I sure chuckled with Bessinger's Santa Claus analogy. Then, I laughed out loud. Peace on Earth to all and thank you VFP all over the country and the planet for all you do. Catherine VFPRCC109, Associate member.

What is so surprising is that the article is coming from the Washington Times ...a conservative newspaper.

Bush is good at one thing: Photo ops. Cheney, not so good. All wars are about greed, somebody always make out, but not the vets who fight them. The one thing we can go is at least honor them no matter what war, no matter if they come home more open eyed than when they went. It is their day and they deserve all of the kudos we can muster. Vets all, Good Job! Thanks.

I received a card a few weeks back from USAA, my insurance company. It read more or less - With all our respect, to a veteran. I've been with them for about 40 years, and since they only served the US services officer corps at that time of my joining, it's a good bet that I saw service during that last "quagmire". I have had them address me in the past as Lt. Smith USNR, so I guess they know. The card made me feel good, feel something different from all the bitterness and bile I have felt consumed by over the last few years toward the lapel buttons of those vile hypocrites wrapped in Ol'Glory, the yellow ribbons on their autos and trucks, and our pigmy leaders and their neocon mentors that have marched us, chanting war songs, into a world of fear, darkness, and hatred.

I felt with that card the honor of having served without having been like those fools who sing of the glory of nation and war. I believe that good soldiers who have their wits about them understand that war is intrinsically evil, even if directed against terror or against Islamic hoards. And I feel it is right and fitting for me to offer in quiet protest this poem that has been cited so many times before, written by warrior against war, against the absurd notion that "dulce et decorum est pro patria mori".

If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est
Pro patria mori.

Winfred Owen 1893 - 1918

Workreno --- way kudos !!! Stop the insane actions of our united states of aggression with the next generation. I too talked my son out of joining. The best thing we can do for our children and the children of the world.

If ever our Vets deserved a platform to speak it is today. What is disgraceful is when they are barred from Vet parades to speak up, speak out, and speak for the men and women in uniform today who have no voice, but are fighting a fool's war and will soon join their ranks as veterans with little recompense for their sacrifice, which the men in suits keep urging them to make. What is a disgrace is when a veteran has no place to call his home, or has trouble getting medical care. Those that don't agree could at least keep quiet in respect as they pass by with their signs, their leaflets, or if they are aloud with their prophetic words about this war.
AND ONE MORE DISGRACE IS GEORGE W. BUSH SHOWING UP AT A VET CENTER NAMED THE CENTER FOR THE INTREPID AND USING THIS AS A PHOTO OP. WHAT AN @#%*#*%@!

I am always amazed at how all of these people who claim to love Democracy. Say they believe in our freedom and want to defend it show another side to their belief's when it comes to something they don't want to hear!!!! We either have freedom of speech or we don't folks! You can't have it both ways! So make up your mind which way do you want it? Either we are a democracy with freedom of speech for everyone or we become George W Bush's vision of democracy in this country...fascist! Where no one but the 'ruling elite' are allowed to have an opinion. So, get over it Mr Cuellar! You are being misguided by Fox News!

Ahh Mr. Cuellar. You, sir, are so common in this society. You and so many other U.S. citizens that either haven't the brains or courage to stand up for what is right.
Can you imagine the near orgasmic joy swine like Bush and Cheney must feel? To see the droves of Cuellars still in existance even after all the theft, murder, lies they've caused and are causing? I'll bet those snakes have to take drugs to sleep. They're so excited over the ease with which they manipulate you drones it's hard to control that joy they feel. The thought of doing exactly what they want with your lives, the lives of your spawn, your money, the lives of the people of the nations they get the latest batch of idiots to invade and murder,..for THEM.
A nation of sheep, led by a cartel of whores, controlled by Israel / big business. Welcome, to the REAL Evil Empire.

Since when is an anti-war veteran not considered a veteran? Shameful.The anti-war veterans have as much right to march, as any other group out there. If people don;t like it; too bad. This is America people; more than one speaking voice!
We can celebrate bloodshed, but we can't celebrate peace? Screwed-up! I'd rather celebrate peace than bloodshed, any day of the week!

"War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today."
John F. Kennedy

Personally I think it is absurd to honor soldiers who go overseas to protect the investments of our corporations.

If we had a common enemy who tried to invade the USA then and only then would it be necessary to field an army and fight off the invaders.

But to train our best and brightest young men and women to kill, kill, kill on orders from their commanding officer is something that should not be celebrated.

Why should we be proud that our country has trained an army of automatons to kill on command?

If we had a real enemy that was threatening the stability of America and landing on our shores, than of course we need to defend ourselves.

But to honor soldiers who invade another country for exploitation purposes is ridiculous.

On this glorious Veterans Day I want to salute those brave Vets responsible for napalming innocent children in Vietnam.

I want to thank the soldiers of America for their wonderful treatment of the Vietnam residents of My Lai and the massacre of the elderly that followed.

I want to thank our brave men and woman of the armed forces for making all Americans proud for their heroic treatment of prisoners at Abu Grab.

Not sure when it became so fashionable to honor the senseless killing of other human beings that were no threat whatsoever to America or Americans.

I would still like an explanation from the Vets who wholeheartedly supported our misadventures overseas as to why they thought it was necessary to kill thousands of "Gooks" 8000 miles from home?
And why do most of them still support the invasion of a sovereign nation?

Honor the Vets that have saved us from an imaginary villain, I think not. I think it is a day we should remember the innocent victims of our overzealous military.

please enjoy my latest video efforts for this subject, ...GC
http://www.gratefulchild.org/projects/gcweb/gc/html/video/

...and also from my friend Medard at Big Pictures Small World:
Don't go - http://www.zendik.org/Don't_Go/dontgo.html

http://www.arlingtonwestsantamonica.org/

http://www.arlingtonwestfilm.com/

All should read : An Armnistice Day Legacy Olga Bonfiiglio

VA Hospitals with mold & mice,
The double jeopardy of Ehren Watada,
Suicides of Vets due to PTSD,
Disability and the devastation of families,
A soldier's grave defaced by bullies,
A soldier's grieving mother mocked and vilified,
A recent news story that one in 4 homeless persons are veterans. The vets should all be pist.They have been betrayed by their leaders and the country.
Peace is patriotic.

1968-1969: "We Thought The Revolution Was Starting."

"The war escalates as the peace movement becomes an international mass movement, and soldiers begin forming organizations and taking collective action: The Ft. Hood 43, Black soldiers who refused riot-control duty at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, are sentenced for up to 18 months each; the largest military prison in Vietnam, Long Binh Jail (affectionately called LBJ by the troops), is taken over by Black soldiers who hold it for 2 months; The Presidio 27–prisoners in the stockade on the Presidio Army Base in San Francisco–are charged with mutiny, a capital offense, when they refuse to work after a mentally ill prisoner is killed; underground newspapers published by antiwar GIs appear at almost every military base in the country; the American Serviceman's Union is formed; antiwar coffeehouses are established outside of military bases. In Vietnam, small combat-refusals occur and are quickly suppressed, but on Christmas Eve, 1969, 50 GIs participate in an illegal antiwar demonstration in Saigon. Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) is formed."

Everyone, please see the movie, "Sir No Sir!"

As is Obvious this is the Big Time on this Earth, etc For those of you not
aware of the astoundingly accurate predictions concerning this Now moment;
The US and our global police role and the ongoing human war machine and it's
seemingly inevitable Cosmic climax–from the Pleiadeans via Billy Meier called
the HENOCH PROPHECIES check this out:
http://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/Henoch%20Prophecies.html

"So many of the Plejaren predictions given to Swiss contactee Billy Meier have come true, that we'd be wise to heed the warning that terrible things will befall humanity and our planet if we can't learn to live together".

Veterans Day has always been a day of poop.
Nobody should ever support any troop anywhere.
Veterans should only tell horrible stories
to scare innocents away from war. They should
just keep the stories about how they got laid
to themselves. What we really need is millions more people no longer enabling war.

WorkReno: Your posting was right on! The war in Iraq was wrong from the word go. It was an neo-imperial war to gain control of Iraqi oil and place permanent bases in a strategically important area. The Bush chickenhawks lied to the American people saying that the war was about weapons of mass destruction and liberating the Iraqi people from Sadaam. But when they arrived in Baghdad, what did they do? They immediatedly secured the oil ministry and the oil fields and took over Sadaam's palaces to set up the neocon neo-colonial bureaucracy which now occupies the Green Zone and other palace complexes and fourteen huge bases. The Bush administration has committed the worst possible crime--lying the American people into an immoral and unnecessary war which has weakened us in many ways, not the least of them by overextending our military.

How murder in an illegal war is "politics" makes me sad

I celebrated Veteran's Day at Independence Hall in Philly. VETS4PEACE, along with help from some of us Pink's had placed headstones of over 1300 dead from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, tapped gently with gold nails were their photos, DOB, DOD and where they were KIA.Set the grid up, place all the gravestones, and remove all of the head stones at the end of the day as it grows dark on Veteran's Day. Placed throughout are actual dead military and dead civilian's.
The Vet's helped us Pink's hang the 'Peace Ribbon', it goes without saying there were no media, not many interested in what this was and seemed apathetic to it all. No ceremony, no speaker's, no tribute, just the somber 'Taps' played throughout the day as a reminder of what this represents.
Meantime in my burb of Philly, my Rep. was in state of rapture at the Veteran's Day ceremony and dedication of the new Veteran's cemetary opening. I would think they would be much happier at the prospect of bringing all home alive and unmaimed instead of dead in a new graveyard.
As a Vet and a Pink, activist's around here help each other's groups out, Philly, City of Brotherly Love, if you happen to believe that a corrupt administration has young men and women dying for nothing. If you are of the opinion that preventing these deaths seems what all would choose, let them walk by you and call you 'TRAITOR', we are Vet's that served this country, are aware of the cost and demand it be stopped. I am a Patriot, as are all anti-war Vet's and this country better start to understand lives are at stake before it is them or their child that they come knocking at the door for. There is not a flag large enough to cover the innocent dead.

Hey shannon in long beach. Bet you are a chicken hawk, representing chicken hawks. I go to Long Beach to spend my dollars on special occasions. Apparently your employers don't believe in allowing the voices of our veterans to be heard. You bet I'll find another place to distribute my dollars.

The best way to "honor" soldiers and veterans is to NOT start wars when they are Unnecessary!

When Wars are BUSHIT call them out.

That's respect for the awful, dreadful, more than real role of those who wouldo the killing for the people or rulers of a nation.

It is a very creeky pain of a cliche -equal to that in my knees these days -to openly long for the oh so vocal activist 6o's-70's peace-movement days but many of we pre & early-boomers cant help doing just that! For Pities Sake where are the demonstrators? the appalingly silent youth of America? where are the crowds in the streets that should have been there for the last 3-4 years demanding this arrogant destructive man Bush & his cronies leave Iraq. They deserve the open derision of all our youth today for pissing away our moral standing in the world. They deserve it far more than Lyndon Johnson did- who at least tried to lift so many out of abject poverty here at home?

JadedParole--what a great line at the end " as long as they shut up and die!"

Guess that pretty much says it all to the "patriots" who jeered the unlucky troops who managed not to----die, that is. Worse still, that they survived to expose the lies to intolerant armchair warriors. Unforgiveable!!! How dare they be so bold as to claim veteran status and then criticize! YIKES!!! Maybe such lack of reasoning is why reasonable exchanges just don't work with folks like that.

Guess they must be part of the twenty some odd percent who still think our country is on the right track. Good thing they are not the majority... nevermind, I know, I know, policies enacted in Washington would indicate otherwise.

For one explanation of recent events that makes sense and may explain many other things in our lives, a little time spent— perhaps as little as 30 minutes or so, may enlighten—- just copy and paste or type into " Google search" the following:

THE PSYCHOPATH - The Mask of Sanity

WORK RENO: Your posting gives me optimism, when generations of warriors stop to ask what it's all for and lay down their swords, angels sing.

SINCE 1492: Good posting.

ESHU: Excellent point.

Patriotism is a political sentiment. It is absolutely ridiculous to have a parade with veterans- themselves participants in politics carried to its most extreme limits and claim it isn't political. But then, in the United States, "mainstream" or "moderate" political views aren't seen as partisan. We are the silliest country on the planet, and we have more nukes then anybody else. No wonder people in other countries don't trust us. Our capacity to lie to ourselves about what politics is or isn't surpasses all logic.

Leave your politics at home?

Poor leaders make war part of their politics, war makes vetrans of soldiers, therefore you can not have vetrans without politics.

Declaring military action is a political decision. The process of attracting enlistees is all about politics. If they were drafted, that was surely political. And when and if those who have served return, how they are treated is again all about politics. We honor those who have served for their courage, their sacrifice and for their right and opportunity to share with all of us their experiences and what they think about them.

Conservative Republican Veterans do not own the march or have the right to exclude Veterans with differing viewpoints. Veterans need no permission to march in America. It's that simple.

Cult of the Warrior

A palapable silence of reverence where "soldier"
is synonymous with hero revered.
Where service in battle is holy and
mysterious dark foreigners feared.

We venerate our soldiers' presence on the always far front and with heads bowed in adoration try
to show off our symbols of public support --

as long as they shut up and die.

Al Markowitz

Chickenhawks don't have a say in this.

It takes massive brass balls to oppose the free speech rights of veterans. It also takes a total lack of respect to jeer veterans on Veteran's Day.

Unfortunately, this is the kind of country we now have, no respect for rights, morals or honestly held opinions. Instead there is respect and open forums for liars, celebrities, and war criminals. Bu$h the inferior is the shining example of this kind of pathetic excuse for a human. All of Bu$h the inferior's proudest moments came at the expense of other people or due to other's efforts. He just usurped the hard work and intelligence of others because he was the son of a powerful dynasty.

""This is supposed to be for the veterans. It's not about whether the war was right. The soldiers don't choose the war," said Mr. Cuellar."

He's right, you know - the soldiers don't choose the war - our "representatives" choose the war, and they are our proxies.

Now, the question is: Do we give unending support to our "representatives" and the system that brought them forth?

Good for Denver .I'm pleased to see that there are still a few places in this country that allow the men and women of the armed forces to express a little of what it was they were sent to protect.

I did place a call to Long Beach to express my diapointment in them.

A few years back I removed the USMC stiker from my truck and replaced it with a peace sign with the stars and stipes in the feild.

I'm not ashamed to have served ,but I didn't serve to spread brutality around the globe. I thought I was helping spread freedom .

My father and his father served ,that tradition ended with me so far .I talked my oldest son out of joining this fight to protect EMPIRE.

I advised him there may still be a cause worth risking his life for ,but this isn't it.

For someone to state that they would like to "keep politics of of it" is beyond my comprehention.

How disgusting is this, that people jeer the vets, who were actually in Iraq, and choose to speak out against this travesty. Are they less worthy of thanks and remembrance on Veterans' Day than those who just come home and stay quiet?

And, there is Cheney, speaking in place of the illustrious commander in chief, praising those who serve, when he took 5 deferments to avoid service. What a bunch of hypocrites!

"Conceit, arrogance and egotism are the essentials of patriotism.... Patriotism assumes that our globe is divided into little spots, each one surrounded by an iron gate. Those who had the fortune of being born on some particular spot, consider themselves better, nobler, grander, more intelligent than the living beings inhabiting any other spot. It is, therefore, the duty of everyone living on that chosen spot to fight, kill, and die in the attempt to impose his superiority upon all others." --Emma Goldman

If anyone has the right to Freedom of Speech, it's the Veterans who have sacrificed to secure that right for the rest of us in the USA, too. Free Speech Zones... incredible. We need our Troops defending our Freedoms at Home.

Theses Reality Show Fans surely don't seem to enjoy the real thing. Veterans marching for Peace ... embarrassing to Who ... those who are determined to "Win" an "Occupation" embarrass this ONE of THE PEOPLE.

Those Sheeple who allow fear to rule their thoughts and actions forget that WE the PEOPLE are not descended from cowards or corporate Vultures pretending to be Eagles. This IS the Home of the Brave AND the Land of the Free.

Anti-War vets are usually converts. They started off as true blooded Americans wanting to help their country. They have served honorably and now feel compelled to speak out. They love their country so much that they want to stop it from killing itself. Veterans, especially combat veterans, can hold incredible wisdom because they have been to the bottom of hell, and survived. It's the closest you can get to talking to the dead. Americans need to know the true consequences of our foreign policy. Veterans can provide them with all they need to know.
Hoa binh

"This is supposed to be for the veterans. It's not about whether the war was right. The soldiers don't choose the war," said Mr. Cuellar.

Those who join a voluntary force after a war starts certainly make a choice. And, even if we accept Mr. Cuellar's premise, that's all the more reason for them to be allowed to speak out afterwards.

I do believe the REASON they allowed the VFP was the court of public opinion. The Denver paper ran a poll and it ran two to one to include the VFP! Of course not all of us were from Denver, but, whatever works!

if it was for veterans, they were veterans. how anyone could jeer a vet for peace, leaves me shaking my head. in my mind, they are true heroes.

Flags are something you can display instead of courage and conviction. True patriots don't need flags.