Monthly Archives: March 2007

The other day, Republican members of the House Appropriations Committee unanimously opposed requiring that the troops sent to Iraq be properly prepared for their mission and protected with armor. As they've done often before, and as they will undoubtedly do again.

Over at Daily Kos, one of the diarists has come up with a name for the Representatives who send troops into harm's way without adequate equipment, training or rest.

He calls them “troop-killers”.

Harsh? You bet. Justified? Yes. It has come to that. There really is no 'nice' name for people from a country as rich as ours who send other people's children, spouses, and parents into combat without basic necessities like body armor, armor for their vehicles, or the weapons they trained with. I recognize that there might be conflicts — like World War II — in which the Army would have to suspend its rotation policies and send units that have served a tour of duty back into theater without the year's rest, rehab and equipment refit that our doctrine says is needed. But I don't accept that Iraq, a war of (erroneous) choice, is a conflict on which national survival depends.

Three of these troop-killers represent districts in Florida:

• Ander Crenshaw, 4th District in Jacksonville;
• Dave Weldon, 15th District – Melbourne & Vero Beach;
• C.W. “Bill” Young, 10th District – Pinellas County.

If you happen to be reading this from their neighborhood, why not give them a (polite) call and tell them what you think of this sort of behavior.