Iraq Veteran: Why Is McCain ‘Fighting To Kill’ ‘My One Hope And Dream,’ To Go To College After War?
Iraq Veteran: Why Is McCain ‘Fighting To Kill’ ‘My One Hope And Dream,’ To Go To College After War?
Today, nine members of Iraq Veterans Against the War testified before the Congressional Progressive Caucus about their experiences fighting in the Iraq war. Kristofer Goldsmith, who served Sadr City and was stop-lossed after returning home, revealed that he had attempted suicide and was discharged. The discharge forced him to forfeit the educational benefits promised under the GI bill and thus his “one hope and dream” to go to college:
I was stop-lossed. My one hope and dream in the military was to go to college after I went through Iraq. I attempted suicide. I never deployed a second time. Because of that I received a general discharge. I lost my college benefits, the $40,000 promised to me in the Montgomery GI Bill, I will not be eligible to receive. And currently there is a Senator in Congress currently running for president, who is fighting to kill our Webb GI bill. And I’m one of the soldiers who will never get that money.
Watch it:
Of course, Goldsmith is referring to Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), who has steadfastly opposed Sen. Jim Webb’s (D-VA) bipartisan attempt to dramatically expand educational benefits for returning veterans. In fact, McCain’s own watered-down alternative, which reserves the most generous benefits to those who serve at least 12 years, would exclude soldiers like Goldsmith who suffered physical or psychological problems that made serving 12 years impossible.
The Pentagon also sees no problem with excluding soldiers like Goldsmith from reaping educational rewards. Just recently, a Pentagon spokesman criticized Webb’s bill for providing full educational benefits to soldiers “after only two years of service.” He said that “six years would show a commitment to service” — a commitment the Pentagon apparently thinks Goldsmith, who could not serve for a full six years, never demonstrated.
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32 Responses to “Iraq Veteran: Why Is McCain ‘Fighting To Kill’ ‘My One Hope And Dream,’ To Go To College After War?”
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Why?
May 15th, 2008 at 10:11 pmBecause McCain is owned by the same people who own Cheney and Bush, and they want all the money for themselves and the hired guns that protect them.
They are bleeding America for a profit, just as they wish to bleed the whole world for a profit.
“six years would show a commitment to service”
Time served has absolutely nothing to do with sacrifice! You can die or be hurt as you step off the plane arriving in Iraq. Their use of “time” like this is obviously to restrict the GI benefits and the troops be damned!
May 15th, 2008 at 10:16 pmJust recently, a Pentagon spokesman criticized Webb’s bill for providing full educational benefits to soldiers “after only two years of service.” He said that “six years would show a commitment to service” — a commitment the Pentagon apparently thinks Goldsmith, who could not serve for a full six years, never demonstrated.
Indeed. Six years is enough for at least four tours of duty in Iraq. We really need to ask our soldiers to put their lives on the line that many times, trying to make something out of Dubya’s mess that Dubya’s daughters won’t do, to show that they’re deserving of an education on the gummint tab (if they manage to come home in one piece and not in a box). That’s commitment. Or at least grounds for such….
Cheers,
May 15th, 2008 at 10:18 pmBut he was a POW, that negates anything he does afterward! Why can’t you people understand the genius of circular logic of the GOP playbook!
May 15th, 2008 at 10:20 pmBut he was a POW in Vietnam! That negates the rest of his actions.
May 15th, 2008 at 10:22 pmMcCain is the biggest hypocrite–he has branded himself as “the troops are us” senator but votes against any increase in veterans’ benefits. What he really wants is the end of the world–see Hagee and Parsley and all his other “End Times” believers.
May 15th, 2008 at 10:28 pmATTENTION ANYONE IN THE DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP WHO MAY BE READING THIS: PERFECT TV AD.
BURY THEM..PLEASE?
May 15th, 2008 at 10:34 pm“six years would show a commitment to service”
then what does the 0 years you’ve served show?
May 15th, 2008 at 10:38 pmkiacyclic Says:
But he was a POW in Vietnam! That negates the rest of his actions.
yeah you’re right! Kerry wasn’t patriotic enough to become a POW…./snark
May 15th, 2008 at 10:40 pmKerry was considerably more competent in his service.
May 15th, 2008 at 11:03 pmThis needs to be made into a campaign ad, stat.
May 15th, 2008 at 11:27 pmIn May of 1955 I received a letter from the President of the United States that started with “Greetings from the President of the United States, you have been selected by your friends and neighbors…” From that time on I have had had very few friends and no neighbors. One year, eleven months, and 29 days later I was allowed to become a civilian again. The results of that letter, and the only thing that made the time served worthwhile, was a Masters Degree from a University. An accomplishment totally unattainable without the GI Bill. The greatest threat to my well being while in the service was on the streets of Long Branch, New Jersey. Why are the young people of today any less entitled to a small stipend such as a college education for putting their life on the line? I, and thousands like me, was fortunate enough to serve my time under a sane President and responsible Congress. Their day will come next year!
May 15th, 2008 at 11:35 pmOT but unbelievable (to me at least.)
Who just said these things?
“On one side are those who defend the ideals of justice and dignity with the power of reason and truth. On the other side are those who pursue a narrow vision of cruelty and control by committing murder, inciting fear, and spreading lies.”
“Leaders who are accountable to their people will not pursue endless confrontation and bloodshed.”
These are Bush quotes from his recent speech in Israel.
Does he have ANY idea what he is saying??? These words apply directly to himself.
It is he and his neocon cabal that “control by committing murder, inciting fear, and spreading lies.”
It is he that is not “accountable to the people” and, it is he that has pursued “endless confrontation and bloodshed.”
Spoken like a true dictator who believes his actions are an extention of god.
May 15th, 2008 at 11:57 pmI, and thousands like me, was fortunate enough to serve my time under a sane President and responsible Congress.
I too was fortunate! I served from 1958 to 1960, falling right between the Korean and Viet Nam wars. So, I have no war wounds, nor am troubled with PTSD. I never had to face the horror of killing another human being, and never being able to forget it.
May 16th, 2008 at 12:04 amSorry soldier. This is about the profits of the military industrial complex and oil companies…not to give you your due reward for carrying water for them. Your leaders never served in the military and do not understand that we who did expected something back from the country we served. Your commander in chief and his cronies, including McSame, are not thinking of you or the rest of the heroes…they are concerned with Halliburton and Blackwater and Exxon and Shell etc.
May 16th, 2008 at 12:23 amThe neocons are using McCain, on this issue, to further two goals.
1. A private military.
2. A demoralized U.S. military which serves as a pool of recruits for said private military.
Of course, being ignorant of history and cultural phenomena, they don’t realize that they will be the first to disappear when their pet thugs at KBR and Blackwater decide to go into business without the mantle of legitimacy lent by the government.
The old fools like Cheney, Rummy and Co. are still operating under the misconception that such entities can be controlled indefinitely. They can’t. And in their ignorance they have created a tremendous threat to our society; a powerful military force which answers to private interests.
It could take the blood and sacrifice of countless American patriots, yet unborn, to stop the forces Bushco has unleashed. And as inept as they seem to have been, every step of the way, their private army is thriving and seems to be taking on it’s own identity.
At least the joke is likely to be on them. If the American people reclaim our government, the private armies will die on the vine. If they break their leashes, the neocon elite will become dangerous witnesses. In neither case will they live the, long, comfortable retirements they have mapped out.
May 16th, 2008 at 12:26 am#13 Merlin:
These are Bush quotes from his recent speech in Israel.
Does he have ANY idea what he is saying??? These words apply directly to himself.
It’s physics, man. RWAs are congenitally incapable of self-reflection. Mirrors won’t reflect the images of vampires and ghouls.
Cheers,
May 16th, 2008 at 12:57 am600,000 soldiers with PTSD. never in the history of this country have we ever had that many mentally deranged killers out wandering around having flashbacks and on the verge of going rambo on everyone.
May 16th, 2008 at 1:10 amzuch Says:
Mirrors won’t reflect the images of vampires and ghouls.
A good way to put that!
May 16th, 2008 at 1:11 amI doubt it, but is it possible they all just have rabies?
May 16th, 2008 at 1:14 ampete Says:
If the American people reclaim our government, the private armies will die on the vine.
Well said! When the US forces are removed they will have no protection from the Iraqi people’s vengence. If they don’t leave at the same time they well could become mincemeat. ME justice can be both swift and hard.
May 16th, 2008 at 1:15 amMerlin Says:
Well said! When the US forces are removed they will have no protection from the Iraqi people’s vengence. If they don’t leave at the same time they well could become mincemeat. ME justice can be both swift and hard.
May 16th, 2008 at 1:15 am
Thanx, but that’s not what I meant by “dying on the vine”. I was referring to disarming them through excising their funding. Shipping them home as an intact, armed, force would be hideously dangerous. The only safe way to bring them home is in military transport, under guard, and stripped to their skivvies. I just hope we grow enough wisdom to not release a few hundred thousand armed mercenaries loose in our own country.
May 16th, 2008 at 1:59 ampete Says:
I was referring to disarming them through excising their funding. Shipping them home as an intact, armed, force would be hideously dangerous.
Yes, I understand. I was not clear. The “well said” was directed to your whole post and should have been separated from the quote. My apology. My post was a further thought that was not meant to be yours.
Regarding the private army; as this private army does not have anything to do with the US Military, I would balk at our govt. “shipping them home” and us paying the bill. They are on their own, as they have been since the beginning. They are under no ones control and answer to no one. We owe this private company nothing, especially considering the damage they have wreaked “in our name” which has gone unpunished.
May 16th, 2008 at 2:37 amBlackwater, just a little private army with a budget of billions , which has already operated , guns drawn on the streets of America in New Orleans ,represented by the presidents general council Fred Fielding and Kenneth Star and located just outside Washington DC.
May 16th, 2008 at 8:03 amTwo thoughts:
1. “six years would show a commitment to service” — we have a presi-dunce, VP and many Congressmen who’ve been in office at least that long and still don’t demonstrate any commitment to service
2. a college degree is overrated — GDumbya is our first “MBA president” . . . fat lot of good that’s done for this country
May 16th, 2008 at 8:03 amBang .
May 16th, 2008 at 8:04 amWhy does McBomb hate our troops?
May 16th, 2008 at 8:58 amThe old Warmonger does not want to help rebuild the middle class in this county,after WWII the G.I. Bill help build the middle class and grampy Mcsane does not want another middle class and the wealth it brings to this country.He can`t stand the thought of wealthy Tax Payers in America footing the bill for a G.I`s. education.He wants our brave soldiers to fight and die or come home wounded but he won`t vote yes to give them hope and dignity after the return home.Anyone on the left or the right who votes no is a criminal and a coward…..
May 16th, 2008 at 9:26 amWhy?
Because in the Bushitler/McPutz grand scheme of things,
yours is not to reason why, but to re-up and die.
May 16th, 2008 at 11:26 amI agree : the DNC should run this as an ad in the fall.
the voice should say : why does McCain refuse to support our troops?
May 16th, 2008 at 1:21 pmWhy is McCain trying to kill my hope and Dream ?
Some guesses:
Because McCain has tricked his way into amassing his power and fortune and wants to be sure that you can’t do the same ?
Because he wants to retain all of his power and fortune and doesn’t want to share ?
Because the Neocons would benefit from a privitized, mercenary-firm ?
May 16th, 2008 at 2:25 pmKilo Says:
Although a little harsh,he’s somewhat correct. The military teaches young men to be efficient killing machines. Like it or not that’s the way it is. Then alot of these kids get sent off to some godforsaken hellhole where they utilize their training. Although I never had to take a life,I can understand how it could affect someone for the rest of there life. And when these young men get home they do not get the care they need and their unseen wounds fester until some become suicidal and homocidal.
I guess ausies are just tougher,right mate???
May 16th, 2008 at 2:39 pm