| I'm the Democratic challenger so I had to watch the Republican incumbent, JohnCarter, speak at this dead soldier's ceremony even though he played no part in securing the honor. Carter's 62 years old yet he never served in the Army, and neither has anyone in his family.
My husband served for 23 years in the Army and listened to Carter in stunned silence. Carter awkwardly shuffled through some papers he'd just been handed in an attempt to learn the bios of the two men he'd been tasked to introduce, a full-bird Colonel and a two-star General - both highly decorated combat veterans. Carter stumbled then quickly gave up and handed it off to the "Special Ops" Colonel.
The Colonel felt compelled to correct Carter and point out that he - along with the dead soldier and the General - served in the Special Forces. The Colonel firmly but gently explained the difference between Special Ops and Special Forces to the incumbent Congressman. Carter later tried to pass off his gaffe with a joke. Yes, a joke.
Our boy is deployed to Iraq with the 4th Infantry Division from Fort Hood, Texas, and Carter is his Congressman.
We're very proud of our son's voluntary service to our country, and there's no doubt in my mind that Carter and this Congress could care less about our son and our military. Carter will continue to get away with it because there is no draft and only one percent of our country serves in the Armed Forces. That's why I'm running for Congress.And
without your help, Carter will surely win re-election to send more young men and women to die in vain because he will continue to rubberstamp more failed policies, and once again lose Afghanistan to the Taliban and Al Qaida.
How long can you let this go on?
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Mary Beth Harrell is the Democratic Congressional Nominee in District 31 - home to Fort Hood. Harrell, a Killeen attorney and former city prosecutor, is married to a retired Army warrant officer. They have two sons serving on active duty - the oldest is in Iraq.
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