Bean vote a slap in face of Iraq vets
I am dismayed that 8th Congressional district Rep. Melissa Bean voted against the new G.I. bill proposed with bipartisan support by Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia.
No doubt she thought the bill was too expensive. Nevertheless, this is a slap in the face to all veterans from all generations.
One of the best programs ever enacted by our nation was the WWII G.I. bill.
The original impetus was to prevent a reoccurrence of the disastrous veterans' bonus march of 1932.
In the dark days of the Depression, an estimated 15,000 destitute veterans descended on Washington to demand payment of a bonus promised in 1924 for their service in the "Great War."
The march was violently repressed. The event is largely forgotten today. But for President Roosevelt and the Democratic Congress of the day, the stain on the nation's honor was much on their minds.
And so the WWII G.I. bill was enacted in 1944. Later, lesser versions were extended to Korean and Vietnam War veterans.
Millions of veterans have since gone to college to become our nation's leaders in the post-war era. Without the G.I. bill, many would have never attended college.
I, like so many vets, was one of the beneficiaries of the Korean G.I. bill.
Whether or not one agrees with the Iraq War, to paraphrase Winston Churchill, "never have so few been placed in harm's way for so many."
We owe these men and woman more than just the token of "Support the Troops" car magnets, lapel pins and medical care from a swamped, under-funded V.A.
Regrettably, Rep. Bean has sided with President Bush, who has threatened to veto Sen. Webb's bill.
Apparently, President Bush thinks spending a projected $3 trillion on our Iraq misadventure is a better deal than investing in ourselves. Ultimately, the G.I. bill is an investment in our society and our collective future.
In an era where we face fierce competition from abroad to develop, attract and retain the best and the brightest, it's hard to think of a better long-term bargain for the nation.
Fred Arenas
Arlington Heights