2006.09.29: September 29, 2006: Headlines: Figures: COS - Fiji: Politics: Congress: Norwich Bulletin: Bill Collins writes: Maybe it's time for Shays to depart
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Bill Collins writes: Maybe it's time for Shays to depart
Shays' early billboards used to read, "Common Sense, Uncommon Courage." That early pretense rings hollow today. More and more observers are questioning where the courage lies in sending thousands of fresh-faced young people off to their potential doom when you yourself refused to take that risk. Where indeed is the courage in bombing and shelling into oblivion a nation that had been up to that time the most advanced in the Middle East? And what about the imposition on that nation of fouled drinking water, depleted uranium and collapsed health care? And then refusing even to count the tens of thousands of resulting civilian casualties. Courage?
Bill Collins writes: Maybe it's time for Shays to depart
Maybe it's time for Shays to depart
Whate'er excuse
You're groping for,
It's still not right
To start a war.
It's curious Connecticut's most assertive war hawk politicians are the very folks who make the biggest show of moral superiority. U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman has long touted his unflagging devotion to Judaism, to the point of skipping important political events that fall on the Sabbath. Perhaps this was supposed to inoculate him against criticism for his cheerleading the unprovoked invasion and destruction of Iraq.
It's much the same with U.S. Rep. Chris Shays, R-4th District. Maybe his fervent adherence to Christian Science was also looked upon as some kind of political vaccine. Or his service in the Peace Corps. Or his conscientious objection to fighting in Vietnam. (Conscientious objection requires opposition to all war.) Surely in America's social climate, these three acts accumulate plenty of points for getting into heaven, and maybe into public office. Indeed Shays' early billboards used to read, "Common Sense, Uncommon Courage."
That early pretense rings hollow today. More and more observers are questioning where the courage lies in sending thousands of fresh-faced young people off to their potential doom when you yourself refused to take that risk. Where indeed is the courage in bombing and shelling into oblivion a nation that had been up to that time the most advanced in the Middle East? And what about the imposition on that nation of fouled drinking water, depleted uranium and collapsed health care? And then refusing even to count the tens of thousands of resulting civilian casualties. Courage?
No matter. By that time, Shays had been entrusted with the chairmanship of a national security subcommittee, a prize congressional plum. A sudden recurrence of conscientious objection at that point would have quickly terminated the honor. Thus, it became convenient instead to swallow the president's transparent claims terrorism and weapons of mass destruction were rampant.
And now we have watched what is perhaps the final blow to Shays' aura of superior integrity. On his 14th trip to Iraq, he suddenly discovered something that had eluded him on the first 13 -- that things aren't going so well there. As a result, he has now suggested we need to construct some sort of timeline for withdrawal of U.S. forces. Perhaps it is coincidence this dramatic transformation took place at the onset of an election campaign. But probably not.
As an old friend and former colleague of the congressman, this column is especially painful to write. Nonetheless, it may at last be time for him, like Andre Agassi, to accept the public adulation and move off the court.
Collins, a former state representative and former mayor of Norwalk, writes for MinutemanMedia. E-mail: mail@minutemanmedia.org
When this story was posted in September 2006, this was on the front page of PCOL:
Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
| Chris Dodd's Vision for the Peace Corps Senator Chris Dodd (RPCV Dominican Republic) spoke at the ceremony for this year's Shriver Award and elaborated on issues he raised at Ron Tschetter's hearings. Dodd plans to introduce legislation that may include: setting aside a portion of Peace Corps' budget as seed money for demonstration projects and third goal activities (after adjusting the annual budget upward to accommodate the added expense), more volunteer input into Peace Corps operations, removing medical, healthcare and tax impediments that discourage older volunteers, providing more transparency in the medical screening and appeals process, a more comprehensive health safety net for recently-returned volunteers, and authorizing volunteers to accept, under certain circumstances, private donations to support their development projects. He plans to circulate draft legislation for review to members of the Peace Corps community and welcomes RPCV comments. |
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| Chris Shays Shifts to Favor an Iraq Timetable In a policy shift, RPCV Congressman Chris Shays, long a staunch advocate of the Bush administration's position in Iraq, is now proposing a timetable for a withdrawal of American troops. How Mr. Shays came to this change of heart is, he says, a matter of a newfound substantive belief that Iraqis need to be prodded into taking greater control of their own destiny under the country’s newly formed government. As Chairman of the House Government Reform subcommittee on national security, he plans to draft a timetable for a phased withdrawal and then push for its adoption. A conscientious objector during the Vietnam War who said that if drafted he would not serve, Chris Shays has made 14 trips to Iraq and was the first Congressman to enter the country after the war - against the wishes of the Department of Defense. |
| Peace Corps' Screening and Medical Clearance The purpose of Peace Corps' screening and medical clearance process is to ensure safe accommodation for applicants and minimize undue risk exposure for volunteers to allow PCVS to complete their service without compromising their entry health status. To further these goals, PCOL has obtained a copy of the Peace Corps Screening Guidelines Manual through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and has posted it in the "Peace Corps Library." Applicants and Medical Professionals (especially those who have already served as volunteers) are urged to review the guidelines and leave their comments and suggestions. Then read the story of one RPCV's journey through medical screening and his suggestions for changes to the process. |
| The Peace Corps is "fashionable" again The LA Times says that "the Peace Corps is booming again and "It's hard to know exactly what's behind the resurgence." PCOL Comment: Since the founding of the Peace Corps 45 years ago, Americans have answered Kennedy's call: "Ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man." Over 182,000 have served. Another 200,000 have applied and been unable to serve because of lack of Congressional funding. The Peace Corps has never gone out of fashion. It's Congress that hasn't been keeping pace. |
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Story Source: Norwich Bulletin
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Figures; COS - Fiji; Politics; Congress
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By Farrell (ca208-ch01-bl04.il-chicago0.sa.earthlink.net - 207.69.137.9) on Wednesday, October 25, 2006 - 11:15 pm: Edit Post |
Has never been for the rights of volunteers. Go Farrell.