by Sandy Cook What’s the fuss? I mean that question quite literally. I don’t understand the fuss. I hear the fuss – Lord do I hear the fuss! – but not much of it makes much sense. From the left I hear a fading argument all in wonk-speak that doesn’t really tell me what they [...]
by Sandy Cook What is the reality of war, and what is the reality of those who return from war? During the Civil War they called the residual mental damage from the stress of war “soldier’s heart”, and that may be the least euphemistic name for it, even after 145 years. PTSD? Bull! it’s soldier’s heart!by [...]
IF I COULD TALK TO THE TROOPS By Sandy Cook Perhaps the toughest conundrum in the current and past wars is the question of whether or not a protest hurts the troops. Very few would argue with the fact that the right to protest in general about anything is quintessentially American and democratic. Very few [...]
by Sandy Cook, Staff Writer Every period, every cause, every war, every political campaign, even every commercial product pitch comes up with a catch-phrase that quickly becomes a cliché. The phrase is repeated and repeated until it loses its meaning, if it ever had one, and goes right on being repeated by those who will [...]
by Sandy Cook, Staff Writer There are 24 million veterans, some of whom belong to one or more of several thousand veterans’ organizations. Each one of those organizations has an agenda, and each one of those veterans has a world-view. We are largely ineffective because we can’t get past the sheer numbers of world-views, and [...]
by Sandy Cook, Staff Writer Over the last seven years we veterans keep re-visiting the subject of shared national sacrifice. Maybe we ought to talk even more about shared national awareness. Without awareness, nothing happens, and certainly not shared sacrifice. A couple of years ago it was reported that in one American city, on a [...]
by Sandy Cook Veterans don’t all come in the same flavors. Some served reluctantly, hated it, and still hate it. Some served reluctantly but are yet proud to have served. Some served willingly and felt that they were performing an essential duty and relish that performance. Some extended that duty to a profession and a [...]
by Sandy Cook, Staff Writer “Enhanced Interrogation Techniques” – “Harsh measures” “Torture” – Which is it? What is it? So many people are writing about the torture issue that I hesitate to weigh in. Many of them are much more qualified than I to speak to the current situation. I’ll try to limit myself to [...]
Sanford (Sandy) Cook, Staff Writer True heroes, like perfect diamonds, are rare. I, for one, get tired of non-participants continually referring to every soldier as a “hero”. It cheapens the term, and embarrasses the soldiers – they know better. True heroes make life so rewarding for many of us without our even having to turn [...]
by Sanford D. Cook, Staff Writer The DVA bureaucracy has been around since Herbert Hoover established the VA in 1930. It has had 79 years to develop its own bureaucratic inertia. It is not going to change easily. Secretary Shinseki, a retired military man with 38 years of military service is going to have to face [...]
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