Pubdate: Sat, 14 Nov 2009
Source: Jacksonville Daily News (NC)
Copyright: 2009 Jacksonville Daily News
Contact:  http://www.jdnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/216
Cited: Drug Policy Alliance, http://www.drugpolicy.org

HOW POLITICIANS CAN HONOR VETERANS

This area is well known not only for the presence of  military forces
but also its widespread appreciation of  military service.

While honoring service and sacrifice is part of the  fabric of local
life, however, Veterans Day activities  often were overlooked in years
past.

Part of the reason could be where the holiday falls on  the calendar -
between Marine Corps Birthday  celebrations and Thanksgiving. It has
only been in  recent years that a genuine recognition of the day has
taken a firmer hold on the public's conscience.

This year's Veterans Day Parade in Jacksonville was  perhaps the best
attended of the last several years. It  took a lot of hard work and
concentrated effort to make  that happen, but groups such as Rolling
Thunder Chapter  NC-5 are to be commended for taking over the lead and
  elevating these festivities to a more appropriate  level.

One of the undeniable virtues of Veterans Day is that  it has not been
subjected to the modern American craze  for three-day weekends,
regardless of historical  significance.

Veterans Day is rooted in Armistice Day, which is  rooted in concrete
history. Sadly, the Great War did  not turn out to be the "war to end
all wars," and the  holiday was expanded to become Veterans Day - a
day to  honor all American military veterans.

It is also appropriate to honor veterans by assuring  that they are
not asked to be willing to make the  ultimate sacrifice except in
causes and conflicts that  are worthy of their heroism, conflicts in
which a clear  set of criteria for victory and success are laid out
and a practical and comprehensible strategy for  achieving those
objectives is in place.

That is especially important in the context of a war in  Afghanistan
that civilian policy-makers may be  preparing to escalate.

It is also noteworthy, as the Drug Policy Alliance  documented in a
recent report, that veterans with  substance-abuse problems, which
tend to increase during  periods of active conflict, are not being
treated  intelligently.

Some 30 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans show  symptoms of
post-traumatic stress, and many  "self-medicate" with alcohol or
drugs. Instead of  treating such problems with substitute drugs like
methadone (not covered under the military's Tricare  health benefits
program), all too often we put such  veterans in jail.

However wise or foolish the policies of civilian  governments are, the
bravery and dignity of veterans -  especially in an era of a volunteer
military - is  worthy of honor and respect.

Those who serve do so of their own choice. We all can  honor that
choice by making sure our elected  representatives ensure the cause
and conflict they  willingly sacrifice for is worthy. 
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jo-D