Spitting on Veterans

MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann can be funny and smart. But I thought last Thursday he took a little too much glee in saying “”And, oh, by the way, there is not one confirmed case, not one, of Americans spitting on veterans returning from Vietnam.”

Also, recently, Washington Post blogger, William Arkin, went so far as to appear to condition support for the troops: “These soldiers should be grateful that the American public, which by all polls overwhelmingly disapproves of the Iraq war and the President’s handling of it, do still offer their support to them, and their respect.”

Look, have any opinion on the Iraq War you want, but leave the troops alone. They’re paying a high enough price.

I write about the issue more in my New York Sun column. In the piece I also tell some of the stories of my father and his friends of what life was like when they returned from Vietnam.

One more point for both the Right and the Left. We have to continue to support these veterans when they come home and for a long time thereafter. President Bush will be long gone, but we cannot forget those who will need help in the years to come.