NO VETS = NO MEMORIAL DAY = NO CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS = NO UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (THANK YOU)

NO VETS = NO MEMORIAL DAY = NO CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS = NO UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (THANK YOU):

WE OWE OUR U.S. MILITARY TROOPS & VETS EVERYTHING GOOD.

CIVIL SERVANTS WORKING IN FEDERAL JOBS WHO DON'T PROPERLY HONOR OUR NATION'S VETS SHOULD BE FIRED IMMEDIATELY.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SACRIFICE & SERVICE.

GOD BLESS AMERICA.


Post Sources: NY Post, NY Times, Youtube


***** On This Memorial Day Consider What We Owe America's Vets


The numbers are sobering: More than 1 million men and women have given their lives serving in our military during wartime, with thousands more dying in other conflicts.

Many died long ago in some of our nation’s — and world’s — most-well-known conflicts. Some died during operations few will ever hear about in history class. And, unfortunately and inevitably, more will die serving our country honorably battling terrorism, tyranny and threats to the American way of life.

None will be forgotten.

Officially recognized as first having been celebrated upstate in Waterloo in 1866, Memorial Day — then known as Decoration Day — was a community remembrance.

When the first official Decoration Day ceremonies were held at Arlington National Cemetery in 1868, James A. Garfield, a future president and a Civil War combat veteran, told the thousands gathered, “For love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue.”

Today, we still remember their patriotism and virtue, and that of the scores who have selflessly sacrificed since to make this the greatest country in the world.
It is a blessing to count myself among those who served our nation and came home to enjoy all that America has to offer. While many have been so lucky to return, there are countless others who have struggled with the lasting effects of conflict, both physical and emotional.

In the same way we must not forget the sacrifice of those who have given their lives to protect our freedoms, we proud Americans and New Yorkers must not turn our backs on our veterans and military members in need.

We owe it to our veterans grappling with post-traumatic stress to continue researching new treatment options. According to the US Department of Veterans Affairs, between 11 and 20 percent of our Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom veterans deal with PTS. It is estimated that about 30 percent of our Vietnam veterans have had PTS at some point, according to the VA.

We owe it to our veterans who have fallen into homelessness or are on the verge of homelessness to ensure that they do not continue to slip through the cracks. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development estimated in 2017 that more than 40,000 veterans were homeless on any given night, with more than 1,200 veterans experiencing homelessness in New York.

As a state and a nation, we must get our arms around this crisis and implement the proper policies to make sure vets have what they need long before they reach the point of homelessness or penury. We can’t wait until people are in crisis before we help them.

We owe it to all veterans and their families to ensure they receive the benefits they’re entitled to. No veteran should have to worry that red tape will keep them from accessing health care, education, insurance and the many other benefits we offer those who served.

Just as I am a proud New Yorker, American and veteran, I am a proud member of the American Legion, an organization that for nearly 100 years has advocated for veterans and active-duty military members to ensure that all sacrifices are remembered. As we near our centennial celebration in 2019, I encourage all New Yorkers — not just those who are eligible to join us — to learn more about our advocacy, programs and benefits-assistance efforts.

And I encourage our current and former service members to reach out to our state headquarters or their local posts to learn more about how we can serve them.
The American Legion Department of New York is proud to honor all who have served — regardless of branch, age, gender and background — and extend a hand to those who need it the most. We urge all New Yorkers to proudly do the same.

US Navy veteran Rena Nessler is the commander of the American Legion Department of New York.

WASHINGTON DC’s LAME 2018 MEMORIAL DAY PICNIC (VA)

WASHINGTON DC’s LAME 2018 MEMORIAL DAY PICNIC (VA):

VA CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES DON’T REALLY GIVE A DARN ABOUT OUR NATION’S U.S. MILITARY VETS.

MANY CIVILIAN VA EMPLOYEES SECRETLY BELIEVE OUR NATION’S VETS DON’T DESERVE TO BE HONORED FOR THEIR SACRIFICE & SERVICE.


Post Sources: VA, Youtube


Thursday, May 24, 2018 the VA Vet Center in Washington DC hosted a Memorial Day picnic for our nation’s Vets.

What a shame it was held in a Parking lot without any Tents in the HOT Sun.

In addition the event ran out of Food early causing many Vets some of whom were in wheelchairs, to wait for extended periods of time in the HOT Sun for Food and Water.

I’m sure this VA Center most likely received $5,000 or more from the Veterans Affairs Administration for this event but in reality only about $500 was spent on this event, if that much.

So where is the remaining money?

It will be used on an Awesome Memorial Day picnic for the Civilian employees.

I wonder just how much Federal money Vet Centers across the country annually receive from the Veterans Affairs Administration that is NOT actually being properly allocated to help our deserving Vets??

This needs to be investigated and every Vet Center needs to be Audited.

What a shame because our nation’s Vets deserve so much more for their Sacrifice & Service.

Chris Hayes Criticized & Defended By Right And Left Wing Pundits ("Fallen Soldiers" Comments)

MSNBC host slammed for comment

After apologizing for questioning whether military casualties could be labeled heroes, the dust is still settling over an MSBC host's comments that quickly set off a firestorm this Memorial Day weekend.

Chris Hayes, who hosts the Sunday program "UP with Chris Hayes," said in a long discussion on military service that he was "uncomfortable" with using the word "heroes" to describe those who die in combat.

"I think it's interesting because it is I think very difficult to talk about the war dead and the fallen without invoking valor, without invoking the words 'heroes'," he said Sunday.

He went on: "And why do I feel so (un)comfortable about the world 'hero'? I feel uncomfortable about the word 'hero' because it seems to me that it is so rhetorically proximate to justifications for more war."

His comments followed an interview with Lt. Col. Steve Beck, a former U.S. Marines Casualty Officer whose job was to notify the families of those who died in combat.

Naming his biases, however, Hayes on Sunday conceded he was speaking as a "liberal caricature of someone who doesn't have anyone serving in these wars" and "hasn't been personally affected by the deaths in the wars."

With the remarks coming one day before Memorial Day, the conservative blogosphere quickly lit up with disapproval, spiking the comments as insensitive and evidence of what they described as a liberal agenda to discredit American troops.

Newsbuster's Mark Finkelstein wrote that Hayes was "the human embodiment" of the word "effete." Breitbart's Kurt Schlichter characterized Hayes's views as an "object lesson in what our progressive elites really think about our military. And it's not much."

High-profile, far-right commentators also voiced their opinions, including Ann Coulter, who mockingly tweeted, "Chris Hayes 'Uncomfortable' Calling Fallen Military 'Heroes' - Marines respond by protecting his right to menstruate."

Veterans of Foreign Wars also made headlines when it released a strong statement hitting his comments as "reprehensible" and "disgusting."

"His words reflect his obvious disregard for the service and sacrifice of the men and women who have paid the ultimate price while defending our nation.

His insipid statement is particularly callous because it comes at a time when our entire nation pauses to reflect and honor the memory of our nation's fallen heroes," a statement from VFW national commander, Richard DeNoyer, said.

Following the outcry, Hayes issued a statement of apology Monday evening.

"In discussing the uses of the word 'hero' to describe those members of the armed forces who have given their lives, I don't think I lived up to the standards of rigor, respect and empathy for those affected by the issues we discuss that I've set for myself. I am deeply sorry for that," he wrote.

Hayes added that he was attempting on Sunday to delve into the disconnect between those who serve in the military versus civilians who enjoy the benefits of that service - and the apparent disconnect between the two groups on days like Memorial Day, when Americans traditionally take the day off and celebrate with activities like barbecues and cook-outs.

"But in seeking to discuss the civilian-military divide and the social distance between those who fight and those who don't, I ended up reinforcing it, conforming to a stereotype of a removed pundit whose views are not anchored in the very real and very wrenching experience of this long decade of war. And for that I am truly sorry," he stated.

As he noted in his apology, television pundits and hosts have been known to wade into tricky territory when emphatically voicing their opinions in rapid-fire discussions.

Howard Kurtz, host of CNN's "Reliable Sources" and The Daily Beast and Newsweek's Washington bureau chief, said while Hayes made a big mistake on air, his apology was appropriate.

"If there's a more insensitive comment that a television pundit could make on Memorial Day weekend than that fallen soldiers aren't heroes, I can't think of it. These are people who died in service of their country, even if the military policy was wrong or misguided. Chris Hayes did the right thing by fully apologizing," Kurtz said.

Others, meanwhile, came to Hayes's defense on Tuesday, saying the pundit was not being critical of the troops.

"I'm not sure he was criticizing those young men and women. He was just saying that the word is overused," NBC's Matt Lauer said on the "Today" show in a panel discussion about the controversy.

Conor Friedersdorf, a staff writer at The Atlantic, pointed to the controversy as an example of low-level dialogue about complicated topics on the national stage.

"Our public discourse is such that anyone can find him or herself viciously denounced by complete strangers based on a single sound-byte from which everyone extrapolates wildly.

This controversy is worth highlighting because Hayes' words and the reaction to them helps explain why so few broadcasters forthrightly discuss complicated, controversial subjects. Hayes subsequently issued an apology, but it's his critics who've behaved badly," he wrote.


Sources: CBS News, CNN, MSNBC

Chris Apologizes For Not Recognizing Fallen Soldiers As Heroes; Idiot! He's Never Served In The Military!

Chris,

This is the first time I consider You to be an Idiot!

Inspite of your Education, only an Idiot would say something so Stupid about America's Fallen Soldiers/ Fallen Heroes= SAME Thing!

My husband served Honorably in the U.S. Army for 23 Years, Including the Vietnam & Desert Storm theaters.

My Father served in World War II. He died in 2003 at the VA Hospital in Columbia, SC.

I have 2 Uncles who also served in the U.S. Military. Of whom one was Badly Injured & had to have part of his leg Amputated.

I have several Cousins who served in the U.S. Military.

And.....

My Youngest Son & his Fiancee' are now Both Serving in the U.S. Army.

My Son's Fiancee' has a Degree in Elementary Education but was unable to secure a Teaching Job in North Carolina due to Budget Cuts.

The Next time you wish to Criticize Fallen Soldiers & Veterans.....

DON'T!!!!

Unless You have ever Served in the U.S. Military, you don't know what you are talking about!

You can't Experience the Life of a Soldier just from reading a Book!

Peace My Brother.

Regards,

Laurel @ Black Political Buzz

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Statement from Chris Hayes

On Sunday, in discussing the uses of the word "hero" to describe those members of the armed forces who have given their lives, I don't think I lived up to the standards of rigor, respect and empathy for those affected by the issues we discuss that I've set for myself. I am deeply sorry for that.

As many have rightly pointed out, it's very easy for me, a TV host, to opine about the people who fight our wars, having never dodged a bullet or guarded a post or walked a mile in their boots.

Of course, that is true of the overwhelming majority of our nation's citizens as a whole.

One of the points made during Sunday's show was just how removed most Americans are from the wars we fight, how small a percentage of our population is asked to shoulder the entire burden and how easy it becomes to never read the names of those who are wounded and fight and die, to not ask questions about the direction of our strategy in Afghanistan, and to assuage our own collective guilt about this disconnect with a pro-forma ritual that we observe briefly before returning to our barbecues.

But in seeking to discuss the civilian-military divide and the social distance between those who fight and those who don't, I ended up reinforcing it, conforming to a stereotype of a removed pundit whose views are not anchored in the very real and very wrenching experience of this long decade of war.

And for that I am truly sorry.




View Larger Map


Sources: MSNBC, NBC, Google Maps

Chris Hayes Denies Fallen Soldiers Are Heroes; What The???

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

CHRIS HAYES UNCOMFORTABLE WITH CALLING TROOPS 'HEROES;' QUITE COMFORTABLE EXERCISING RIGHTS THEY PROTECT

Just in time for Memorial Day, some MSNBC drone named Chris Hayes has lit up the internet with his confession that dead American troops don’t quite measure up to his exacting standards for what qualifies as a “hero.”

Memo to Chris: they are heroes, and you don’t get a vote.

Though he may be shocked to hear it, America’s fighting men and women don’t care whether Chris Hayes considers their fallen comrades heroes or not.

First, there’s the practical matter that almost no one – in uniform or out – watches MSNBC or the roster of progressive meat puppets that fill the short stretches between endless reruns of "Lock Up."

Care about Chris Hayes’s comfort level? They don’t even know this leftist twerp exists.

But on a deeper level, our troops don’t do what they do to impress the likes of Chris Hayes – though he is perfectly willing to make his living in the shadow of their sacrifice. In the scheme of things, Chris Hayes’s views are important only as an object lesson in what our progressive elites really think about our military. And it’s not much.

So what did he say? Mediaite provides a transcript of his weaselly insights:
I feel… uncomfortable, about the word because it seems to me that it is so rhetorically proximate to justifications for more war.

Um, and, I don’t want to obviously desecrate or disrespect memory of anyone that’s fallen, and obviously there are individual circumstances in which there is genuine, tremendous heroism, you know, hail of gunfire, rescuing fellow soldiers, and things like that.

But it seems to me that we marshal this word in a way that is problematic. But maybe I’m wrong about that.
No maybe about it, Chris. I love the “rhetorically proximate to justifications for more war” part – he sounds like one of my commie grad students trying to impress credulous freshman girls after a choom session in the quad.

But Chris Hayes seems to cultivate a more hipster vibe – no ponytail for him, but I’ll bet that lurking under his blazer is a really cool tat that signals to the world he’s edgy.

And what’s edgier than taking on our troops? After all, at least until the next election, they are “our” troops. Even most progressives – quite willing to diss our troops before while Bush was president -- are on message these days.

After all, it’s kinda hard to shout about warmongering, baby-killing imperialists when the guy commanding them is your own guy.

I greatly enjoy watching progressives seethe as they are forced, for the sake of appearances, to pretend to support our troops. You know it’s killing them.

But it’s the progressives’ own doing – their sickening performance following the Vietnam War, where they figuratively and literally spit on our troops – so disgusted decent Americans of all political stripes that to do anything but treat our troops with the utmost respect is to draw near-universal contempt and scorn from across the mainstream political spectrum.

So, the real problem for Chris Hayes is that he actually said what he thinks.

He thinks our soldiers are suckers and fools at best, brutal sociopaths at worst.

At a minimum, he feels that honoring those who died for this country might encourage people to see that actually defending our country is a good thing. He’s not quite ready to make that leap; after all, most progressives are ambivalent about this whole “America” concept, if not actively opposed to it.

Patriotism may be the last refuge of a scoundrel, but when progressives attempt it, it’s comedy gold.

So, like so many other useless progressive fops who glide from cocktail party to panel discussion, Chris Hayes continues to push his progressive vision of collectivist serfdom from behind the unbreachable wall of American warriors.

He has not stood with them and, in fact, is unworthy of doing so. He is a parasite taking sustenance from the exertions of better men and women.

And even if those men and women know who Chris Hayes is, they wouldn’t give a half damn about what he thinks. They don’t do it for him.



MSNBC host Chris Hayes says he has trouble calling fallen soldiers 'heroes,’ sparks controversy

An MSNBC host is dodging attacks after arguing he was “uncomfortable” calling fallen soldiers “heroes.”

Chris Hayes made the remark on Sunday, the eve of Memorial Day, on his show, “Up With Chris Hayes.”

“I feel uncomfortable about the word hero because it seems to me that it is so rhetorically proximate to justifications for more war,” Hayes said.

He added that “there are individual circumstances in which there is genuine, tremendous heroism, you know, hail of gunfire, rescuing fellow soldiers,” but that “it seems to me that we marshal this word in a way that is problematic.”

On Monday, a top veterans group called for Hayes to apologize.

“Chris Hayes’ recent remarks on MSNBC regarding our fallen service members are reprehensible and disgusting,” said Richard DeNoyer, National Commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars, to FOX News.

“His words reflect his obvious disregard for the service and sacrifice of the men and women who have paid the ultimate price while defending our nation. His insipid statement is particularly callous because it comes at a time when our entire nation pauses to reflect and honor the memory of our nations’ fallen heroes.”

Online, critics were no less harsh.

“Memo to Chris: they are heroes, and you don’t get a vote,” wrote Breitbart’s Kurt Schlichter.

Schlichter accused Hayes of making the comment to prove he’s “edgy.”

“And what’s edgier than taking on our troops?”

Political pundit Ann Coulter mocked Hayes on Twitter:

“Chris Hayes ‘Uncomfortable’ Calling Fallen Military ‘Heroes’ – Marines respond by protecting his right to menstruate,” she wrote.

The only defense of Hayes’ comment appeared to come from Hayes himself.

The host took to Twitter to urge followers to watch the entire hour of the show before jumping to conclusions. He also directed them to another one of his show’s segments, in which he discusses how the relationship most Americans have to wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is, for the most part, abstract.


View Larger Map


Sources: Breitbart.com, CBS News, MSNBC, NBC, NY Daily News, Google Maps

Whitney Houston Performs "Star Spangled Banner", 1991 Super Bowl (That Voice)

Whitney's Super Bowl national anthem was a classic

Among the annals of national anthems as a prelude to sporting events, few have topped the one delivered by Whitney Houston, who died Saturday, before Super Bowl XXV in 1991 in Tampa. Just a woman, her incredible voice and the bare minimum of extraneous notes.

Her rendition came at a particularly patriotic time, just after the onset of the Persian Gulf War, and was released as a single. It was re-released after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Houston donated all proceeds to charity. There was some controversy over whether she had pre-recorded the song, but it still ranks among the best all-time because of the circumstances and ... that voice..



Whitney Houston’s Star-Spangled Secret

It was what turned a star into a superstar: Whitney Houston’s mesmerizing rendition of the national anthem at the 1991 Super Bowl. Houston’s powerful “Star Spangled Banner” performance came at a poignant, patriotic time — the U.S. had just entered the 1991 Gulf War.

But here’s what you didn’t know: What the Super Bowl audience and hundreds of millions of TV viewers heard was lip-synched.

“The music was pre-recorded, and so was the vocal,” confirmed Rickey Minor, who was Houston’s musical director at the time.

Minor, now the band leader on Jay Leno’s “Tonight Show,” said that in a crowd that large and loud, it was impossible for Houston to hear herself. Though she did sing, it was her pre-recorded voice that the audience heard.

Here’s another surprise: Minor and Houston changed the national anthem to ensure a better performance.

“The original version is in 3/4 time, which is more like a waltz,” Minor explained. “What we tried to do was to put it in 4/4 meter… We wanted to give her a chance to phrase it in such a way that she would be able to take her time and really express the meaning.”

Minor was nervous that the altered anthem wouldn’t be well received, but that story, at least, has a happy ending: Houston’s performance electrified the stadium and soon after, popular demand prompted Houston’s record label to release a single that hit the top 20 on the Billboard charts.

“I think it might well be the best Super Bowl performance of all time, ” said Billboard Magazine editor Danyel Smith. “It may well be, with the exception of her version of Dolly Parton’s, ‘I Will Always Love You,’ the most remembered thing about her.

I think our grandkids will look at the video for ‘I Will Always Love You’ and they will look at the video of Whitney Houston singing at Super Bowl twenty-five.”


View Larger Map


Sources: AP, ABC News, Washington Post, Youtube, Google Maps

Pres. Obama Lays Wreath At Tomb Of Unknown Soldier & Gives Honor To Fallen Heroes (Video)

"Today, we honor those who loved their country so much they sacrificed their lives for it. We owe them a debt we can never repay."
Pres. Barack Obama, Memorial Day 2012



Obama Memorial Day Ceremony: President Honors Fallen Troops At Arlington National Cemetery

President Barack Obama paid tribute Monday to the men and women who have died defending America, saying the country must strive "to be a nation worthy of your sacrifice."

He said the war in Iraq has ended after nine years and is "winding down" in Afghanistan. But he conceded that the pain of war lingers for the families of those lost in battle, noting mourners can be seen daily at Arlington National Cemetery daily, not just on Memorial Day.

"These 600 acres are home to Americans from every part of the country who gave their lives in every part of the globe," said the president, speaking under a brilliant sun before a large audience, including many uniformed servicemen and women, at the cemetery, after taking part in the traditional laying of a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

The president promised war veterans that "we will be there for you," to ensure that troops returning home from battle get the benefits they deserve.

Preceding Obama, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said that "all the men and women who rest here are a constant reminder that freedom is not free." He noted that some 6,400 men and women have died defending America since the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Obama was traveling later Monday to the Vietnam War Memorial to give special recognition to the troops who served and died in that war.

In this election year, Obama has been reminding his audiences about the end of the war in Iraq and the move to bring all troops home from Afghanistan by 2014. In a campaign aid released last week, he credits U.S. servicemen who helped in the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

With so many troops returning home from their service, Obama says the U.S. needs to return the favor.

"We have to serve them and their families as well as they have served us," Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address. "By making sure that they get the health care and benefits they need; by caring for our wounded warriors and supporting our military families; and by giving veterans the chance to go to college, find a good job and enjoy the freedom that they risked everything to protect."

The White House said the gathering at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial War would mark the beginning of a 13-year program to honor those who served during the Vietnam War.

Republican Mitt Romney was scheduled to appear Monday with Arizona Sen. John McCain, the 2008 GOP nominee, in San Diego, home to a large number of military personnel and veterans. Romney has made the case that too many veterans are returning home to poor job prospects, casting blame on Obama's economic policies.

A Bureau of Labor Statistics report in March found that 12.1 percent of U.S. Armed Forces veterans who served on active duty after September 2001 were unemployed in 2011. The unemployment rate for all veterans was 8.3 percent.

Veterans could play a significant role in the 2012 election. Exit polls in 2008 showed that Obama was supported by about 44 percent of voters who said they served in the military, while 54 percent voted for McCain, a former Navy pilot who was a prisoner of war for more than five years during the Vietnam War.

A poll released Monday by Gallup found that 58 percent of veterans support Romney and 34 percent back Obama. The results were based on a sample of 3,327 veterans who are registered voters and had a margin of error of 2 percentage points.

Several closely watched states in the election have large blocs of military voters. Florida, home to several military installations, has more than 1.6 million veterans, according to the Veterans Administration. Pennsylvania has nearly 1 million veterans, while Virginia and North Carolina each have about 800,000 veterans living in their states.

The president and first lady Michelle Obama started the day with a breakfast at the White House for families who have lost loved ones in combat.



Obama lays wreath at Tomb of the Unknowns on Memorial Day

President Obama laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in observance of Memorial Day Monday.

The president, joined by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey, delivers remarks following the traditional wreath-laying ceremony.

Earlier in the day, Obama hosted a breakfast along with first lady Michelle Obama at the White House in honor of Gold Star families.

The Obamas and Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden, will also attend an event at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall on the National Mall to mark the 50th anniversary of the war.

“This month, we’ll begin to mark the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War, a time when, to our shame, our veterans did not always receive the respect and the thanks they deserved — a mistake that must never be repeated," the president said in a statement circulated by the White House.


View Arlington National Cemetery in a larger map


Sources: AOL, AP, CBS News, Huffington Post, The Hill, Google Maps

Romney Leads Obama Among Veteran Voters: Romney Releases Memorial Day Video

Veterans Give Romney Big Lead Over Obama

U.S. veterans, about 13% of the adult population and consisting mostly of older men, support Mitt Romney over Barack Obama for president by 58% to 34%, while nonveterans give Obama a four-percentage-point edge.

These data, from an analysis of Gallup Daily tracking interviews conducted April 11-May 24, show that 24% of all adult men are veterans, compared with 2% of adult women.

Obama and Romney are tied overall at 46% apiece among all registered voters in this sample. Men give Romney an eight-point edge, while women opt for Obama over Romney by seven points.

It turns out that the male skew for Romney is driven almost entirely by veterans. Romney leads by one point among nonveteran men, contrasted with the 28-point edge Romney receives among male veterans.

The small percentage of female veterans in the U.S., in contrast to their male counterparts, do not differ significantly in their presidential vote choice from the vast majority of women who are not veterans.

The proportion of U.S. men who are armed forces veterans rises dramatically among those who are 60 and older.

The military draft was in force in the U.S. from shortly before the U.S. entry into World War II until the early 1970s. A majority of men now 70 to 89 served in the military, including almost three-quarters of those aged 80 to 89. Less than a fifth of men younger than 50 have served in the military. There is little variation in military service among women across these age groups.

Age makes little substantive difference in the vote preferences of male veterans. Those younger than 50 are roughly as likely to support Romney as are those 60 and older. Male veterans aged 50 to 59 are slightly less skewed toward Romney, but still support him by a 15-point margin.

Bottom Line

Veterans in the U.S. today are mostly male and two-thirds are aged 50 or older. In a population that is currently evenly split in its preferences for Barack Obama or Mitt Romney for president, veterans stand out for their 24-point preference for Romney. About a fourth of men are veterans, and it is their strong skew toward Romney that essentially creates the GOP candidate's leading position among men today. Among nonveteran men, Obama and Romney are essentially tied.

Why veterans are so strong in their preference for the Republican presidential candidate is not clear. Previous Gallup analysis has suggested that two processes may be at work. Men who serve in the military may become socialized into a more conservative orientation to politics as a result of their service. Additionally, men who in the last decades have chosen to enlist in the military may have a more Republican orientation to begin with.

Veterans' strong preference for Romney in this election occurs even though Romney himself is not a military veteran -- though Obama shares this nonveteran status. This will be the first election since World War II in which neither major-party candidate is a veteran.

Barring unforeseen developments such as the re-institution of the military draft, the proportion of the male population in this country that will have served in the armed forces will decrease in the years ahead as the older population dominated by veterans dies off. These data suggest that Democrats could get an overall boost from this demographic phenomenon as these apparently reliable Republican voters become a smaller and smaller proportion of the population.



Poll: Romney leads Obama among Veterans

As Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama take a campaign break to pay tribute on Memorial Day, a poll released Monday indicates the presumptive GOP presidential nominee has a big lead over Obama among veterans.

Fifty-eight percent of veterans support Romney, while 34% back the president, according to a new Gallup survey.

In recent weeks, polls have indicated significant gender gap between Obama and Romney, with woman more favorable to the president and men leaning more towards Romney.

Interestingly, the new poll shows that Romney's male advantage may be attributed to his lead among veterans, given that one in four men in the United States have served in the military. When taking into account only non-veteran men, Obama and Romney are essentially tied, the poll shows.

Among non-veterans overall (both men and women), however, Obama holds a four-percentage point advantage, 48%-44%, over his Republican rival.

Neither Romney nor Obama have military records, making the 2012 election the first race with non-veterans as candidates since the 1944 showdown between Franklin Roosevelt and Thomas Dewey.

To commemorate the Memorial holiday, Romney will make an appearance today with Sen. John McCain at the Veterans Museum and Memorial Center in San Diego, California, while President Barack Obama attends ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall.

Gallup pulled its data from its daily tracking survey between April 11 and May 24, with a random sample of 43,352 adults questioned by telephone. Of the sample, 7,133 were veterans. The poll's sampling error is plus or minus two percentage points.


Sources: CNN, Gallup, Youtube

Pres. Obama Pays Tribute To America's Fallen Heroes: 2012 Memorial Day

In his most recent Weekly Address message Pres. Obama paid Tribute to America's Fallen Military Heroes.


Sources: CBS News, White House.gov, Youtube

"The Star Spangled Banner" By Whitney Houston (Video)

Freedom Is NOT Free!

God Bless & Many Thanks To All Men & Women Who Proudly Serve Our Country In Uniform! And Many Thanks To Those Who Sacrificed Their Lives For Our Continued Freedom & Democracy!

Whitney Houston's Awesome Performance (Below) Of "The Star Spangled Banner" Reminds Of Us How Fortunate We Are To Have Such A Brave, Well-Prepared Military Force Protecting Our Nation.





Sources: Youtube

Sweeping Credit Card Reform Here We Come! Senate Passes Bill 90-5!

Today by a show of almost unanimous decision 90-5, the United States Senate voted to pass a sweeping Credit Card Reform Bill.

The bill will curb over-the-top interest rates and outrageous fees often forced upon Consumers as punishment for using plastic versus cash.

Once President Obama signs the bill into law on Memorial Day (as expected), Lenders and Credit Card Industry officials will have nine months to begin complying with the mandatory changes.

Some of those changes include:

a) Posting card agreements online

b) Allowing customers to pay their bills online or by phone without being charged extra fees.

c) Making customers aware of interest rate increases 45-days prior to the increases.

d) Not approving credit card applications for anyone under the age of 21 without proof their debts can be paid or without parental co-signers.

Such changes imposed by the Federal Reserve will begin taking place in July 2010.

Sources: Huffington Post, Politico, Flickr