PRESS RELEASE – Towne Asks Republocrats to Stop Using Veterans as Political Pawns

“Wars can be prevented just as surely as they can be provoked, and we who fail to prevent them, must share the guilt for the dead... Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war that we know about peace, more about killing that we know about living.”

- Five-Star General of the Army Omar Bradley, WWII veteran and Head of Veterans Affairs from 1946-1947

After receiving another political mailer with pictures of blood-spattered veterans today, I declare I have had ENOUGH of Mr. Dent’s and Mr. Callahan’s wild mudslinging over our military veterans, and both career politicians’ insistence to use them as political pawns in this election.
My strongest criticism of Mr. Dent and Mr. Callahan both is the MISUSE of our veterans through endless, unconstitutional, and preemptive wars. Instead of vastly expensive, nation-building missions, I support the capture of the 9/11 criminals by small special forces units enforcing the law under constitutional warrants called letters of marque and reprisal, and increasing bounties for the wanted criminals.

The fact of the matter is that while Mr. Dent’s record on veterans is not pristine, he generally votes acceptably on veteran benefits. I’ll also add that Congress has a tendency to turn bills into messy hodgepodges covering multiple issues which legislation I will sponsor – One Subject at a Time – will fix.

I am the only candidate to have published my views on veterans in a formal campaign plank. The annual budget of the Department of Veterans Affairs has skyrocketed from $45 billion in 2001 to $125 billion today primarily due to the War on Terror.

Our veterans write a check for up to and including their lives to defend our country. Under our constitution, it is the duty of Congress to provide care for any physical or psychological damage veterans have suffered while defending our country. Veterans perform a necessary function in our society and for their service veterans receive deserved benefits and gratitude. It’s important that we have a strong military to deter attacks against the our country and protect it when attacked. However, the greatest way to honor them is to keep them out of unnecessary conflict. The only just war is one carried out in self-defense, as a non-aggressor, and as a last resort.

I support -

• An unequivocal congressional declaration that all physical or psychological damage veterans sustained while defending our country will be paid for by the taxpayer for their entire lives. All veterans should be free to seek medical services at local hospitals instead of VA hospitals, if they so choose. This will also alleviate the VA’s cost of rural health initiatives which increased during 2010 by 600%.

• I support changing the portion of the VA budget covering the above-mentioned expenses from discretionary to mandatory.

• Veterans also face difficulty in obtaining employment upon retirement or separation from the military. In order to assist veterans, I support temporary federal income tax credits that could be granted to employers who hire veterans. This is a zero-cost benefit to veterans and employers alike.

• If a service member dies in combat and has previously collected GI Bill benefits, the family of the deceased is required to repay those benefits to the VA. So far the VA has attempted to recover over $56,000 from the families of 22 deceased service members. This is a complete travesty and should be stopped immediately with any money repaid thus far immediately given back to the families. The text for HR 5148 prohibits “the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from collecting certain debts owed to the United States by members of the Armed Forces and veterans who die as a result of an injury incurred or aggravated on active duty in a combat zone.” (Mr. Dent did not co-sponsor HR 5148.)

• I support dismissing any criminal charges against veterans, current service members, and civilians who have refused to participate in any unconstitutional military action. All service members swear an oath to “protect and defend the Constitution against all enemies, both foreign and domestic.” Any person refusing to violate the tenets of our Constitution by participating in unconstitutional warfare are fulfilling their oaths, and it is an outrage that any be tried in a court like a petty criminal. This includes, but is not limited to, America’s past military actions in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Vietnam, Yugoslavia, Somalia, Korea and Vietnam.

• As Congressman, I would file a resolution to the executive branch that all veterans found guilty previously be pardoned immediately, and legislation to clarify that soldiers are not required to participate in unconstitutional warfare.

• I pledge to fight against any and all future attempts to institute a military draft, and I will attempt to specifically ban military drafts. Individuals should be allowed to join the armed forces in a nation’s time of need of their own free will. In a truly free nation, it is my belief that there will be no need for a draft as people would gather to defend our freedoms from being stolen, our wealth plundered, and to protect our families. The idea of using young people between the ages of 18 and 21 as raw material or cannon fodder is likewise morally unacceptable.

• I support ending the Individual Ready Reserve’s mandatory 8-year service requirement immediately. This is a glorified form of a backdoor draft and is no way to thank our veterans for their service.
• A service member’s sexual preferences has no bearing on how well they can defend our country. I support repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

With a few days left until the election, I challenge my career politician opponents to put aside their bickering for a moment and agree to a focused debate on the wars abroad and our veterans. This is because they have shirked their responsibility to the people they serve by skipping or refusing 6 out of 11 debates whereby this topic could have been covered in more detail.

Why would they ever agree to a debate? Because it would be for the good of the people, not their political careers.

October 28, 2010

Towne’s “Our Veterans” plank – http://towneforcongress.com/platform-issues/our-veterans/

Towne’s latest public speech on veterans – http://towneforcongress.com/economy/jobs-debt-veterans-and-war-speech/

Upcoming events are listed below, and anyone wishing to make a donation to cover more TV advertisements can make it below.

• Northampton Community College Forum, October 28, 11 AM till perhaps 12:30 or 1 PM.  Open to public, Q&A. Location Changed!! Location is in the Student Life Zone on the 2nd floor of the College Center.  3835 Green Pond Rd Bethlehem, PA 18020.  Campus Map.
• Live interview on WDIY, 6-7 PM on Thursday, October 28.  Listen locally at 88.1 FM or here online.
• Rally and Poll Materials Pickup, 5PM-8:30 PM on Thursday, October 28 at American Sandwich Company at 7001 Route 309, Fairmont Village Shopping Center, Coopersburg, PA 18036.  MAP.  A volunteer will be there to hand out materials from 5 PM on, Jake will arrive around 7:30 to talk for a bit.

• Rally to Restore Sanity, 12 PM- 4 PM on Saturday, October 30 at Porter’s Pub, 700 Northampton St., Easton, PA 18036.  MAP.  The Comedy Central march in DC will be televised from 12-3 pm and Jake will be taking questions from 3-4 pm.  This is not a campaign sponsored event.
• Slatington-Walnutport Halloween Parade: 5:30 p.m. Oct. 30. Help hand out flyers before the parade begins!!  Contact the campaign at 610-392-8156 or towneforcongress@gmail.com for meetup details.
• Replay of “Debate at the State”, 8 PM on Saturday, October 30 on WFMZ Channel 69.

• Easton-Phillipsburg Halloween Parade: 12:30 p.m. Oct. 31. Help hand out flyers before the parade begins!!  Contact the campaign at 610-392-8156 or towneforcongress@gmail.com for meetup details.
• Allentown Halloween Parade: 1 p.m. Oct. 31. Help hand out flyers before the parade begins!!  Contact the campaign at 610-392-8156 or towneforcongress@gmail.com for meetup details.
• Bethlehem Halloween Parade: 1 p.m. Oct. 31. Help hand out flyers before the parade begins!!  Contact the campaign at 610-392-8156 or towneforcongress@gmail.com for meetup details.

• NOVEMBER 2nd ELECTION DAY!! Volunteers are needed to hand out literature outside of local polling stations, please volunteer here and share your name, phone #, city, and if you live in the district, your current polling location.
  • Post-Election Victory Party for all volunteers and supporters at 8 PM on Election Day at Pies On Pizzeria at Front and Pine Streets, Catasauqua!!!!

Jake Towne Issues Flyer Oct 2010