# Paralyzed Veterans stand up (NPI) to Senator Burr **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 28, 2014, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paralyzed-veterans-stand-up-npi-to-senator-burr/689437 "2014-05-28T04:02:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paralyzed-veterans-stand-up-npi-to-senator-burr/689437/1 "2014-05-28T04:02:06Z")
There was a Veterans Affairs Committee meeting recently to discuss the VA’s problems and how to fix them. Senator Richard Burr, the ranking Republican on the committee apparently wasn’t really interested in fixing anything, so he wrote an “open” letter saying the Veterans Organizations leaders who testified were beltway insiders who didn’t represent real veterans interests. The Paralyzed Veterans of America took exception to this “open” letter and had [this response.](http://www.pva.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=ajIRK9NJLcJ2E&b=6350111&ct=13956569) Here are a couple of highlights: > [@](#): > > You truly should be ashamed for being so bold as to challenge veterans’ service organizations (VSO) and the veterans who represent our organizations on a weekend when we clearly know more about what the holiday represents than you do. > [@](#): > > Perhaps you should have shared with all veterans in your “open” letter that you cared so much about their health care that **you were not actually present during the testimony** that the VSO representatives provided \*\*and you did not ask a single question \*\*to gauge our recommendations about how to fix the problems the VA health care system is facing. (emphasis mine) ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paralyzed-veterans-stand-up-npi-to-senator-burr/689437/2 "2014-05-28T04:34:19Z")
Senator Burr never served in the military. Figures. It’s also appropriate that he claims to be related to Aaron Burr. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paralyzed-veterans-stand-up-npi-to-senator-burr/689437/3 "2014-05-28T13:46:42Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Senator Burr never served in the military. Figures. It’s also appropriate that he claims to be related to Aaron Burr. I don’t think either party regards prior service as a necessity to serve on the committee. Of fourteen members, there are only two with prior military service time: a former USMC reservist E-5 and a former Air National Guardsman E-6. The Chairman is Senator Bernie Sanders, an Independent who caucuses with the Democrats. He never served in the military. From the Democrats, the majority party: Rockefeller IV, John D. (WV) - No military service Murray, Patty (WA) - No military service Brown, Sherrod (OH) - No military service Tester, Jon (MT) - No military service Begich, Mark (AK) - No military service (and the only sitting U.S. Senator without a college degree, for trivia fans!) Blumenthal, Richard (CT) - Sgt, USMC Reserve Hirono, Mazie (HI) - No military service From the Republicans, the minority party: the aforementioned Burr, Richard (NC) - no military service Isakson, Johnny (GA) - SSgt, GA ANG Johanns, Mike (NE) - No military service Moran, Jerry (KS) - no military service Boozman, John (AR) - no military service Heller, Dean (NV) - no military service ---
**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paralyzed-veterans-stand-up-npi-to-senator-burr/689437/4 "2014-05-28T15:37:20Z")
Wow, that’s interesting that only two members have any military service. Well, I guess Congress knows best. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paralyzed-veterans-stand-up-npi-to-senator-burr/689437/5 "2014-05-28T15:40:42Z")
I agree w/ **Bricker** ’s implied point, that armed forces experience or lack thereof is irrelevant (and in fact is an inappropriate criticism of any person or politician who has an opinion about the armed forces/veterans). ---
**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paralyzed-veterans-stand-up-npi-to-senator-burr/689437/6 "2014-05-28T15:49:30Z")
> [@Eonwe](#): > > I agree w/ **Bricker** ’s implied point, that armed forces experience or lack thereof is irrelevant (and in fact is an inappropriate criticism of any person or politician who has an opinion about the armed forces/veterans). Agreed (although **Bricker** ’s data is still surprising to me.) However, I think criticism based on having opinions about a hearing (of which you are the ranking minority member) which you did not attend is fair. ---
**Author:** ![hotflungwok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paralyzed-veterans-stand-up-npi-to-senator-burr/689437/7 "2014-05-28T16:56:32Z")
It’s the same way with the [House Science Committee.](http://www.salon.com/2012/10/08/least_scientific_members_of_the_house_science_committee/) ---
**Author:** ![Gedd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gedd/32/4938_2.png) [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paralyzed-veterans-stand-up-npi-to-senator-burr/689437/8 "2014-05-28T17:23:32Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Senator Burr never served in the military. Figures. It’s also appropriate that he claims to be related to Aaron Burr. Crap, I need to find the headline that said something like “Burr Duels Veterans.” It made me smile. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paralyzed-veterans-stand-up-npi-to-senator-burr/689437/9 "2014-05-28T19:33:41Z")
> [@rsa](#): > > Agreed (although **Bricker** ’s data is still surprising to me.) > > However, I think criticism based on having opinions about a hearing (of which you are the ranking minority member) which you did not attend is fair. I’m not sure. When a jury hears testimony in a criminal case, they are expected to observe the witness’ demeanor and weigh their credibility. Obviously, they must be there. When a congressional committee hears testimony, they are presumably gathering information to assist them in reaching legislative decisions. Physical presence is not as important – the testimony that’s given is available in written form. Assuming the senator reviewed the testimony later, I don’t think it’s per se unreasonable that he reaches conclusions even though he wasn’t present – he’s gotten the gist of the testimony. Now, the Paralyzed Veterans do have a cognizable complaint, I think: Burr complains they failed to join the American Legion in calling for leadership change at the VA. But because he didn’t ask any questions, his complaint rings hollow. At the core, he should have asked, “Why aren’t you calling for leadership change at the VA?” They should be allowed to answer that before he inveighs against them for failing to support it. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paralyzed-veterans-stand-up-npi-to-senator-burr/689437/10 "2014-05-28T20:20:56Z")
> [@hotflungwok](#): > > It’s the same way with the [House Science Committee.](http://www.salon.com/2012/10/08/least_scientific_members_of_the_house_science_committee/) That link details several statement from members of the House Science Committee. Most of them are spot-on criticisms. But I don’t agree that all of them reveal an ill-suited member of the committee. To be clear: I am saying that based on those comments alone, I don’t agree that in each case it’s a reasonable conclusion to say that the speaker should not be a member of that committee. Obviously there may be other evidence that shows insuitability. From the linked article: > [@](#): > > Then there’s Todd Akin. In the course of his campaign for Missouri Senate, Akin made the following comments about rape: “First of all, from what I understand from doctors [pregnancy from rape] is really rare,” Akin said. “If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.” > Maryland Rep. Roscoe Bartlett had a similar take on pregnancies resulting from rape: “There are very few pregnancies as a result of rape, fortunately, and incest — compared to the usual abortion, what is the percentage of abortions for rape? It is tiny. It is a tiny, tiny percentage.” In this case, Akin is clearly, factually wrong. But Bartlett is not, because he’s saying something very different: that of all abortions performed, only a tiny percentage are the result of rape or incest. He’s not saying that rape or incest cannot conceive children, or that they have less chance of conceiving children, as Akin said. Bartlett is saying that abortions performed as a result of rape or incest pregnancies are a small percentage of all abortions. This is factually correct, and bears no particular evidence to his lack of scientific understanding. > [@](#): > > Texas Rep. Randy Neugebauer is best known for yelling out, “It’s a baby killer!” during the House debate on Obama’s healthcare reform bill. But did you know he also drafted a resolution for Americans to ”join together in prayer to humbly seek fair weather conditions” after a series of destructive tornadoes and droughts? There’s nothing wrong, or disqualifying, in seeking prayer for fair weather after a bout of foul weather. The “baby killer” comment I take for hyperbolic reference to abortion or contraception funding, which again is not objectively disqualifying. What a “baby” is cannot be defined by science, and any claim that science disproves that a fertilized ova is a baby is simply misplaced. > [@](#): > > Jim Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin is a renowned climate change skeptic who has alternately decried ”scientific fascism” and described research on climate change as an “international conspiracy.” Yup. This is a good example of a disqualifying statement. > [@](#): > > Allen West-backed Sandy Adams lost her Florida primary this year, but she still managed to serve on the committee while bad-mouthing evolution. “I’m Christian. I believe in the biblical terms of how we came about,” she once said. Adams also voted in favor of a bill to have teachers “teach theories that contradict the theory of evolution.” So is this. The evidence in favor of evolution is unassailable. ---
**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paralyzed-veterans-stand-up-npi-to-senator-burr/689437/11 "2014-05-28T21:59:13Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > I’m not sure. > > When a jury hears testimony in a criminal case, they are expected to observe the witness’ demeanor and weigh their credibility. Obviously, they must be there. > > When a congressional committee hears testimony, they are presumably gathering information to assist them in reaching legislative decisions. Physical presence is not as important – the testimony that’s given is available in written form. Assuming the senator reviewed the testimony later, I don’t think it’s per se unreasonable that he reaches conclusions even though he wasn’t present – he’s gotten the gist of the testimony. > > Now, the Paralyzed Veterans do have a cognizable complaint, I think: Burr complains they failed to join the American Legion in calling for leadership change at the VA. But because he didn’t ask any questions, his complaint rings hollow. At the core, he should have asked, “Why aren’t you calling for leadership change at the VA?” They should be allowed to answer that before he inveighs against them for failing to support it. Really? Burr only needed to be present to ask “Why aren’t you calling for leadership change at the VA?” IOW, the “hearing” was a sham because its purpose wasn’t to gather information, but rather just a formality prior to putting forth Burr’s foregone conclusions? IIRC, a Grand jury (to continue your legal analogy) is supposed to ask questions and gather facts prior to reaching their conclusion. The end-point of a hearing may be different than for a Grand jury, but I thought gathering information was still part of the purpose. By the way, [the VFW and Disabled American Veterans weren’t too happy with Burr either](http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/27/us/veterans-groups-lash-out-at-republican-senator.html?ref=politics&_r=0). [The V.F.W. had this to say:](http://www.vfw.org/News-and-Events/Articles/2014-Articles/VFW-Comment-on-Senator-Burr%E2%80%99s-Open-Letter-to-Veterans/) > [@](#): > > Responding to Burr’s attacks on its motives, the VFW added, “Senator, this is clearly one of the most dishonorable and grossly inappropriate acts that we’ve witnessed in more than forty years of involvement with the veteran community and breaches the standards of the United States Senate. Your allegations are ugly and mean-spirited in every sense of the words and are profoundly wrong, both logically and morally. Quite frankly Senator, you should be ashamed.” ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2014, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paralyzed-veterans-stand-up-npi-to-senator-burr/689437/12 "2014-05-31T07:57:18Z")
And just because we’re all thinking it: The tactical thought that went into a GOP politician snubbing a group of Disabled Fallen True American Heroes is somewhere between Daffy Duck running headlong off a cliff and Wile E. Coyote standing under a boulder while using a stick to prod it into falling. Topping it off by insulting the rest of the [del][GAR](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Army_of_the_Republic)[/del] leadership among the veterans’ voting block is worse than running through a hole painted on a cliff: While neither of them make good sense, the insult doesn’t even make good _nonsense_. And I’m sure there’s a way to construe what Burr said about the VFW as being something other than an insult. I’m sure there’s a way for Burr to spin his actions as being motivated by nothing but the kindest of intentions for all veterans, the plight of whom moves him to cry himself to sleep at night every evening. At this point, however, I’d not lay good odds on anyone _believing_ those fairy tales. "He ain’t got no friends on the right… " - Burr’s Primary Concern