Margaret, Jesse, and a friend are here. It's a treat to see the guys - even though they spent most of the evening playing paintball. They are taking me to catch the shuttle to the airport in the morning (John will be at PT). This will be the last time we see him before he goes to overseas. (I wanted to say Ira[k], but for some reason, that letter that comes between "p" and "r" seems to be stuck and won't type.) Please keep him in your thoughts.
Anna Quindlen's article, "Because It's Right", about a revitalized GI Bill, in the 31 March 2008 issue of Newsweek Magazine is right on! She frequently is, but this one defiinitely gets my vote. Click here to read the whole article, but I must quote the last two paragraphs.
The original GI Bill set the standard for innovative and audacious legislation. It was right in both senses of that word: the sensible thing to do, and the moral thing as well. And it helped expunge the shameful treatment of World War I veterans, many of whom had found themselves unemployed and destitute. The Department of Defense says it's a different era now, with a war that drags on and a volunteer Army, than it was when the GI Bill was first signed. But it's the same era, too. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that unemployment among young veterans is three times the national average. Already some Iraq vets are homeless and have substance-abuse problems.
Offering these men and women a college education is the least we can do. It's not free; they've already paid, in Fallujah and Kabul. If Congress wants an economic-stimulus package, this is a great one. A Topeka, Kans., lawyer and national commander of the American Legion, Harry Colmery, was the architect of the original GI Bill. He asked a question that is as resonant today as it was then: "If we can spend 200 to 300 billion dollars to teach our men and women to kill, why quibble over a billion or so to help them to have the opportunity to earn economic independence and to enjoy the fruits of freedom?"
I'll be out of town for a week or more, and my postings might be irregular until I get back home. We shall see.
Today's photo is shadow patterns from Charles Towne Landing, Charleston, SC.
Anna Quindlen's article, "Because It's Right", about a revitalized GI Bill, in the 31 March 2008 issue of Newsweek Magazine is right on! She frequently is, but this one defiinitely gets my vote. Click here to read the whole article, but I must quote the last two paragraphs.
The original GI Bill set the standard for innovative and audacious legislation. It was right in both senses of that word: the sensible thing to do, and the moral thing as well. And it helped expunge the shameful treatment of World War I veterans, many of whom had found themselves unemployed and destitute. The Department of Defense says it's a different era now, with a war that drags on and a volunteer Army, than it was when the GI Bill was first signed. But it's the same era, too. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that unemployment among young veterans is three times the national average. Already some Iraq vets are homeless and have substance-abuse problems.
Offering these men and women a college education is the least we can do. It's not free; they've already paid, in Fallujah and Kabul. If Congress wants an economic-stimulus package, this is a great one. A Topeka, Kans., lawyer and national commander of the American Legion, Harry Colmery, was the architect of the original GI Bill. He asked a question that is as resonant today as it was then: "If we can spend 200 to 300 billion dollars to teach our men and women to kill, why quibble over a billion or so to help them to have the opportunity to earn economic independence and to enjoy the fruits of freedom?"
I'll be out of town for a week or more, and my postings might be irregular until I get back home. We shall see.
Today's photo is shadow patterns from Charles Towne Landing, Charleston, SC.
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