Read a Pacific Northwest, liberal perspective on world, national, and local politics. From majestic Redmond, Washington - the Northwest Progressive Institute Official Blog.

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Fix the care of troops, now

Allegations are surfacing that in the wake of the Walter Reed scandal, the Pentagon is limiting access to wounded troops in response. From Editor and Publisher:
A report today that soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center are being told not to speak with the press is apparently just the latest move in a recent effort to tighten restrictions on journalists' access to many military facilities, according to the president of Military Reporters and Editors.

James Crawley, a military reporter with MediaGeneral and MRE president, said today's revelation by Army Times that Walter Reed patients had been barred from speaking with reporters is not the first case of tightened restrictions. In recent months, he says several MRE members have reported similar crackdowns. What's worse, many of the denials are apparently in reaction to the potential negativity of a planned story.
Screw politics. These are real people with real families. I don't care if someone is the most right-wing Republican imaginable, if they served in the armed forces they need to be taken care of. They are Americans. Trying to wall wounded soldiers off from the rest of society is just sick.

This needs to be fixed, fast. Whatever can be done to cut red tape and improve care and conditions needs to be accomplished, be it by Democrats, Republicans, Whigs or whatever. You don't do this to people.

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