Posted on 03/29/2013 1:12:01 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Long time St. Louis Post Dispatch columnist Bill McClellan is advocating ending the practice of giving most veterans military honors at their funerals.
His reason? Government can't afford it.
Certainly, men and women killed in combat deserve full military honors. It's a way for the country to say, "We honor the memory of those who died in our service." These military honors - and the thought behind them - are intended to provide some solace for the families of the fallen.
But what about the guy who spends a couple of years in the military and then gets on with his life? Bear in mind that most veterans did nothing heroic. They served, and that's laudable, but it hardly seems necessary to provide them all with military honors after they have died. In fact, it seems generous enough to provide veterans and their spouses with free space and headstones at a national cemetery.
Why not let the veterans organizations provide military honors at the funerals of their members? If a person gets out of the Marine Corps and wants to stay connected, he can join the Marine Corps League. I'm sure the 101st Airborne has an association. In a more general vein, we have the American Legion and the VFW.
Providing military honor funerals for their members would be a boon to these organizations. Membership would presumably climb, and veterans who want the military funerals could still get them.
Everybody knows government needs to cut costs.
This is exactly how you do it. You identify things you don't need, and you cut them. Maybe they're nice things, but if you don't need them, you cut them.....
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
Hey, Bill, how ‘bout instead we cut the bennies costing us trillions for your beloved parasite class ? Mmm-kay ?
Disgusting. I just saw a report on the government doing study about snails having sex or something stupid like that.
the government spends lots of money on things that are stupid and wasteful honoring our military is Not wasteful. I have had it with these libs they can suck it.
As usual, the left putting out wrong information. A spouse doesn’t get buried for free. 700.00 using the same grave and headstone.
I have been in an honor guard for an ashore funeral. I later directed a burial at sea (sprinkling of ashes) ceremony. In both cases the veteran served less than a full career. In neither case should we have skipped the military honors to save money.
The Government cut the costs up front with the military. I enlisted in 1956 and my pay was $78.00 per month. It was my pleasure, Bill McClellan, and my duty to my country.
I’m betting that McClellen has no problem with Government funded food stamps, abortions, global warming studies, Presidential family vacations,or a million and one budget busting activities by the Government. And another thing. I was honored to have been in the military, one arm of the government that has it right, so I don’t need any honor when I die. Maybe I’ll see if the military will just give my small amount to the fund for starving and mentally deficient newspaper scribes.
I guess the military honors practice is eating into the Obama family’s vacation budget. Which is far more important than honoring the men and women who gave up their freedom to serve preserving the freedom of everyone else. His premise that most military members never do anything heroic is absurd. Without the pencil pusher in uniform there is no ammo at the front. Also there is no guaranty that the pencil pusher won’t in up at the front. These crap heads make me sick. God Bless all how have served and who serve today.
I guess the military honors practice is eating into the Obama family’s vacation budget. Which is far more important than honoring the men and women who gave up their freedom to serve preserving the freedom of everyone else. His premise that most military members never do anything heroic is absurd. Without the pencil pusher in uniform there is no ammo at the front. Also there is no GUARANTEE that the pencil pusher won’t END up at the front. These crap heads make me sick. God Bless all WHO have served and who serve today. And I need to proof read.
“Government can’t afford it. “
How about when Obama dies we just throw his ass over the wall into the Kenyan Embassy ?
How about some ideas for funerals for decrepit hacks?
How many military funerals would be covered by Biden’s $500,000 one-night hotel bill in Paris?
No doubt he believes midnight basketball is an essential program.
Then the police, firemen couldn’t afford bagpipes and other honors either?
Do we want to go down the list?
It is time to NEVER take these people seriously by adding commentary to their false premise, which validates the premise. Best to just say “FO” and walk away leaving their premise in the dust behind you. That’s what I’m doing with my (X) liberal “friends.” They are shocked at my language, and more shocked I won’t discuss their premise. Drives them nuts and they gain NO ground with me...and it also makes clear they will gain none in the future. The “discussion” is over.
I rarely if ever use this term, but what a douche-bag.
The writer is obviously out of touch and in need of mental help.
Everybody knows government needs to cut costs.This is exactly how you do it. You identify things you don't need, and you cut them. Maybe they're nice things...Obamacare is neither.
Would little willie mcclellan have the guts to look a Veteran in the eyes and tell them they don’t deserve military funeral honors? Bet not.
Here is what I found out about this guy:
He was a reporter in Phoenix, Az, until he joined the Post-Dispatch in St. Louis in 1980, and worked as a ‘night-police reporter’. He was given a column in 1983.
That is more than 33 years working as a “jourrnalist”, folks. That leaves little doubt as to any sort of ‘military experience’, except, maybe, in the Boy Scouts, which I doubt.
The Google people were nice enough to have his facebook info:
facebook.com/McclellanPD
his work contact, and newspaper phone number:
BMCClellan@post-dispatch.com 314-340-8143
His facebook page is not loaded with too many good writeups, it seems, on this particular issue ....
I wonder why?
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