N001391
Monday, January 07, 2002 4:16 AM
Oxymoron
Dear Special Master: (I love that title!)
Department of "Justice"?? That cracks me up!!!
And how much is pain and suffering and loss of salary worth to each of the families of the USS Cole, the Marine barracks in Bruit, Haiti, Grenada, Panama, the Gulf War, the US Embassies in Africa, Somalia, or even the one Sgt. killed in Afghanistan, et al?????? (We can put Vietnam, WWI, and WWII aside for now)!
I find it troubling that we in the Armed Forces have been fighting and dying without notice or extra compensation for a long time. The attitude of the public has always been"That's their job--- that is what they get paid for." But when it is firemen and policemen and a priest and it happens on American soil, somehow that is different?? Aren't embassies US soil, and US ships, etc. equally part of the American fabric?
I feel deeply for the legitimate survivors of the New York, Pentagon, and Pennsylvania casualties. As deeply, in fact, as I did when the USS Forrestal exploded and burned in the Tonkin Gulf in July of 1967. Ask my old squadron mate at the time, Sen. John S. McCain,III (R-AZ) about the 147 shipmates who were killed. We sent their families a letter of regret, their personal effects, a group life insurance check, and $255 to bury them.
Let's not get into the categories of survivors!!! That appears to be a "whole 'nuther story"too!!
So, with well in excess of a billion dollars to distribute, and discussions going on for reparations to slave descendents, etc, how about a little equity? And keep good records --- I'll want to see how much went to lawyers, overhead, and administration!
And tell the whiners to just SHUT UP!!!!!!!!
Individual Comment
Ridgecrest, CA