Mitt Romney's speech: What about the veterans? [View all]

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By Juliette Kayyem

Over the course of the last year, I have written a lot about veterans issues, and there are a lot of them. I have argued for the modernization of veteran’s services, why we need a parade for Iraq veterans, and have consistently highlighted the challenge of military suicides. I have worked with the military throughout my career in government and know that service members do not easily talk about their own concerns. With less than 1 percent of our population serving in an all-volunteer force, it's easy for most people to forget about the issues facing the over 2 million Americans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Even then, I was struck last night when Mitt Romney -- the Republican nominee for president, no less -- failed to even give a passing nod to veterans issues, nor even a thanks to the troops. We’ve accepted a collective amnesia about the wars. But the focus on domestic issues has not only silenced most national security discussions; it has also left service members by the wayside.
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