This is from the Greenwich, CT TIMES, dated today:

After a congressional committee passed a budget proposing deep cuts for veterans benefits two weeks ago, the House and Senate revised it, instead increasing funding for veterans by nearly $4 billion for 2003-04. Veterans' groups and sympathetic legislators had lobbied to delete cuts totaling $15 billion over a 10-year period, including benefits and pensions for disabled veterans, according to Steve Thomas, a spokesman for the American Legion National Headquarters in Washington, D.C. The increased funding is part of a budget that will be negotiated by a joint congressional committee and will almost certainly be maintained or increased, U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Bridgeport, said.

I also read in our local paper that our VA hospital has over 400 veterans waiting to see a primary care physician because this VA hospital has been unable to hire another doctor.

Lepus, you are being disingenuous. It is never as black and white as you seem to think. As someone else noted there are very serious consequences if one was to refuse to do as commanded in the armed services. Also, most soldiers have others to think of, i.e. families, etc. before they go to extreme measures and get courtmartialed or worse.

This war is wrong, wrong, wrong. PeterT, the last bit you posted was brill and spot on. It is the leaders who are causing this mess we must blame and do something about, not the soldiers they command.

Well said, Sins!

kat