Published: May 28, 2008 05:47 pm            

LETTERS: May 29, 2008

Support veterans education aid



On May 22, 2008, the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 in a 75-22 vote, despite opposition from President Bush and Senator John McCain. This bill gives our veterans the same benefits given to the veterans of WWII.

Senators Richard Lugar and Evan Bayh not only voted for this bill, but were also co-sponsors. Sen. Lugar was one of 25 Republicans who disregarded President Bush and Sen. McCain’s opposition to this bill. Sen. McCain, while opposed to this bill, failed to show up for the vote.

Sen. McCain believes this would give too much to our veterans; enticing them to leave the service. What he fails to see is how it will attract recruits. This bill will increase our troops, not deplete them.

Sen. McCain says that this bill is too expensive. Even if there was no return on this investment, he would be wrong. But, historians will tell you that the WWII GI bill more than paid for itself. GI’s attained their degrees and better paying jobs than they would have had otherwise, leading to increased income tax collection. This bill will yield the same results.

I join Sen. Obama in my concerns regarding Sen. McCain’s position on this issue.

How can we not take care of those who have taken care of us?

Sen. McCain claims that Sen. Obama’s support of this bill shows his inexperience and naivety on “an issue he has less than zero understanding of.” Perhaps Sen. McCain should broaden his criticism to include the VFW, the American Legion, VoteVets.org, and virtually every other veteran’s organization, all of which supported this bill. Surely Sen. McCain does not believe that these veteran’s organizations are unknowledgeable in this area.

This bill now goes to the House of Representatives for its consideration. I encourage each of you to join me, Senators Lugar, Bayh, Obama, and Clinton, the VFW, the American Legion, and all other supporters of this bill and contact Rep. Baron Hill and encourage him to support H.R. 5740, the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008.

— Jeffrey Knoebel, Charlestown



Reader defends IUS graduation



I would like to respond to Richard D. Carver’s letter, which was recently published in The Evening News and Tribune.

Mr. Carver wrote that he attended the May 5, 2008, Indiana University Southeast graduation ceremony and was disappointed for several reasons. I also attended that graduation ceremony as one of the many students receiving their diploma that day and I left the event with a very different opinion. I would like to address some of Mr. Carver’s comments.

First, Mr. Carver stated that he has many health issues, so the “ . . . mile long walk through the mountains of their vast parking lot . . . “ was challenging for him. He could have been dropped off in front of Knobview Hall, like many people were, or he could have asked for a ride on the golf carts used to shuttle people back and forth. He also could have arrived early to get a closer parking space.

Second, Mr. Carver led readers to believe that the ceremony was held in a “pasture.” On the contrary, it was held in the parking lot and amphitheater behind Knobview Hall with the scenic knobs of Floyd County as the backdrop. The sloping grassy areas provided both a park-like setting and a place for families to sit and relax.

Third, Mr. Carver wrote, “There is more planning put into elementary school graduations, high school graduations and dog shows . . .” than was put into the ceremony. He also stated, “Standing for hours in an open field after such a trek, and then listening to the many speeches, made for an ugly evening.”

I was upset and offended by these callous statements. This was a day of recognition and acknowledgment for our years of hard work and perseverance. Futhermore, many dedicated individuals from the IUS administration, faculty and staff went to a lot of time and trouble to make the graduation ceremony a memorable event. In my opinion, the graduation ceremony was perfect; it was a blend of pomp and circumstance with a casual outdoor setting; the weather was perfect; the speakers were inspirational; and it was over in two hours.

I’m sorry that Mr. Carver had such an unpleasant experience, but he should have assessed the situation better by taking his health issues into consideration and planned ahead instead of finding fault with the university.

— L. Dierking, Sellersburg

        

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