CROTCHETY OLD RANT - PART I

Events have conspired to piss me off.  I've been thinking about Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, the man who apparently went berserk back in March and slaughtered those Afghan civilians.  It was an act that can't be forgiven, but I was struck by the fact that he, like so many others in our volunteer military, was on his fourth tour of duty in that god forsaken part of the world.  That's four, people.  And at the same time this was playing out on our TV screens, our bold Republican presidential candidates were salivating, absolutely salivating, at the idea of attacking Iran - I guess they're aiming for the big trifecta:  Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran all within ten years.  Apparently someone's offering a prize for the most wars fought in a single decade.
 
And yet, I couldn't help noting, none - NONE - of these gentlemen (Romney, Gingrich and Santorum) has ever worn the uniform.  EVER.  That makes 'em chickenhawks in my book - big mouths, but very little guts (except, of course, for The Newt).  And, as far as I can tell, none of them have children in the service.  I am getting sick of war-happy politicians with no military experience and no blood relatives in uniform.  And while I am not so naive as to think that a president can't be effective in handling a war unless he has served (I think Obama is doing just fine, thank you very much), it would sure be nice if the president and members of congress had a little skin in the game.  Therefore, I propose the Anti-Chickenhawk / Skin in the Game Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, as follows:

Part the First:  Unless one of the 50 states or territories are attacked, U.S. military forces cannot fight for more than 24 hours without a formal declaration of war. 
Part the Second: No congressperson is allowed to vote on such a declaration unless at least one of that congressperson's children are 'of age' and serving in the active military or reserves - preferably this will be the congressperson's firstborn. 
Part the Third:  Should war be declared, said child / children unless already serving in a combat unit will be transferred to same and remain there fighting alongside all the other poor sons of bitches until the end of hostilities.

Pass this amendment and then let's see just how serious our Republican brethren are about heading off to war.

Okay, I've said my piece.  Now I'm going back to cleaning the damn bathrooms.