I am a 100% disabled Vietnam War veteran. I get excellent health care from the Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center in Iron Mountain.

I am also a member of the American Legion and the Disabled American Veterans organizations.

I recently called a Wisconsin state-level office of the American Legion and asked a question and received an answer.

During the conversation, I mentioned to the person with whom I was speaking that the U.S. House of Representatives has had a House resolution pertaining to providing dental care for all veterans in the veterans health care system.

Presently, dental care is only offered to veterans with a 100% disability rating, persons who were prisoners of war and those who had a mouth injury in service.

This new plan would give dental care to all veterans in the VAMC system and also save money while promoting the entire dental industry. In short, we would save tax dollars overall.

I told this person that this House resolution has been on the floor and then shelved with no action for at least four years. I told this person that if we all contacted our Congressional representative we might get it moving and benefit all veterans.

The person responded that they were “too busy” to make a call to their Congressional Representative. Too busy? To make a call and leave a message on a machine? Too busy to promote the veterans who are paying this person’s wages at the American Legion?

I was both amazed and dismayed. This is a government OF, BY and FOR the people. That means individuals have an obligation to participate. Just read the Constitution.

Or realize that this Congressional representative is just that. Not your conscience or your guardian but your representative. YOU must tell them what you want our government to do in our behalf. Just pick up the telephone and make the call.

You either want this or you don’t. I will not tell you how to choose. But choose you must if you are a citizen.

I do not know how to make this more simple to understand. If you want something, you ask for it. You have been doing that since you first mastered talking as a child. But now you are not a child, so realize your responsibilities and act on them.

This is OUR country, until we give it away.