It's hard to believe it's been almost 2 months since I last went to work...
John came by to change the oil in his Neon Monday after he got home from work. He had all 3 grandkids with him, and since the youngest missed the cutoff date to start kindergarten by two weeks, and Dottie was off yesterday, he spent the night and went to see "Wall-E" with us. It was his 3rd time to see it, and he still was spellbound as I was. Dottie admitted afterwards that she enjoyed it much more than she had thought she would.
I heard a lot of commentary when it first came out that said it was "Chaplinesque". As someone who's seen not only a lot of Chaplin, but also Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd, I thought it was a lot more Keatonesque...Buster was always fooling around with one thing or another, Chaplin dealt much more with people (my two cents, lol).
It was very nice to see something that worked on so many levels that it not only could charm the children but adults as well!
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Monday I picked up a USA Today because I saw a story on the front page about mold in military barracks in Oklahoma. After all the promises that were made and the commissions that were held after the Walter Reed scandal, I (should have known better) expected more of the people entrusted with the care of our children.
Reading that this is yet another case of it being a place for care of the wounded returning from Iraq and Afghanistan irks me; reading this morning that they have now fired the patient advocate who reported the conditions to USA Today after they weren't resolved makes me think nothing has changed but the location.
NPR broke some stories about soldiers forced to accept less than honorable discharges after having been treated shamefully at a hospital in Fort Collins, and not given the medical care they should have been because they were deemed to have "discipline problems" instead of PTSD. It seems that behavior is also continuing.
Of course, I'm sure if someone drives off the road at 5AM trying to make a muster for PT while they are on psychotropics or sedatives (one of the stories in the link just above), it won't be the Army's fault...
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
It's time for the promises that are made to each person who enlists to be kept! That you will be taken care of properly, and if you are injured you will be cared for properly as long as necessary. Not abused and pushed to the point of reacting in a manner that allows someone to put you on the trash heap because it's cheaper!
This isn't someplace you can have beancounters draw a bottom-line...
This isn't the place to balance the budget...
These are our children; our brothers; our sisters; someone's parents...
They deserve better!
Garry Moore's closing to "I've Got a Secret" was always;
"Please be kind to each other"
which some of you know is where my wishing the week to be kind to you comes from.
I hope someone is kind to these poor veterans...
alan
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14 comments:
You are absolutely right!
I hope your week is kind to you =)
Looking forward to seeing Wall E soon, most reviews I've seen have compared it to Silent Running.
Interestingly my province is going through a big review/scandal/whistle-blower situation about how we treat severely mentally ill people within our public health system. That is just in the general population. Don't give them enough support, the stigma etc. Things are changing. But it was a few outspoken insiders and some very nosy reporters that brought this to light. Hopefully with your new president things will get better for these poor soldiers who deserve it most. Blogging about it helps so much too. Get the word out there. So YAY!
Right on, Alan!
But you know, those of us who oppose the war, we're the ones who don't sufficiently "support the troops." GRRRRR!!!!
I kept hearing of Wall-E as "Chaplinesque," too. It's nice that there are people like you around who actually know the difference!
Maybe your next career can be film critic? You know what the hell you're talking about, and that alone makes you better than half the critics working on the East Coast.
Maybe I'll start closing posts with Jerry Springer's surprisingly gentle closer: "Take care of yourselves, and each other." :-) And our soldiers, too...
Hi Alan,
Thank you for your wonderful words on my blog comments. I so hope you are right about my son remembering this time together, becuase I sure will!
Your post about the treatment of our soldiers is not only moving, but spot on.
Btw, I was feeling a little blue a few weeks back and decided to go see Wall-E. I was by myself, but must have laughed outloud several times. It truly was a delightful and brilliant movie. Glad to see you mention it.
Take care,
Sublime
This is a sad truth. They sacrifice so much. They take care of us and our country. We should take care of them.
this post made me sad. the things that happen in our world...
one thing is for sure... kindness starts at home ... and there is definitely kindness emanating from your home ...
thanks for spreading the love!
It is so sad and what is worse is that the the leaders in the Vets organizations are taken in by McCaine's constant references to his POW status.
I have Marine Sgt. G son in Iraq right now and I pray every day that he will stay safe.
Keep speaking up Alan dear friend!!
A fine film review and an excellent rant. I like the depth and breadth of your interests and heartfelt concerns. Yes, we should all be kind to each other. A good reminder.
The problems you outlined are not unique to US servicemen, Assistant deputy coroner Andrew Walker is regularly delivering devastating criticism to the mod and its failings. And the media has pointed poor accommodation and medical treatment.
Keep going on, something might improve.
alan, your comment on my post brought tears to my eyes. i thank you so much for that.....you have an amazing capacity to fill peoples' hearts...
j. :)
The arrogance of our elected officials to let this happen it in this country.
Absolutely shameful!
2 months already!
As everyone says, you are right. it's not just your government, it's the others too. Perhaps it would be more convenient if they just got themselves killed?
I hope your weekend is being kind to you.
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