal and a right to be laid to rest in peace in the hopes that war as a whole will become a distant memory in human existence, for all time.