It was all I could do not to drive off the road when I heard this story

[dsc]

http://wunc.org/news/archive/NLM0911__OBIT.mp3/view

This is called Remembering Christian. Christian was a Canadian who came here at age 11. He became an Army sniper and was on four tours of duty. As he sat in Iraq getting more disolusioned with his mission his family had to ship him underwear and he had an ill fitting kevlar vest. In addition, despite repeated promises he never was able to become a citizen because he couldn't get english language ones sent to him. Billions of dollars being spent and we can't supply underwear to our troops. I went and bought underwear the other day. 9 pairs for $30 or less. Is that really too much for us to spend? We don't even buy underwear for our troops.

Then I heard this story and I got even madder.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14360278

This one is about a man named Ronald Hinkle. He got a devastating brain injury in Iraq and now owes over 18k in medical bills, lost 70k in benefits to which he is entitled due to army incompetence, and didn't have 5k in travel expenses paid like they should have. This man is going to lose his house. This is one of those small sacrifices Boehner talks about. This man should be set for life. He should be sleeping on silk sheets, eating gormet food, and have every need taken care of forever. He should want for nothing. The people who let this happen have no business whatsoever lecturing us about the troops.

Shame on all of them.

[rateyes]

1. We're too busy shipping 39 cent washers to Iraq...

at the shipping cost of $1,000,000.00 a piece.

[Roy]

2. Does Haliburton, KBR sell underwear??????

Well, there's your answer.

[ruiner4u]

3. I heard that NPR story on Hinkle on my way home today...

Utterly disgusting....

I thought how Rush and Hannity would make this man their poster child if it happened under Clinton...

[peacetalksforall]

5. Someone should make a poster of Hinkle and Hannity or Hinkle and

Boehner or Hinkle and Cheney. Or Hinkle and Rumsfeld. Sell them for $3.00 or all four for $11.00 to raise some money for this guy. The self-blinded followers might think Hannity is honoring Hinkle.

[lonestarnot]

4. Not surprised or shock at either situation. How much are the bushitlers as private bushilters

donating for underwear? Probably not one fucking nickle yet.

[pingzing58]

6. Obama was able to raise 3 million for his campaign and how many underwear would that get our troops?

[TexasProgresive]

10. It is the responsibility of the government to house, feed & equip

the troops. It is not the responsibility of people donating to a political campaign or the church or whatever. It is what we pay taxes of which a hugh amount goes to defense.

So what's your point?

[robinlynne]

7. The people who "let" this happen are the ones profiting from it.

[Breeze54]

8. We need to get them all out of there!

I've heard similar infuriating stories. Especially about the soldiers at Walter Reed who didn't
even have pajamas and the military wasn't supplying them to the wounded soldiers and they had
to walk around, if they could walk, in hospital gowns with their butts hanging out the back and
they even had to pay for phone calls!! :grr:

:(

We need to bring them all home!!

:kick: & Recommended

[femrap]

9. That is nothing.....

I spoke with the mother of a soldier in Iraq.....THE SOLDIERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR BUYING THEIR OWN UNIFORMS...AND THEY ARE $250.00 EACH!!!! It is thouroughly disgusting. And I'm sure they're Made In China...right?

She said she is always sending boxes of socks/underwear/etc.

Oh....and the soldiers MUST have these special sunglasses...her son had already gone thru 2 pair...and THEY COST $80 EACH!!!!

I FUCKING HATE W AND ALL OF THE CHICKENHAWK NEOCONS.

And now he is going to speak to the nation. Goddess help us.

[BrklynLiberal]

11. and these are only the stories we hear about..... no doubt there are thousands that never hit

the news services. The heroes we do not know about suffer lives of lonely frustration and futility.

[BrklynLiberal]

12. self -delete...double post.