Dear Editor,
Actions DO speak louder than words. Re: [Actions speak louder than words when it comes to caring for veterans, March 25 online letters, Langley Advance]
I guess it’s about time for a veteran to step into this discussion. My name is Barry Westholm, a retired sergeant major and veterans advocate.
I don’t want to be a veterans advocate, but the lack of ability in our government and in our armed forces to care for those injured in the line of service to this nation is appalling.
This vacuum has left me, and many others, with a moral duty to support our own where the government trips them up.
The bickering between politicians on who is best and who is worst for veterans is cringe-worthy.
They both messed up considerably on the injured veteran file. However, there are comparisons to be made and the Liberal parties stoking the hopes of veterans to get themselves elected stands out notably, and shamefully.
The Liberals stated very clearly that they would be reinstating the pension system of 2005, just as they stated clearly that they wouldn’t take veterans back to court. These were two great concerns for our veterans and they believed them.
With these promises, there was large support from veterans, their families and their friends to support the Liberals, and they did – and the Liberals won.
With the Liberal win, those two specific promises vanished and were replaced by bafflegab, back-peddling, and a confusing pension equation that in no way represents what the Liberals promised, but instead (to them) represented “a job well done!”
My fellow Canadians, it was not a “job well done”, it was a betrayal to those veterans’ votes they had garnered through false election promises.
In this respect, the Liberal actions do speak louder than words, they speak of using people.
All the explanations they throw at Canadians now are mere words.
These words can’t take away that action unless they fulfill their promises to reinstate the pension and stop taking our veterans to court.
For the record, I don’t wade in too deeply in the pension issue, as my concerns are with the health, happiness, and welfare of our injured troops as they transition from the military to civilian life.
That said, the above commentary is more from an observer than a participant in the military pension.
Barry L. Westholm, Westmeath, Ont.