Back in the World War II era, 80 to 85 percent of legislators had served in the military. Now that number is barely 5 percent.
This makes a big difference in how those legislators vote on issues pertaining to veterans, according to Eugene Schumacher, Aberdeen, S.D., American Legion national vice commander, who recently visit 20 posts in Kansas.
“Kansas gave the United States the greatest senator, Bob Dole,” Schumacher said Thursday during a lunchtime visit to Pittsburg American Legion Post 64.
“He served in the military, was wounded, and used a veterans facility, so he understood. Most of the legislators today don’t have a clue.”
Sometimes even those who did serve in the military don’t have a clue. Schumacher told of a dispute he had with Thomas Daschle, former U.S. senator and U.S. Senate Majority Leader, over a proposed constitutional amendment that would make desecrating the U.S. flag a crime. The American Legion is one of the strongest supporters of the amendment.
Both men attended the same church in Aberdeen. “He sat a couple of pews ahead of me, and was also a member of my home American Legion post,” Schumacher said. “I tried to get Tom to bring the amendment to the floor of the Senate for a vote.”
However, Daschle gave Schumacher an example of how he thought criminalizing flag desecration could have unwanted consequences.
“He asked, ‘What if you had a child born on the Fourth of July and your wife baked a cake and decorated it like the flag?’” Schumacher said. “Well, my oldest son was born on the Fourth of July, and my wife has made flag cakes. Then Tom said that cutting that cake could be considered a criminal offense. My answer to him was, pardon my French, ladies, ‘Senator, you’re s---ing me. You’re smarter than that’.”
Schumacher also told Daschle that if he did not bring the amendment to the floor for a vote, he would be beaten in the next election. “He didn’t, and he did,” the national vice commander said.
During his talk, he urged getting back to the basics, the “Four Pillars” upon which the American Legion was founded.
“First of these is veterans affairs and rehab,” Schumacher said. “It is a crying shame that the folks who took care of our country are not being taken care of.”
He has learned, from Kansas Legion State Commander Dave Thomas, that the situation could become critical in Kansas.
“With all the budget cuts, they’re wanting to cut the Kansas Commission on Veterans’ Affairs,” Thomas said. “We did have 14 service officers for the state, then they cut it down to 11. Now they’re talking about further budget cuts that would take us to four service officers for the entire state. That works out to one service officer for every 14,000 veterans in Kansas.”
“I just found about this since I got here, and it’s atrocious,” Schumacher said. “I know you people think more of your veterans than that.”
Other pillars of the Legion are Americanism, which includes support of the flag amendment; children and youth, with the Legion’s sponsorship of Girls State and Boys State, Girls Nation and Boys Nation, baseball programs, etc.; and national defense.
“Our troops are still using equipment that was used back in Operation Desert Storm in 1990, and it’s worn out,” Schumacher said. “Our troops deserve new equipment to keep them safe.”
He and the state commander urged their listeners to call, write or e-mail legislators to protest budget cuts harming veterans and call for the best possible equipment for U.S. servicemen and women.
“Dave Thomas and I can go in and talk until we’re blue in the face, but they won’t listen to us,” Schumacher said. “But when they hear the American Legion has 2.5 million members, and when they figure each member has a wife or husband, children and grandchildren, and they all vote, then the light bulb goes on.”
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Back in the World War II era, 80 to 85 percent of legislators had served in the military. Now that number is barely 5 percent.
This makes a big difference in how those legislators vote on issues pertaining to veterans, according to Eugene Schumacher, Aberdeen, S.D., American Legion national vice commander, who recently visit 20 posts in Kansas.
“Kansas gave the United States the greatest senator, Bob Dole,” Schumacher said Thursday during a lunchtime visit to Pittsburg American Legion Post 64.
“He served in the military, was wounded, and used a veterans facility, so he understood. Most of the legislators today don’t have a clue.”
Sometimes even those who did serve in the military don’t have a clue. Schumacher told of a dispute he had with Thomas Daschle, former U.S. senator and U.S. Senate Majority Leader, over a proposed constitutional amendment that would make desecrating the U.S. flag a crime. The American Legion is one of the strongest supporters of the amendment.
Both men attended the same church in Aberdeen. “He sat a couple of pews ahead of me, and was also a member of my home American Legion post,” Schumacher said. “I tried to get Tom to bring the amendment to the floor of the Senate for a vote.”
However, Daschle gave Schumacher an example of how he thought criminalizing flag desecration could have unwanted consequences.
“He asked, ‘What if you had a child born on the Fourth of July and your wife baked a cake and decorated it like the flag?’” Schumacher said. “Well, my oldest son was born on the Fourth of July, and my wife has made flag cakes. Then Tom said that cutting that cake could be considered a criminal offense. My answer to him was, pardon my French, ladies, ‘Senator, you’re s---ing me. You’re smarter than that’.”
Schumacher also told Daschle that if he did not bring the amendment to the floor for a vote, he would be beaten in the next election. “He didn’t, and he did,” the national vice commander said.
During his talk, he urged getting back to the basics, the “Four Pillars” upon which the American Legion was founded.
“First of these is veterans affairs and rehab,” Schumacher said. “It is a crying shame that the folks who took care of our country are not being taken care of.”
He has learned, from Kansas Legion State Commander Dave Thomas, that the situation could become critical in Kansas.
“With all the budget cuts, they’re wanting to cut the Kansas Commission on Veterans’ Affairs,” Thomas said. “We did have 14 service officers for the state, then they cut it down to 11. Now they’re talking about further budget cuts that would take us to four service officers for the entire state. That works out to one service officer for every 14,000 veterans in Kansas.”
“I just found about this since I got here, and it’s atrocious,” Schumacher said. “I know you people think more of your veterans than that.”
Other pillars of the Legion are Americanism, which includes support of the flag amendment; children and youth, with the Legion’s sponsorship of Girls State and Boys State, Girls Nation and Boys Nation, baseball programs, etc.; and national defense.
“Our troops are still using equipment that was used back in Operation Desert Storm in 1990, and it’s worn out,” Schumacher said. “Our troops deserve new equipment to keep them safe.”
He and the state commander urged their listeners to call, write or e-mail legislators to protest budget cuts harming veterans and call for the best possible equipment for U.S. servicemen and women.
“Dave Thomas and I can go in and talk until we’re blue in the face, but they won’t listen to us,” Schumacher said. “But when they hear the American Legion has 2.5 million members, and when they figure each member has a wife or husband, children and grandchildren, and they all vote, then the light bulb goes on.”
