Sorry, Charlie.

"If a young fellow has an option of having a decent career or joining the Army to fight in Iraq, you can bet your life that he would not be in Iraq. Those who have the least opportunities at this age find themselves in the military, as I did when I was 18 years old...
"If there's anyone who believes that these youngsters want to fight, as the Pentagon and some generals have said, you can just forget about it. No young, bright individual wants to fight just because of a bonus and just because of educational benefits. And most all of them come from communities of very, very high unemployment."
- Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY), 11/26/06


My husband joined the Army as a Cavalry Scout the day that President Bush the Elder started Desert Storm. He came from a military family and his grandfather was a Green Beret who had been killed in Vietnam. Most of his cousins joined as well. No doubt the GI benefits assisted him in his education -- he went to college and law school following his service. But he could have received those GI benefits, without becoming a disabled veteran, without choosing a combat MOS. But he chose that for love of country, hard as it is for Charlie Rangel to believe that.

My brother had every benefit known to mankind growing up and he volunteered and went to the front lines of Vietnam.

The stories are endless of those who serve because of a sense of duty, honor and country -- more than just words on the House of Representatives floor, Charlie.....to most of those serving, there is a lot of blood in the Constitution they would give their lives to defend. You swore to uphold the Constitution, Charlie, and you served your nation honorably in the military too. So tell me, Congressman Rangel - were/are those just words to you? An opportunity? A means to an end? Are you doing it for the benefits of your comfortable office and staffers to wait on you, Charlie? Or are you doing it for love of country?

Stop insulting our troops, Congressman Rangel. It is beneath the oath of office you took.