Veterans Day

It's easy to play lip service to Veterans. What really counts, however, is whether we keep our promises and pay our debt to those who defended America. The Disabled American Veterans report that Chairman Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) is cancelling the joint session of the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees for veterans' groups. Traditionally, veterans groups had the opportunity to inform United States Senators and Representatives about the needs of America's veterans.

Under Republican leadership those times are over. We shouldn't be surprised. Draft dodger Dick Cheney and champaign pilot George W. Bush have been trying to cut the Veterans Administration for several years. In the past, these attempts to deprive veterans have been met by energetic resistance in Congress. Apparently, the new chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee Steve Buyer is willing to execute the will of his master in the White House.

Bush, Cheney, and Buyer ought to be ashamed. Our veterans deserve our gratitude. The least we can do is listen to them. Send Steve Buyer an e-mail and tell him to reinstitute the listening session for veterans' groups: buyerforcongress@Stevebuyer.org. There is no better way to pay tribute to our soldiers, airmen, and marines.