Secretary Gates didn’t think much of the policy of the Bush-Clinton-Bush years. It’s good that American citizens can now witness, with family permission, the honor of our fallen soldiers. It’s not hard to interpret headscratching policies like this old one, or the aversion of the Bush II administration to call for citizens’ sacrifice, as actually an obstacle to patriotism.
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Catholic Sensibility 
Amen!
I never understood this policy, nor George W.’s reticence about calling for true sacrifice, as you point out, Todd.
Good change that I can believe in! ;-)
I was stationed at Dover AFB from ’66 to ’69 and I did not see one casket. I wonder why?
One of my best high school friends was drafted after graduating from Kent State in ’69. He was stateside for his 2 years and his duty was to bring the remains of loved ones to their families.
He was not the same after that, although we tried hard to alter the mood with chemicals. Another of my best friends was a Navy Seal in Vietnam. It is sad to see how we lose our innocence and are used for another’s purpose which has nothing to do with patriotism other than the protecting one’s own self-interest.
The culture of death is hidden under the guise of a false patriotism.
Thanks for posting here, Ronald. My longtime readers know of my contempt for the so-called War on Terror. I do believe, however, that soldiers did serve with honor in Vietnam, Iraq, and other foreign policy misadventures (though not all, sadly). That they have served in unjust wars or were duped by their superiors lessens the sacrifice little, and probably makes it all the more a source of grief.
The military has borne the brunt of sacrifice for this oil war. The families of the dead point out the shame of the corporations and politicians. I have no doubt the gag rule was instituted to protect the profiteers.
The military has borne the brunt of sacrifice for this oil war. The families of the dead point out the shame of the corporations and politicians. I have no doubt the gag rule was instituted to protect the profiteers.
If the war was for oil, why haven’t we gotten any of it?
I see no symptoms of an oil shortage in this country and the US-owned companies who are selling it to us have made record profits over the last several years- they’re doing very well.