Public Comment

Comedian and activist, Jon Stewart arrived in Washington with a clear agenda, - passage of the PACT Act to help veterans suffering from health problems related to toxic burn pits. Jon’s rapid-fire diatribes shamed Republicans who had previously blocked passage of the bill claiming there was insufficient funding. Jon exposed the hypocrisy, blatant falsehood and flip-flopping forcing Republicans to acquiesce and support the bill. 

Jon’s great performance reminds me of the classic movie, “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”, staring James Stewart. The movie depicts self-serving legislative bodies of being compromised by elite power brokers. What was sorely omitted in the debate in Congress is the millions of innocent civilians in foreign lands who continue to suffer devastating health issues, horrible birth defects early deaths resulting from toxic fumes and chemical agents such as Agent Orange. This dioxin was sprayed in very large quantities in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia during the Vietnam War. Depleted uranium was heavily used in Gulf War 1 and 2. We mourn the loss of 2,977 people killed on 9/11 but not apologized and compensate the Iraqis who died our “shock and awe” attacks, all based on false intelligence of WMD’s. Millions of Afghanis died victims of “misguided precision guided drone attacks resulting in a Taliban victory and devastating impact on girls' education. 

The lyrics of the folk song "Where Have All the Flowers Gone . ." should be hung on the walls of Congress and the Pentagon as a sobering reminder of the $trillions squandered in foreign wars and the death of millions of innocent civilians.