Fellow Americans:
Yesterday, we held our eighth Sunday Rally to “Save Our Veterans Land” at the Los Angeles National Veteran’s Home.
Francisco Juarez’s raising the long string of American flags across the front of the fence was very patriotic, symbolic and inspiring.
However, it pains me deeply that while those flags flew freely and proudly outside of the fence, we have fellow Veterans inside the fence who pledged theirs lives to defend our flag and the U.S. Constitution, but are now being held against their will and denied their First Amendment “Right to Assemble” with us and protest the land giveaway at this great National Home.
Make no mistake.
The violation of the Deed of 1888 against our historic land is bad enough. But the violation of our U.S. Constitution against our fellow Veterans has now become the paramount issue. The seriousness of this egregious violation against any American citizen is simply outrageous.
But to inflict this upon an American military Veteran is a heinous act of the lowest level. We have gone to war to stop this kind of oppression against any human being. In fact, Saddam Hussein's dictatorship was toppled, and he was hanged, because, among other things, he prevented the citizens of Iraq from protesting against him.
Our Protectors?
Yet this barbarism that we now speak of is taking place on American soil, upon Veterans’ land, and being perpetrated by our own U.S. Government, not by the communist Chinese government against the citizenry of Tibet or Third World countries.
Lest we forget, our U.S. government’s Dept. of Veterans Affairs (V.A.) has been charged with the responsibility of protecting this land, and our Veterans, while providing them with quality healthcare and rehabilitation. To the contrary, the V.A. is now imprisoning our fellow Veterans who are either patients, residents and/or employees, and denying them the very rights that they fought to defend.
This same V.A. obliged a wealthy special- interest group in Brentwood and gave away this hallowed land for a public park, which is one of the reasons we are rallying every Sunday from 1 to 4.
And it was this same V.A. that donated $1 million of Veterans’ seriously needed healthcare money to help this wealthy group build their pretentious, self-serving “majestic wrought iron fence” that now imprisons our fellow Veterans — all under the despicable guise of “honoring our veterans.”
What Kind of Freedom Is This?
What is taking place defies the imagination in the 21st century of the United States of America. This is a general election year, and we are seeking to elect the leader of the world’s supposedly most powerful and freest nation.
We live under this great blanket of freedom, and our unparalleled way of life for one reason, and one reason only: Brave men and women have pledged their own lives so that our lives will be free.
Now our so-called democratic government holds some of those very men and women hostage at their own National Veterans Home. Ironically, one of our nation’s 2008 Presidential candidates was himself held as a Prisoner of War by a communist dictatorship regime that today’s imprisoned Veterans were fighting against.
So where are Congressman Waxman, Sen. Feinstein, Sen. Boxer, County Supervisor Yaroslavsky and Los Angeles City Councilman Rosendahl (a Veteran) while all of this is taking place?
They are supposed to be the elected servants who oversee the protection of this hallowed land. They are the protectors of America’s Veterans staying at this National Home.
Where Is Our Support?
We know that these politicians all support the public park so they are essentially responsible for the land heist, which has now led to the imprisonment of Veterans who want to protest against it. Since these politicians are all beholden to the Brentwood public park group, it is pointless to even expect their interest or support.
However, what’s extremely troubling is where are the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, AMVETS, Vietnam Veterans of America, Citizens For Veterans Rights, and all the other Veterans’ organizations while our fellow Veterans are being held hostage?
Why are they being silent?
Ronald Reagan wisely forewarned: “History will record with the greatest astonishment that those who had the most to lose did the least to prevent its happening.”
As responsible American citizens, we must prevent this from happening because it is our absolute duty to liberate these American military Veterans who are being held against their will and denied their Constitutional rights.
Mr. Rosebrock is co-director of “We the Veterans”
