Governor's veto disheartening to veterans

Date: 12/11/2009

I'm wondering what in the world happened to the country I grew up in? We were promised change. Well we've certainly seen it.

I'm witness to these changes daily, in the veterans', families' and staff's faces, their broken spirits and overwhelming sorrow responses directly related to Governor Patrick's veto on veteran services.

Sadly, we believed the veterans would've had his support and we were wrong.

Am I to understand that in this democracy the rights of convicted killers would be preceded by, protected and paid for over the veterans who fought for their very rights? Gov. Patrick should avail himself to us so that the Commonwealth might hear open dialogue on the real consequences that will occur if the Holyoke Soldier's Home Outpatient closes not under the media constraints that have limited and edited our message thus far, but in an open forum.

Let's talk about how the government plans on eventually swooping down and saving us after the coup. Do I hear echoes of privatization? Does the public know how many years some have tried to rid the state of the veteran burden? Or will he now continue supporting and further deceiving by pushing forth this facade, mimicking a response and rescue effort to cover the fact that this indeed was the plan all along?

We can only hope that the decisions Gov. Patrick made were because he was misinformed, after all this can happen to anyone, as we continue to reel from the effects of erroneous sources that influenced our past president's decisions.

This most certainly will not end in international wars, but the consequences will be undeniable, notable, along with tragic statistics that will breathe life into public outcries. I'm hoping that he listens to his constituents as if our concerns matter. We deserve that much. We hear the statements of some our elected officials and we're telling them they're not realistic. We ask for the chance to speak our truth.



Paulette C. Lampron

Chicopee