IF THE WAR DON'T GET 'EM SOMETHING ELSE WILL

And that is the obvious position of our government and the military.

The young man in this story, Carmelo Rodriquez, joined the Marines, went to Iraq, put his life on the line for all of us, and served his country with honor only to come home and die. He was seen by doctors both before and during his tour in Iraq. He was diagnosed with melanoma. It was in his medical file, the military knew it but, no one ever told him. What started out as a small wart on his buttock grew to be the size of two hands side by side. He fought hard but last week he died at home, in his bed, surrounded by family. He was 80 pounds.

Now, I know you're wondering what in the world this has to do with our class. Well, it appears that when you enter into military service you sign documents giving up your rights as a citizen!!! Isn't there tacit and ongoing consent, under the Constitution, with regards to our citizenship? Who would ever have thought that when a soldier signs on the dotted line that he or she then becomes the property of the military and is no longer entitled to the same rights and privileges as a United States citizen? Don't we have provisions in our Constitution against slavery????

This poor marine was given a military funeral. However, his family had to pay for it out of their own pocket. Because of his illness, the one the military failed to tell him about and that killed him, he had had to retire from active duty and was no longer entitled to a military funeral paid for by the government. Does this sound wrong on all levels to anyone else besides me? My son just returned from his second tour in Iraq just last week. My son-in-law leaves this month for his first tour. This story has given me even more cause to worry.
Our rights are something we should never take for granted, so why is the military doing just that?

To read the story in it's entirety you can go to:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/31/eveningnews/main3776580.shtml?source=RSSattr=U.S._3776580