[Vision2020] Idaho's Part-Time Patriots

[Saundra Lund]

Wow, Chas -- what was the point of your response?

Personally, I don't currently know enough about the MIA/KIA issue to speak
intelligently about it -- do you?  If so, why not share your thoughts rather
than belittling (IMHO) the efforts of someone else trying to get answers?

My understanding is that this is an issue that's close to Tom's heart and
the hearts of those who continue to demand accountability from our
government for those who served but never made it home.  I think he's spent
a lot of time researching it, and I think he feels strongly about it.  I
think he joins lots of Americans who, to varying degrees, want answers.  The
Truth, whatever that truth may be.  They want the promises made by our
government kept.  And with this issue, as with so many things, the
government has spent so much time and energy and money hiding the truth, we
the people don't know what to believe.  Quite frankly, I think many people
have thrown up their arms and given up hope of ever getting credible answers
to the MIA question -- I know I did ***years*** ago.  Tom hasn't, and what's
wrong with that?

Furthermore, I can think of lots of potential and reasonable responses from
our elected officials to Tom's inquiries, and I think you can as well.

What I find objectionable is *not* that they didn't move the issue to the
top of their priority lists, but rather than they completely failed to
acknowledge the sincere, arguably legitimate, and heartfelt concerns of a
constituent who served our country at no small cost to himself.

Good grief, Chas -- do you have any idea of the kinds of concerns our
elected officials routinely respond to???  It's been a long time since I
spent any time in the trenches reading the letters, but I doubt they've
changed much.  Being a Democrat <g>, I can't speak for the specific
politicians Tom names, but many politicians have form letters for a
gazillion issues you or I have never even thought of.  And, if they don't
have a form letter, it's a simple matter to come up with an
acceptable-yet-non-committal response that can mean a whole lot to the
constituent who wrote the letter.

And, do you honestly think Tom's concerns are less worthy than some of the
(dingbat) letters our elected officials receive *and* respond to???  If so,
I've got some land in Florida that would be perfect for you . . . 

As for your comparison of the situation of MIAs/missing KIAs to Judge Crater
-- what's that about???  I don't see the comparison, and it seems . . . I
don't know . . . minimizing to compare the plight of Crater (who would be --
what -- 116 if still alive) to those who disappeared in the mid-1960s
through early 1970s laying their lives on the line in defense (or whatever)
of our country and its ideals.

Seriously, Chas . . . I just don't get your response.  I can certainly
understand -- and accept -- that the MIA/missing KIA question may not be of
burning importance to you, but what I don't understand is your response.
Now, there have been a previous time or two where I didn't "get" something
you posted & further explanation helped me to get it, and perhaps this will
be one of those times . . . I respectfully hope so.


JMHO,
Saundra Lund
Moscow, ID

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do
nothing.
- Edmund Burke

***** Original material contained herein is Copyright 2006, Saundra Lund.
Do not copy, forward, excerpt, or reproduce outside the Vision 2020 forum
without the express written permission of the author.*****

-----Original Message-----
From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]
On Behalf Of Chasuk
Sent: Monday, January 22, 2007 10:06 PM
To: Tom Hansen
Cc: Vision 2020; 'thenderson at lmtribune.com'; 'editor at spokesman.com';
'smcclure at dnews.com'
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Idaho's Part-Time Patriots

On 1/22/07, Tom Hansen <thansen at moscow.com> wrote:

> To the editors of the Moscow-Pullman Daily News, Lewiston Tribune, and 
> Spokesman Review -
>
> On January 8, 2007, as a citizen of Idaho and a retired veteran, I
submitted requests, via email, to various elected officials of the state of
Idaho seeking to discover what has been done in locating nine unaccounted
for POWs/MIAs who call Idaho home.

> As of today (January 22, 2007) I have not yet received a single 
> response from Governor Butch Otter

> Senator Larry Craig, Senator Mike Crapo, and Representative Mike 
> Simpson have simply not responded to my inquiries.

> Representative Sali remains inaccessible to his constituents

I'm sorry, Tom, but I wouldn't have responded, either.  We don't know where
Judge Joseph Crater is, and he disappeared within the United States.  It is
called a "cold case."  What do you expect Otter, Craig, Crapo, Simpson,
Sali, et al, to have done?  Should they have sent you a placating letter
filled with empty promises?  Indeed,  what was the point of your wasted
postage?  Presumably, you feel better for having demonstrated patriotism,
but did it serve any other purpose?

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