Today’s calendar says it’s Memorial Day but reality intrudes.
In all my 78 years I have never heard an elected public official in this country say such evil and cruel things as Ohio’s Governor John Kasich (R) did earlier this week in rejecting a $5,000,000 federal grant that would pay for prosthetic limbs for wounded veterans.
In a speech at Ohio State University on Sunday, Kasich said the grant is unnecessary and is a prime example of “irresponsible liberal deficit spending.”
His words need no commentary.
“The federal government is 14 trillion dollars in debt. I won’t stand by and let President Obama waste our hard-earned tax dollars on these freeloading veterans of foreign wars.”
Kasich originally told the Obama administration that he would accept the funding if a percentage could be allocated for his own set of prostheses. After the administration declined his request, noting that the governor had no need for prosthetic limbs, the funding was denied.
Kasich said he is not worried about any backlash from war veterans or the public at large.
“I think most of the hard working, decent people in Ohio agree with me that there are better things we could be spending our tax dollars on than war veterans crying for a handout.
‘Ooooh, I want to be able to walk up to my house to see my child for the first time.’ Please. Watch out for the land mine next time, idiot,” Kasich said.“And what are these veteran amputees going to do to stop me? Walk up to the voting booth on imaginary legs in three years? Press the button for another candidate with the arm or hand they don’t have? Not if I can help it.”