Playing You by Preying on Your Patriotism

Representative Waxman's Oversight Committee held it's first hearing into veterans charities today, in the wake of a study that gave failing grades to 12 of the nations 29 charities that ostensibly exist to benefit the nations veterans, but seem to mostly benefit the bottom line of the people who head up the charities. Of the 29 charities, 20 were found to manage their resources poorly, and only five received an "A+" grade.

Two of the worst offenders were the Military order of the Purple Heart and Help Hospitalized Veterans. Those two organizations use only about 1/3 of the funds they take in to actually benefit veterans in need.

Help Hospitalized Veterans was one of the most egregious offenders, which took in $71.3 million last year, spent $4 million on direct mail fundraising efforts, and paid the founder and his wife handsomely - over a half million dollars - for administering the charity and editing the newsletter.

"People want to help the veterans," said Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a member of the oversight committee. "They don't want to enrich organizations that are cynically exploiting veterans for their own personal gain. "We need to make sure that the generous contributions of Americans to veterans will help veterans and not line the pockets of fundraisers and these organizations."

Read the whole thing, but I want to take a moment to plug Fisher House. Fisher House is one of the charities that got an A+ and it is one that I have backed for years. If you are feeling patriotic this holiday season and want to donate to a responsible and responsive veterans charity, you should direct that beneficence to Fisher House. Donations to that organization actually benefit veterans and their families; they don't go towards purchasing ivory back scratchers for scammers who wrap themselves in the flag.

[That's all...]

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Time to Step Up

Sergeants Mora and Gray stepped up.

Sergeants Mora and Gray spoke up.

Sergeants Mora and Gray paid the ultimate price.

Now it is our turn to step up. Comments from Left Field is hosting a fundraiser for Fisher House in honor of Sergeants Mora and Gray.

Kyle at CFLF says it quite well. I will let him make the case. Read his words, then go donate.

You don’t have to agree with the Iraq War to support the brave men and women in our armed forces. You don’t have to agree with the politics. The way I see it, it all comes down to that oath, and what it stands for.

These soldiers took a simple oath, they stood up and said that the ideals of America were bigger than they were, and that for those ideals, they would without question sacrifice their lives.

That’s what this is all about. From one day to the next we can bicker and argue over whether a certain war is right or wrong, but at the end of it all, there must be an understanding that men and women like Sgt. Gray and Sgt. Mora, despite the partisan battles that go on back home, continue to day in and day out perform their duties as soldiers.

Remember the closing words of their OpEd, “As committed soldiers, we will see this mission through.”

We as Americans have much we can stand to learn from soldiers such as Yance and Omar. Least of which is that this very same spirit of fidelity fuels not only the flame from which this country was born, but exists to this day.

This taken into consideration, I do not wish to honor their service, I am compelled to. I cannot personally look at myself in the mirror unless I have been a part of something to commemorate their passing, and show my gratitude for their service.

As a result, we at Comments From Left Field, in cooperation with Conservative Thinking, are as of this day beginning a fund drive In Honor of Sgt. Omar Mora & Sgt. Yance T. Gray.

After exploring several options, we have decided to donate 100% of the funds to the Fisher House charity, an organization we have worked with in the past. Fisher House has a simple goal; to build houses near military medical facilities. Here loved ones of those who have been injured in the line of duty can stay free of charge while their service member undergoes necessary treatment.

We urge you to give what you can to this noble cause for only in this way can Omar and Tell continue to make the lives of their fellow soldiers better even after their passing. I can think of no honor more fitting of a soldier.

- Kyle E. Moore

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