Raging against the Machine...
Normally, I am a very sensible man. Very objective and open minded.
Today, that isn't the case.
I am ENRAGED. And the thing is, it's at one particular group of people. This is almost never the case. And I guess, to be completely accurate, it's at all but five people in that group. So, who is this group that has earned my enmity, my burning ire? And why?
Senate Republicans voted to kill the Veterans Jobs Bill today. Forty of them to be exact. In the interest of being fair, there are the five who did the right thing today, and voted to keep the Veterans Jobs Bill alive.
Their names are as follows:
Senator Scott Brown (Massachusetts)
Senator Susan Collins (Maine)
Senator Dean Heller (Nevada)
Senator Lisa Murkowski (Alaska)
Senator Olympia Snowe (Maine)
As for the rest, they can reap their karma in some hideous way, as far as I'm concerned right now. It shames me to say, however, that one of these wastes of skin and oxygen came from my own state of Missouri: Roy Blunt. Fortunately, Clare McCaskill redeemed us and voted FOR the Jobs Bill. Thank you, Clare.
Below is my rather heated open letter to Mr Roy Blunt and Senate Republicans:
Mr Blunt and Senate Republicans, (an open letter)
I am a veteran. I vote.
That being said, I am positively livid with rage to find that you voted to block the Veterans Jobs Bill. Congress had NO problem sending young Americans to Iraq and Afghanistan to the tune of TRILLIONS of dollars. But when these young men and women return from the war YOU sent them to fight, you turn your back on them because it costs too much.
One billion dollars. The cost of less than TWO DAYS of the Iraq War. A cost that had been offset by new revenues. But evidently, you and almost all of the other Senate Republicans think they've already done enough and that our veterans don't deserve any more "handouts" for risking life limb and sanity in service to their country. Because really, spending a billion dollars on our vets is too much?
Senator Blunt and Senate Republicans, I consider myself an independent voter. But after today, you have made DEAD CERTAIN that I will vote for ANYONE other than a Republican. No amount of spin or talk offs will change my mind. Your said more effectively to day with your actions, with your vote of "NO!" than any cheap words ever can. If you want to convince me or anyone within the sound of my voice that you are truly serving the people you swore to, and more importantly, the brave young men and women who have done FAR more to serve this country than you have, then do it with action.
Today, you put a price tag on the lives of our soldiers. You said they weren't worth that much. You, who vote yourself regular pay raises. You, who go to war without a concern for the cost until it's too late.
A single drop of one soldier's blood is worth more to me than every single one of you sniveling excuses for a human being who voted against this. And your vote of "NO!" will reap a vote from me in kind. You voice has been heard. You said "NO!" to our veterans. Now hear me say "NO!" to Republicans.
Ben Reeder
Today, that isn't the case.
I am ENRAGED. And the thing is, it's at one particular group of people. This is almost never the case. And I guess, to be completely accurate, it's at all but five people in that group. So, who is this group that has earned my enmity, my burning ire? And why?
Senate Republicans voted to kill the Veterans Jobs Bill today. Forty of them to be exact. In the interest of being fair, there are the five who did the right thing today, and voted to keep the Veterans Jobs Bill alive.
Their names are as follows:
Senator Scott Brown (Massachusetts)
Senator Susan Collins (Maine)
Senator Dean Heller (Nevada)
Senator Lisa Murkowski (Alaska)
Senator Olympia Snowe (Maine)
As for the rest, they can reap their karma in some hideous way, as far as I'm concerned right now. It shames me to say, however, that one of these wastes of skin and oxygen came from my own state of Missouri: Roy Blunt. Fortunately, Clare McCaskill redeemed us and voted FOR the Jobs Bill. Thank you, Clare.
Below is my rather heated open letter to Mr Roy Blunt and Senate Republicans:
Mr Blunt and Senate Republicans, (an open letter)
I am a veteran. I vote.
That being said, I am positively livid with rage to find that you voted to block the Veterans Jobs Bill. Congress had NO problem sending young Americans to Iraq and Afghanistan to the tune of TRILLIONS of dollars. But when these young men and women return from the war YOU sent them to fight, you turn your back on them because it costs too much.
One billion dollars. The cost of less than TWO DAYS of the Iraq War. A cost that had been offset by new revenues. But evidently, you and almost all of the other Senate Republicans think they've already done enough and that our veterans don't deserve any more "handouts" for risking life limb and sanity in service to their country. Because really, spending a billion dollars on our vets is too much?
Senator Blunt and Senate Republicans, I consider myself an independent voter. But after today, you have made DEAD CERTAIN that I will vote for ANYONE other than a Republican. No amount of spin or talk offs will change my mind. Your said more effectively to day with your actions, with your vote of "NO!" than any cheap words ever can. If you want to convince me or anyone within the sound of my voice that you are truly serving the people you swore to, and more importantly, the brave young men and women who have done FAR more to serve this country than you have, then do it with action.
Today, you put a price tag on the lives of our soldiers. You said they weren't worth that much. You, who vote yourself regular pay raises. You, who go to war without a concern for the cost until it's too late.
A single drop of one soldier's blood is worth more to me than every single one of you sniveling excuses for a human being who voted against this. And your vote of "NO!" will reap a vote from me in kind. You voice has been heard. You said "NO!" to our veterans. Now hear me say "NO!" to Republicans.
Ben Reeder