A reminder that military personnel still face discharge for even one-time use of cannabis. I testified this morning in a hearing to appeal discharge proceedings for a NY-based reservist & experienced combat vet who used medicinal cannabis for chronic nausea. #cannabisforvets 1/
Our military is losing talent & experience because of antiquated zero-tolerance policies like this. One-time cannabis usage for medicinal purposes carries a far higher penalty than a DUI. #cannabisforvets 2/
Meanwhile 1 in 100 men and 1 in 16 women currently serving in the military have been sexually assaulted by predators who are held to no accountability within the ranks. nyti.ms/2DLaEp2 3/
And meanwhile white supremacists are held to no accountability within the military ranks. bit.ly/2VMm06p 4/
Discharging good troops based on one-time usage of a substance that is legally attainable and socially prevalent is expensive, wasteful, and ultimately the profoundly wrong disciplinary focus. 5/
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
I read this yesterday. I keep wanting to scream. This is an important piece. But it is nowhere damning enough. A few thoughts: 1/ theatlantic.com/magazine/archi…
First, it is surprising to notice someone who ran relentless cover for the Biden withdrawal last August seems to feel bad about it now & is made out to be someone of conscience here. It's puzzling, but not the point of the piece. 2/
Also, let it be known that Mission Essential Personnel has told more lies about our #AfghanAllies than the Taliban. This was systemic betrayal of loyal Afghans. They fired our friends for "security reasons" time & again. It seems directed at SIV denial.
Rush Limbaugh's legacy of stoking hate, bigotry, insults & lies will sadly live on. Remembering today the bile he spewed at veterans. Like when he called veterans wounded in Iraq "phony soldiers" for speaking up about the lies that started the war: abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2…
On transgender military service, Rush Limbaugh offered this "support" for the troops: "So the Trannies Could Now Get Into The Military Along With Everybody Else. Of Course, What Could Go Wrong?" mediamatters.org/rush-limbaugh/…
At one point, women veterans demanded Rush Limbaugh be taken off of Armed Forces Network because of the misogynist hatred he spewed. He was never taken off the programming. stripes.com/blogs/stripes-…
A few years ago @CapitolPolice arrested more than 150 peaceful protesters, many of them sexual assault survivors, using their 1st amendment right to protest the Kavanaugh nomination. I haven't been able to find one report or photo of any marauders or looters arrested today.
When disability rights protesters peacefully objected to cuts in Medicaid, more than 180 were arrested. @CapitolPolice took down people with physical disabilities. I have not yet found even one marauder or looter handled like these disabled heroes were.
When disabled people peacefully protested the harm legislators wanted to inflict upon them - @CapitolPolice literally flipped people out of their wheelchairs. I've seen no such aggression toward those who looted our Capitol today.
I don't wish COVID-19 or any illness on anyone. But like countless others, I'm enraged it took this long for the WH to put on masks. To treat this as the crisis it is. 210k dead. Mourning families. Unpayable medical debts. Lost jobs & businesses. This global tragedy is unending.
Seeing discussions of helicopter vs. ground travel from WH to Walter Reed - which is well and interesting - got me thinking of March-May in NYC when ambulances were constant, EMS & ER staff were overwhelmed & hospitals had morgue trailers filling with our neighbors & loved ones.
Wishing New Yorkers had options then - or that other Americans have options now. In early months, folks were told to stay home unless they couldn't breathe. Hospital hall space was taken up with critical patients, many of whom died from lack of staffing & equipment.
That "308,000 deaths in the military" number is very specific, so I did a simple search. Appears that 308,000 is the number of civilian casualties in Iraq. Real numbers, real lives - zero context here in #Debates2020. statista.com/chart/20699/es…
More than 20k people died of COVID-19 in my city. Healthcare workers had no PPE. NYC begged for supplies & equipment as morgue trailers filled. Deceased people were carried away in rental vans. We were failed by our federal govt profoundly. politico.com/news/2020/03/2…
NYC saved lives by limiting social contact and mandating masks. We do not want to go back to the mass-death we experienced in terrifying early months of this pandemic. This isn't a game, this isn't a political football. Americans are dying. #Debates2020