Medea Benjamin and Gayle Brandeis ask a good question for today’s holiday in a new piece for The Nation online: “On Veteran’s Day, when we honor all of those who have served our country through the military, it’s helpful to take a closer look at three words that have become so familiar: What does it mean to truly support our troops?”
The best way, of course, to support the troops is to bring them home. After that, making sure they come back to viable jobs, legit educational opportunities and proper healthcare and counseling are all high on the list.
Benjamin and Brandeis also offer a series of concrete suggestions, including sending care packages to Iraq with books, food and other everyday items difficult to find in a war zone; donating to organizations, like the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, that provide help for returning soldiers struggling to put their lives together and supporting groups like United for Peace and Justice, CodePink, Gold Star Families for Peace and Iraq Veterans Against the War, who are out there in the trenches of the antiwar movement.
It also never hurts–particularly as polls increasingly show that opposing the war will be a winning electoral issue–to click here and implore your elected reps to support a quick withdrawal strategy today. For arguments why this is so critical, check out The Nation mag’s new lead editorial.
