By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Letter to the editor: Passage of burn pit bill helps veterans
Ted Harris mug

Dear Editor,

Jon Stewart’s humble acts of kindness, caring, selfishness and servitude are for the greater good of the men and women who have served and make up the armed forces of the U.S.A. He spoke from his heart about our humanity.

He exposed the United States Senate for playing political games with the lives of veterans. He actually shamed politicians for politicizing veterans’ issues and the Senate into doing the right thing. They passed the Toxic Burn Pit Act.

He single-handedly worked out of his car to force the Senate to pass the bill. The Department of Veterans Affairs now has the resources and mandate to provide 3.5 million men and women treatment for a wide variety of different cancers associated with their service.

I have visited 11 of the 23 VA regions across our nation and witnessed billions of dollars in new construction and met so many high-quality staffs and veterans.

The VA has made vast progress in the way it provides medical and mental healthcare during my 30 years in the system. I worked with former Congressman Jack Kingston for 16 years on veterans’ issues. We worked together to end the globalization of the VA mental healthcare system.

In the late ’90s, our nation abandoned its promise to provide for our veteran community. We were fighting to end “satellite medicine.” The government ran 20 polls and 92% of the people agreed with us. Kingston used a congressional stop work order that forced the VA to rehire 20,000 mental healthcare workers Today, active-duty military personnel and the veterans’ community of our nation is in his debt. Jon Stewart is standing on Kingston’s shoulders for the greater good of the men and women who have served and make up the armed forces of the U.S.A.

We have to give Jon Stewart credit for his great work with the 9/11 workers. The veterans’ community can look forward to a new VA that is fully equipped to provide the best healthcare and treatment for cancer.

Warrior Jon Stewart is a hero and champion of the seven holy virtues — faith, hope, charity, prudence, temperance, fortitude and justice.

Ted Harris, Midway

Sign up for our e-newsletters