Walter Reed patients told to keep quiet
One Way To Stop The Bad News At Walter Reed
Soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center’s Medical Hold Unit say they have been told they will wake up at 6 a.m. every morning and have their rooms ready for inspection at 7 a.m., and that they must not speak to the media….”Some soldiers believe this is a form of punishment for the trouble soldiers caused by talking to the media,” one Medical Hold Unit soldier said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
There’s an old Japanese proverbs that says, “The nail that sticks up gets hammered down.” Nowhere is this more true in American society than in our military. Now, don’t get me wrong; I understand the culture. I grew up in a military family, and I was an Army Reserve officer myself (Yeah, imagine that; me, Mr. Flamin’ Librul his own self, an officer. Go figure…I couldn’t lead a platoon to the dining hall.). The American military does not tolerate nails that stick up. Individualism is highly frowned upon…why do you think everyone wears a uniform?
The revelation of conditions at Walter Reed Army Hospital had to be deeply embarrassing, both to the US Army and to the Bush Administration, who’ve trumpeted their love for our men and women in uniform for years. No reasonable person should be surprised that there have been repercussions for talking to the media regarding conditions. Senior officers and politicians just HATE being embarrassed- even if they richly deserve it. It’s just too bad that the effort that apparently is being expended on silencing those subjected to substandard conditions isn’t going to fixing the problem.
No good deed goes unpunished, eh??
