Successes and Remaining Challenges
As you can see in the most recent newsletter, VDBR has won major victories since I last wrote to you.
Our Capitol Hill visits last summer were very effective. Having arguments against the flag amendment come from “real life” veterans had a major impact. Major veterans’ organizations often say they express the views of all veterans, and lawmakers were surprised that this is not the case.
Another noteworthy achievement was the Veterans For Peace resolution opposing the amendment. I attended the group’s national conference in Boston in July, and found great support for our effort. I urge you to visit the group’s Web site (www.veteransforpeace.org) to learn more about this organization. Please consider joining, as I have.
In my conversations with other veterans about the flag amendment, I’ve found that many—even those who belong to veterans’ groups that support it—don’t believe in giving up the freedoms they served to preserve. Some aren’t even aware of their organization’s support for abridging these freedoms, and how close we are to losing them.
We must expand our effort to talk with our fellow veterans. Many veterans may be like the old friend I recently saw in the supermarket. He has a prominent position in a mainstream national veterans’ organization. As I told him of VDBR and our efforts to oppose the amendment—and that his organization is the primary proponent of the amendment—his eyes widened. He was surprised to learn of his group’s strong support for amending the Constitution.
Gary May
Chairman
Veterans Defending the Bill of Rights
