My Dad's Summer Home

The words heart attack and Eisenhower were much in the minds of Americans when my father was stricken with his first heart attack.  By the time I was brought into the fold, he was ensconced in a bed at the Veteran's Administration Hospital in Marion, IL.  The doctors were adamant.  Eisenhower's attack was a drop in the bucket compared with his.  Life style changes were in order. 


My Dad had been in the China/Burma/India Theater of World War II.  Back then, our soldiers knew that after they served their country and protected their families and neighbors, the government would take care of their health.


What have the citizens of our country become, that they would make their offices "look good" at the risk of human health and life?  It makes me ashamed that we have become such a callous and superficial population that we not only fail to thank our veterans properly, but actually write them off to make numbers appear better than they are.


The Republicans, who have gotten the mistaken idea that Americans approve of dirty politics, are having a field day blaming the Administration.  But how could the President know it was this bad when he was being fed "doctored books"?


You know, folks, it is bad enough that some low level supervisors instructed people to hide the facts.  But, what is wrong with those employees who followed the instructions?  Perhaps the forty alleged deaths were unavoidable anyway, but we'll never know what might have been if they could have gotten timely care.


The doctors at that VA hospital saved my father's life that summer.  We got to have him with us a few more precious years.  What would we have done without their care and their commitment to saving human life?


We used to joke a lot that the VA Hospital at Marion, IL, was my Daddy's summer home.  It should be this way for all our veterans that meet the need for care -- chronic or acute.  We should not be hearing of one individual who has to wait longer than a couple of days for medical attention.


The Congress needs to unzip the collective pockets and staff the care facilities adequately.  The lower level administrative offices need to report the details honestly and correctly.  The individuals working need to examine their own hearts and souls and determine the true worth of the instructions they are given.  They should report lies and deceit.


And people should quit blaming the President for every problem.  This is a systemic and moral tragedy -- not an administrative glitch.