Email from NC House Representative

From Susan Fisher, NC State Representative, via email in November 2008:

Service members who put their lives on the line for our nation deserve protection from people who would prey on their families while they are away or preparing to deploy. A new law (H773) help s protect members of the military from predatory life insurance policies that may not cover death in combat and predatory annuity sales. The law also prohibits false, misleading, deceptive, or unfair acts. In addition, through the budget, the state has hired a consumer protection specialist within the Department of Justice to keep service members and their families safe from scams to cheat them out of their hard-earned money.

During the past two years, the state has appropriated $2 million for morale, recreation and welfare programs on military installations. The money is being shared among all branches of the military in the state, including the Army, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard and National Guard. The legislature also allocated $1.25 million to help the North Carolina Military Business Center foster business development originating from the state’s military bases and $3 million to the Defense and Security Technology Accelerator to help build businesses tied to homeland security and national defense.

The General Assembly set aside $500,000 to help a nonprofit organization complete architectural plans for the Museum of the Marine, a tribute to the contributions the U.S. Marines have made to our world and nation. The museum will be in the city of Jacksonville, near Camp Lejeune Marine Corps base.

The state appropriated $15 million to help build the new North Carolina State Veterans Park, which includes a formal garden, a visitors center and a Freedom Trail.

My response:

I think you should spend the money on supporting and helping the members of the military who are resisting these illegal wars of aggression. It will bring an end to these crimes MUCH sooner, and will save NC taxpayers LOTS of money.

I don't see why we need a "consumer protection specialist" for one group of employed people in NC. I don't know how that would work to stop people from being fools with their money.

And I really think the Veteran's Park and Marine Museum is a waste of money. People are in need of food and housing, not parks and museums - and the further glorification of our military leads to an even more militarized society - which is why so many people support these illegal wars of aggression. Like Martin Luther King said, we have to be anti-racism, anti-poverty and anti-war. I guess we are might be making some progress on the first one, but we are getting nowhere on the last two.

Did you know that 37% of Americans still think there were WMDs in Iraq in 2003? And that 70% of Americans think Iraqis are better off now?
Here's a link to the story.

Imagine if the US was Iraq:
12 million dead Americans
24 million internally displaced
24 million refugees in Canada and Mexico
No one having electricity 24/7
Only 40% having access to clean drinking water
Unemployment over 50%, over 20% of children not in school
Well over half the population injured or suffering from PTSD (except there is nothing 'post' about it)

All in the last six years, and then imagine the foreign country that did this to us (or started the chain of events) thinking that their military is in need of parks and museums.

Really, it is a shame that so many crimes have been perpetuated in the bush administration with almost NONE of the Democrats doing anything about it. The fact is, a good number of them (like Pelosi) are complicit in the war crimes and torture and kidnapping and thief. It makes me very ashamed to be an American.

Keep in mind that the economy is crashing and MANY people will be hurting. More than we have ever seen in our lifetimes. The only upside to this is that all our militarism " may" come to an end because we just cannot afford it. Or maybe not. Americans are pretty stupid.

There was no answer to my email.