Robin SmithIt's Memorial Day, or Decoration Day as it was known in the past, when we dutifully honor those men and women who died in military service to our nation.
Among the frequent demonstrations of respect and reverence are the placing of flags at graves of the fallen, the wearing of red poppies associated with John McCrae's World War I poem "In Flanders Fields," and at national cemeteries, the U.S. flag being "raised briskly to the top of the staff and then solemnly lowered to the half-staff position, where it remains only until noon. It is then raised to full-staff for the remainder of the day."
How does our American culture show gratitude for this sacrifice? One would hope that we best recognize our fallen by celebrating and honoring living veterans and the cause for which they fought: America.
Sadly, such expectations are not always met.
May 16 was Armed Forces Day. Unfortunately, instead of focusing on our veterans, most media time was devoted to horse racing or chest-beating politicians demanding a fix to Amtrak woes following a deadly crash more likely caused by human error than lack of government funding.
Go back a few more days and you'll remember a man from Valdosta, Ga., who videotaped himself stomping on the U.S. flag to start a social media drive encouraging others to deface the symbol most synonymous with America. Eric Sheppard, a member of the Black Nationalist New Black Panther Party, was seeking solidarity in protesting racism, yet chose to attack so much more.
Attempting to defend Old Glory, Air Force veteran Michelle Manhart was arrested. Outraged Valdosta residents responded with a show of appreciation for the flag, lining the streets with flag-wavers. Social media reacted with its own version of support, posting patriotic pictures featuring proud Americans honoring the flag and its military defenders.
This Saturday will mark the one-year anniversary of the resignation of Gen. Eric Shinseki, the former U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs. In 2014, after months of evasion and inaction, Shinseki resigned his post amid horrific accounts of military veterans spending months on wait lists for health care promised to them as an earned benefit of their service.
The VA scandal began in late 2013 when a Phoenix facility was discovered to have hidden the names of up to 1,700 veterans seeking care and misreported their wait times (revealed to be an average of 115 days, five times more than their documents stated.)
Nationally, hundreds of facilities were investigated. The assigned inspector general found that up to 60 percent of the reviewed reports about patient appointment logs had been manipulated.
For weeks, headlines and cable news bloviated with calls for action, livid at the mistreatment of our veterans. An endless stream of indignant members of Congress pounded the table, calling for congressional hearings and firings.
Yet, after almost a full year and a half, what has happened to remedy a bureaucratic health care system that blatantly falsified documents and lied to cover this dishonesty, all while denying care to men and women who had served to defend America against our enemies?
The answer is heartbreaking.
Republican House Speaker John Boehner last Wednesday observed, "Last year, Congress gave the VA secretary new authority to fire employees. But while some 110 VA facilities kept secret lists to hide their wait times, just one person has been fired."
It's Memorial Day. We should recommit to best honor those who have valiantly sacrificed by honoring those who continue to serve.
Robin Smith is a former chairwoman of the Tennessee Republican Party and owner of Rivers Edge Alliance.