Protest Rep. Scott Garrett on June 2

by: carolh

Sun Jun 01, 2008 at 10:28:09 AM EDT

Sussex County Community College
1 College Hill Road, Newton, NJ 07860
Performing Arts Center  
the Sussex County Community College
from 10-12

Protest at 9 am

An incredible woman named Janice Swack will be there to tell Garrett exactly what she thinks of him.  Garrett aroused her anger for having the audacity to be in Sussex County on June 2 to kick off Veterans History Project - AFTER he voted AGAINST the GI Bill.  

Janice, who is married to a disabled ex-POW, will be there - with her husband's wheelchair to voice her anger at the Congressman from the 5th District.

From Janice's email to me:

"My husband is a 100% disabled WWll Ex POW who used the GI Bill and got a Ph.D. If it had not been for it, he would not have had the money to go to college and this poor kid would have spent his life in poverty. The GI Bill began the middle class that we all enjoyed."

I met Mrs. Swack after an event on Friday where Rachel Maddow was interviewing Camille Abate.   Mrs. Swack's determination touched me.  Her husband was a Jewish soldier during WWII who was a Prisoner of War.  Because of his faith, he was sent to Buchenwald.  She couldn't go on without her eyes tearing up, describing what had happened to her husband over 60 years ago.  She was so angry at Garrett she is staging a one woman protest against Garrett ala Cindy Sheehan.

With Janice was Robert Levine, the National Service Officer of the American Ex-Prisoners of War, Inc. Garden State Chapter No.1 located in River Edge.  Mr. Levine had himself lost his leg in WWII.  At that time, he said, prosthetics were not as state of the art.  He was given a CIVIL WAR era leg to replace what he had lost.  And yet, he stated that as veterans of WWII they were treated so much better than our veterans coming home from Iraq.  As a  WWII veteran he is angry that our young Iraq soldiers are not treated as well as he was.  He often speaks to the soldiers returning who have lost limbs in Iraq.  His eyes teared up as he spoke of them.  It was hard not to be touched by what Janice and Robert had to tell me. I found my eyes welling up as I listened.

Please urge anyone at all who can go tomorrow to stand with Janice Swack - Garrett will be there 10-12, Janice will be there at 9 am for her protest.  The press will be there.  Lets show the veterans that we care and show Garrett that we are appalled at his lack of leadership when it comes to helping our veterans who have sacrificed so much for us.

It is only one week since Memorial day - but there are so many veterans to help every day - all year long.

If you can at all attend, please do and give Janice an email to let her know.  

Janice Swack
jswack@comcast.net

For those interested in helping out our veterans but who can't make it to Sussex on June 2, Rachel also pointed out http://www.votevets.org