Dear editor,
Just thought I'd share my opinion on the lack of services to military personnel and veterans.
It stinks on ice.
The closure of the Veterans Affairs offices will have a direct impact on services to veterans.
The workers at Veteran Affairs are specialists. The people at Service Canada are generalists.
It isn't as if Veteran Affairs workers are being sent to the Service Canada offices, as in co-locating. Mr. Harper may want us to believe this is a cost-cutting measure but it is not unreasonable to conclude this is part of the Conservatives' continued attack on federal government workers.
Veterans simply got in the way.
We have all heard of the reports how veterans are being treated, especially those who complained about their treatment.
Their files were viewed by every idiot who wanted a look at them. They were referred to as troublemakers. There simply hasn't been sufficient support for veterans.
I understand it costs money. However, as a taxpayer, I'm willing to pay for it. If the government can't afford services to veterans, then raise taxes. Now that may cause shrieks and gnashing of teeth amongst the Conservatives' corporate friends, but each time the Conservatives lower taxes, they are in fact impoverishing the government.
Hence the lack of money for veterans and the huge deficit.
The military simply isn't doing enough for those currently in either. Any organization which has 10 people kill themselves in two months has a problem. Hiding from it or saying they didn't ask for help is ridiculous.
There have been previous suicides. It isn't new.
What is new, with the current government, is the lack of caring by the Conservatives. They send people into wars. When they come home, broken, they are of no longer any use to the Conservatives, so they are cut adrift.
Nice going.
All Conservative MPS will collect pensions much larger than former military personnel who fought in wars they sent them into. Where is the justice in that?
You don't start out trying to "save money" by harming those who have served this country well. They ought to be afforded our respect and services.
No one returns from a war undamaged. Some are simply better at dealing with it.
The Conservatives have tried to portray themselves as supportive of the military, but the Conservative actions leave a great deal to be desired.
As two veterans, shown on TV, said, "Don't vote for Harper, and they can go to hell." Pretty much sums it up for me.
E.A. Foster,
Comox