The military veteran sales tax break would last from Nov. 1, 2016, through Dec. 31, 2016, just in time for the holidays, but competes with other breaks.
militarism
Boots on the Ground to Fight ISIS? Sure, But Arab and Turkish Boots, Not American
Republican candidates for president are right about calling for military force against ISIS, wrong about the kind of force that should fight: only Sunni fighters from Arab lands and Turkey can effectively defeat ISIS, argues Joseph Nye.
Flagler Briefly Pauses On 100th Anniversary Year of the War that Led to Veterans Day
The commemoration of Veterans Day this morning in Bunnell featured a Florida Army National Guard commander who traced the conflict-ridden history of the day since its inception at the end of World War I.
Florida GI Bill Seeks More ‘Military Friendly’ State, With Free Tuition For National Guardsmen
The hefty proposals include spending $14.5 million a year for an expansion of free tuition for members of the National Guard, would create a non-profit to market Florida to former members of the U.S. military. Also, they would upgrade state armories, ease professional licensing for veterans and offer a waiver for all honorably discharged veterans from having to pay out-of-state tuition charges at state colleges and universities.
The Trouble With Veterans Day
It’s hard to see how, if a war is unjust, it can be heroic to wage it. So it’s flat-out preposterous to claim that everyone who has ever been in the U.S. military is a hero, argues Arnold Oliver, a Vietnam veteran who finds it troubling that Veterans Day has devolved into a hyper-nationalistic worship service of militarism.
The Military’s Sexual Assault Crisis: Our Women in Uniform Deserve Better
There were 3,374 reported cases of sexual assault in the military in 2012, and 26,000 assaults likely went unreported. Those shameful numbers don’t have to speak for themselves, argues Martha Burk, but most of the victims were afraid of being punished by superiors if they reported what happened.
Militarizing the Border: Where Those Billions for More “Security” Will Go
The U.S. spent nearly $18 billion dollars on immigration enforcement agencies last fiscal year, more than all other law enforcement agencies combined. Where would another $4.5 billion go? Here’s a closer look at what is being proposed, and how the government has spent (and often wasted) border money in recent years.
Hero Whiplash: Abusing Soldiers, Misusing Honor
When it comes to talking about the troops who have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, hero is the most overused word, while those who have sent them to Iraq and Afghanistan let themselves off the hook, argues Mary Jo Melone.
American Soldiers Committing Atrocities: Placing the Blame Where It Belongs
From posing with corpses of insurgents to going on murderous rampages, American soldiers’ atrocities in Afghanistan are becoming routine. Without absolving the military of its responsibilities, the real isn’t the soldiers’ alone.
Lady Liberty at Flagler Palm Coast High School: When Veterans Get Patriotism All Wrong
Veterans complained to the Flagler County School Board that student portrayals of Lady Liberty they say at FPC “desecrated” her and the flag and should be removed. The veterans were wrong, and were themselves desecrating American values.